During the fall holidays, you see a perfectly cooked whole bird showcased at the center of the dinner table where everyone sits around joyfully. This is usually a holiday staple that takes a tremendous amount of time. I have honestly avoided making one myself due to the sheer difficulty of the process.
As I was skimming recipes for inspiration, I noticed a whole bird nestled in a crockpot. I instantly thought, “now I could do that!” I love my crockpot in the sense, I get to fill, forget and serve come dinner time. If you are not utilizing a crockpot, you are wasting hours in the kitchen. Gain hours back and use a crockpot!
Well, I did it!!! I finagled a recipe to my desired ingredient preferences and cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot for the first time. It tasted delicious, AND my whole family devoured it. This is a big win. I promise this was so easy! Literally, 10 min spice and flavoring prep, 6 hours low and slow and 3 min under the broiler! Why have I not done this sooner? Once you make it, you will be thinking the same.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
1 4-pound whole chicken, giblets removed
1 pound baby potatoes sliced into halves
½ pound of baby carrots
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the garlic balsamic sauce:
2 medium garlic cloves minced or finely grated
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary salt or fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, balsamic, and rosemary salt.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add half the spice mixture and 1 tablespoon balsamic sauce, tossing to coat.
- Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture on the chicken, rubbing it to cover the chicken and under the skin.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour over 1 tablespoon balsamic sauce. Set aside the remaining balsamic sauce for serving.
- Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. It will be so tender that it may fall apart, though using two spatulas helps the process. To make the skin crispy, place it on a baking sheet and broil on high for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the chicken along with the potatoes and carrots, sprinkled with rosemary, and with the extra balsamic sauce on the side for drizzling or dipping.
The best part of this recipe is that you can take the leftovers and turn it in to something new! I used it as the protein for my salad the next day. I bet it would be delicious in tacos as well!
BY ISIS HARGRAVE
Isis is the co-owner of enduraLAB. She also serves as the Director of Membership, Head of NutritionLAB, and Coach.
