Recipe: Tender Slow-Cooked Whole Chicken

I love this recipe because it’s simple, versatile, and most importantly, tasty! It’s an easy way to prep a large piece of protein without having to spend a lot of time doing it. The chicken falls off the bone and stays juicy – there is nothing sadder than dry chicken breast when you’re trying to eat healthy, am I right? You won’t have to break out the sugar-laden barbeque sauce for this one.

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole 3 – 5 lb. chicken, giblets removed (aka that bag inside the chicken cavity. Ew is right!)
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon of fine sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

  1. Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken with water, pat it dry and set it aside.
  2. Coat the chicken with olive oil.
  3. In a small dish, mix together all of the seasonings.
  4. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, over and underneath the skin and in the cavity.
  5. Place the chicken in a crockpot on low for 8 hours.
  6. Once the chicken is done (internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit), remove it from the crock pot and serve it with veggies.

And by serving it with veggies, I mean – roast some sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees and then go do a ROMwod while that’s cooking. Look at you, you’re such a great multitasker 😉

Just turn on the crock pot in the morning and then it’s ready for dinner that night. It can easily feed 4 people (depending on the size of the bird) or you can have leftovers. Typically, we eat some of it for a dinner that night and then the next day for lunch (as is) or I’ll turn it into a chicken salad with grapes, almonds, and Primal Kitchen mayo. Give it a try and let me know what you think!   

Stay gold,

Abrie