whole chicken in the slow cooker

camelot1001

It's a good way to cook a whole chicken if you are short of time later in the day. I put mine in the SC in the morning and then crisp up the skin for about 20 minutes in the oven as it always looks a bit anaemic! I place it on top of a couple of carrots and halved onions.
It tastes good and then the carcass goes back in the SC for stock.

pandora205

I cook a whole chicken like this now and then but have found that it can be a little slimy so brown it in the oven at the end (usually by transferring it to a roasting tin but I have put the crock pot in the oven too.

Putting veg in the slow cooker - carrots, onions, turnip, butternut squash etc - under the chicken is an excellent way of cooking them. If you don't use them all you can always make soup. I sometimes put a lemon and herbs in the cavity too (but not too much as flavours are stronger in the sc).

And save/use the liquor too, skimming off the fat or separating it in the fridge. The birds seem to like it so we put it outside on cooler days, though I have tried roasting potatoes in it (okay but tastes a bit like chip shop chips).

mmmsnow

I sometimes insert a sliced lemon (if I have one knocking about), some thyme and some rosemary into the chicken's nethers, just for a change. The herbs and lemon will infuse through the breast when the chicken is upside down.

mmmsnow

pandora205 wrote: »

I sometimes put a lemon and herbs in the cavity too (but not too much as flavours are stronger in the sc).

Lol. Beat me to it

Hiddenidenity

Its already stuffed with stuffing? Does this make a difference? Would it be easier to just put it in the oven?

I wanted to use the SC as my oven is very tempremental and doesnt always work if it needs to be on longer than an hour or so

PipneyJane

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

As title says please :o

Ive never cooked one before never mind in the slow cooker :rotfl:

Yes. But be warned - it will become so soft, it'll fall apart (my DH calls this "self carving".) I put mine in with a half cup of dry white wine and a couple of cloves of garlic in the cavity.

My slow cooker has an auto setting, so I tend to use that. Otherwise, put it in now on low and it'll be ready at dinner time (around 7pm).

zippychick

there is an older thread here - whole chicken in the slow cooker

Il merge this later

ZIp

easy

Hiddenidenity wrote: »

Its already stuffed with stuffing? Does this make a difference? Would it be easier to just put it in the oven?

I wanted to use the SC as my oven is very tempremental and doesnt always work if it needs to be on longer than an hour or so

Ah now, never tried a stuffed one in there. As someone else said above, flavours tend to be more intense in the slowcooker, so the herbs in the stuffing might taste more powerful. In addition, the stuffing will release more fat than would normally be in the chicken, and that will soak into the bird, so it might be a bit greasy ..??

Personally I don't think I'd fancy it.

Only way to know is to try it. If you do, please let us know how it turned out.

Hiddenidenity

zippychick wrote: »

there is an older thread here - whole chicken in the slow cooker

Il merge this later

ZIp

Sorry I didnt realise

easy wrote: »

Ah now, never tried a stuffed one in there. As someone else said above, flavours tend to be more intense in the slowcooker, so the herbs in the stuffing might taste more powerful. In addition, the stuffing will release more fat than would normally be in the chicken, and that will soak into the bird, so it might be a bit greasy ..??

Personally I don't think I'd fancy it.

Only way to know is to try it. If you do, please let us know how it turned out.

Ive removed the stuffing after reading that the flavours seem to be stronger and will cook it sperate :rotfl:

orangesmartie

After a recent trip to the farm shop, I have been brave enough to put a whole chicken in my slow cooker this morning. I must confess here that I've never cooked a whole chicken in my life in the oven, never mind in the slow cooker, but I have been inspired by posts here.

So I chopped up some onion and garlic and put those in the bottom of the dish (meant to add a glass of wine but I forgot) and made a paste of garlic, paprika, salt and pepper and a little bit of oil. I spread this over the chicken skin, then realised I don't eat the skin and have bunged it all in the cooker on low. I find my high setting cooks things really fast and often burns them, so hoping low will be enough for the chicken to be cooked at about 6-7pm.

I plan to stretch it out to a 'roast' type meal, curry, a pie (never made pastry before either eek!), chicken fried rice, and a spicy chicken soup and anything else I can think of, if there is meat left.

However, I'm not sure what to do with the juice/liquid. I don't have a fat skimming thingamijig and I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to using the juices to make gravy etc. Can anyone point me in the direct of an idiots guide please? Also, not sure if I am brave enough to attempt making a stock with the bones.