Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

I always have difficulty with recipes that call for already "cooked" chicken.  I've had to cook chicken breasts before starting a recipe....not fun.  I've tried cooking a batch of chicken breasts in the slow cooker at one time and then shredding the chicken, which isn't too bad.  But then I found this recipe.  At first my husband and I were kind of skeptical.  However, if you want a whole chicken for dinner on a weeknight, this is totally the way to go.  Since first finding this recipe a few weeks ago, we've actually made it again.  The spice rub gives the chicken good flavor and the slow cooker keeps it moist.  Broiling it at the end crisps the skin up nicely.  We actually made this for a weekend dinner, and then I was able to  use the leftover chicken for another recipe.  This is definitely our go to recipe now for a quick and easy chicken dinner....and it gives us leftover chicken to use in another recipe later in the week!

Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
recipe adapted from The Little Kitchen, originally adapted from food.com

Ingredients:

Rub Ingredients
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken
2 garlic cloves

Directions:
Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover. Cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken).

Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

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