whole chicken in the slow cooker

noonesperfect

Thanks for your reply, unfortunately didn't back on here til 5 minutes ago. Chicken ready but we're not yet! (5.5 hours :eek: )

I shall know to put it on later next time! :rotfl:

Fruball

Definately get extra brownie points for putting the lemon to such good use :rotfl:

noonesperfect

Thanks Frugal, I do my best!

Thanks to all here, it would never have crossed my mind to do this. The chicken was absolutely beautiful, the remainder is going in a pie tomorrow night with leftover veges and gravy.....haven't decided yet whether it will be topped with pastry or mashed potato (potato's healthier I suppose :rolleyes: )

Olliebeak

Well done, noonesperfect! Sounds great.

I've got two chickens lurking in the depths of my freezer - may try this one evening this week (also got a lemon left over from Christmas!). It's one thing I've never had a go at doing - a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

My kids have now started walking into my house and sniffing the air as they enter the front door. Then they walk into the kitchen and are surprised if there's nothing bubbling away in the SC!

Lydia.42

Hi guys
I'm new to old style stuff, and really want to make more of an effort with it all this year. I have a slow cooker, but it's been a while since it last had an outing. Hoping to remedy that.

I didn't realise you could do a whole chicken in the slow cooker??!!! I have a chicker defrosting tonight, as we were planning on roasting for tomorrow's dinner. Would love to try this.

Do i just put it in the cooker as it is, or do i need to add oil to stop it sticking to the bottom of the cooker dish? Does it need much liquid? Do you pour stock over it? Or just water? Tomatoes?

Sorry to sound dim. Just checked, it weighs 1.48kg. How long do you think i will need to cook it for, and on what heat setting?

Thanks loads

noonesperfect

Lydia.42 wrote: »

Hi guys
I'm new to old style stuff, and really want to make more of an effort with it all this year. I have a slow cooker, but it's been a while since it last had an outing. Hoping to remedy that.

I didn't realise you could do a whole chicken in the slow cooker??!!! I have a chicker defrosting tonight, as we were planning on roasting for tomorrow's dinner. Would love to try this.

Do i just put it in the cooker as it is, or do i need to add oil to stop it sticking to the bottom of the cooker dish? Does it need much liquid? Do you pour stock over it? Or just water? Tomatoes?

Sorry to sound dim. Just checked, it weighs 1.48kg. How long do you think i will need to cook it for, and on what heat setting?

thanks loads

Hi Lydia,

as a slow cooker novice myself I was a bit nervous of how well this would work - and put it in far too early!

I put a teaspoon of dried parsley and two lemon halves in the cavity, then I quickly browned the breast and leg sides before putting it into the slow cooker with a wine-glass of water and half an onion. Oh, and I gave it a good sprinkle of paprika to give it a bit of colour. I think my chicken was a similar weight, and I found it was very nicely cooked after 5.5 hours on high setting, though we could probably have eaten sooner!
I strained the cooking liquid to make gravy.

I would imagine you could try a little stock or white wine if you wanted to, maybe use thyme or sage instead of parsley or garlic perhaps. It depends what flavour you like.

Anyway ours was delish and the meat fell off the bones without being overcooked. I'm sure I've got far more meat off the carcass than I would if I'd roasted the bird.

noonesperfect

Olliebeak wrote: »

Well done, noonesperfect! Sounds great.

I've got two chickens lurking in the depths of my freezer - may try this one evening this week (also got a lemon left over from Christmas!). It's one thing I've never had a go at doing - a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

My kids have now started walking into my house and sniffing the air as they enter the front door. Then they walk into the kitchen and are surprised if there's nothing bubbling away in the SC!

Thanks Olliebeak,

don't forget to make full use of your lemon first by making a lemon drizzle cake! I was going to put the zested and squeezed lemon halves in the compost box, then thought "That's not very OS!" and kept them in the fridge overnight to put in the chicken cavity. If you haven't time to make a cake you'll probably just find the chicken has a slightly stronger lemon flavour.

noonesperfect

So how did it go olliebeak?

Well, I hope.

It must be the first time I've managed to get three meals out of a medium sized chicken!

trying-very-trying

Lydia.42 wrote: »

Hi guys I'm new to old style stuff, and really want to make more of an effort with it all this year. I have a slow cooker, but it's been a while since it last had an outing. Hoping to remedy that.
I didn't realise you could do a whole chicken in the slow cooker??!!! I have a chicker defrosting tonight, as we were planning on roasting for tomorrow's dinner. Would love to try this.
Do i just put it in the cooker as it is, or do i need to add oil to stop it sticking to the bottom of the cooker dish? Does it need much liquid? Do you pour stock over it? Or just water? Tomatoes?
Sorry to sound dim. Just checked, it weighs 1.48kg. How long do you think i will need to cook it for, and on what heat setting?
Thanks loads

It's probably too late for you now, but I put a good layer of onions and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker with a tiny bit of water, then the chicken on top, I then give it most of the day on auto, but my sc is only 135w, you may have a higher powered one. Once it's cooked I sometimes lift it out very carefully with meat lifters, pop it on a casserole dish and put it in the oven to crisp up., but I don't really do that very often.
We always get loads of stock from the chicken cooked like this. It is very juicy and almost disintegrates, but we love it like that.
Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker will never give you a traditional roast chicken, but putting it in the oven at the end helps, if that's what you like.

Olliebeak

noonesperfect wrote: »

So how did it go olliebeak?

Well, I hope.

It must be the first time I've managed to get three meals out of a medium sized chicken!

Defrosting now for tomorrow - I'll let you know on Thursday lol!