Slow cooker whole chicken
Rub a chicken with spices, set it on a bed of onions and carrots, and come home to meat so tender it falls off the bone.
- 455 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.49 a serving
- 750 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
- 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb
- 1 lemon, halved
From your pantry
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 750 calories, 58 g protein, 14 g carbs and 50 g fat, and costs about $2.49 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Lay the onion, carrots and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Dolly’s tip: They lift the chicken out of its juices so it roasts instead of boiling, and they’re delicious after.the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, brown sugar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Pull the bag of giblets out of the chicken and throw it away, then the chicken dry inside and out.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: Check both ends. The little bag is often tucked into the neck end.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Rub the chicken all over with the oil, then the spice mix, and tuck the lemon halves inside.
Set the chicken breast side up on the vegetables. Don’t add any liquid.
Dolly’s tip: The chicken makes about a cup of its own juice as it cooks.Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F and the leg wiggles loosely.
Timer: 360 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
For skin, lift the chicken onto a and 3 to 5 minutes on the top rack, watching the whole time.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Timer: 4 min
Dolly’s tip: It’s very tender now, so lift it with two big spatulas or tongs under each end.Let it 10 minutes, then pull the meat into pieces and spoon the juices and soft vegetables over.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 10 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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