Crock-Pot-Chicken-The-WHOLE-Chicken-By-Scratch-Mommy

Crock Pot Chicken (the WHOLE chicken)

Two things that I love – chicken and saving money. Do you love chicken and saving money, too? Okay readers, then this recipe is for you.

Since having my epiphany about the foods my family eats (a post for another day) I have been following several food bloggers. One of my favorite food bloggers is Lisa Leake at 100 Days of Real Food (follow her blog here and her Facebook page here). Lisa taught me not to fear the entire chicken, but to embrace it and indulge in all that this whole chicken has to offer.

I priced breasts and thighs at the store today.
Breasts = $5.99/lb ($7.31 for 1.22 lbs)
Thighs = $2.39/lb ($3.75 for 1.57 lbs)
OUCH!

Rather than purchasing breasts, legs, or thighs, next time I encourage you to purchase the entire chicken (or better yet, support your local farmer in your chicken purchases). I was nervous the first time I cooked an entire chicken (what in the world do I do with this thing!??), but now that I have, I will never go back. My family of three ate off of our last chicken for two weeks! Now that I’ve made more today, I will track exactly how we use it and be able to tell you how many meals it provided for us.

BONUS! Beyond the meat, I made a massive amount of chicken bone stock. It is (by far) the best chicken stock I’ve ever tasted; friends and family agree. Check back tomorrow for this recipe. Here is the recipe. SO easy, tasty, and money saving!

Crock Pot Chicken (the WHOLE Chicken)
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Crock Pot Chicken (the WHOLE Chicken)

So, if you have a chicken, a few spices (which most of us have in our cabinets as staples), and a crock pot, you are all set. If you do not have a crock pot, I’m telling you…you are missing out on some amazing recipes and I encourage you to purchase one…ASAP! You can find a good one fairly cheap…$20 or less.
Are you ready to try Crock Pot Chicken (the WHOLE chicken)? Let’s do it!

Crock Pot Chicken (the WHOLE chicken)
 Ingredients:

  • 1 whole fryer chicken, 4 lbs. or so (preferably local, free-range, organic). You can also use a roaster chicken; they are older and tend to be more tough, but with this recipe I guarantee it will get tender. Today, I simply bought what they had at my local health food store store.
  • 1 large onion, sliced (Money Saving Tip– Organic onions aren’t really necessary! Onions stink and tend to keep bugs away naturally, so farmers do not need to spray them).

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  • Put sliced onions on bottom of crock pot. (Do not add liquid! The chicken and onions naturally produce a lovely liquid to keep everything juicy and tender).
  • Rinse your chicken under cool water. Remove any insides that may have come in a bag inside of your chicken.
  • Mix spices together in a small bowl.
  • Rub spices onto (and inside of) the chicken.
  • Place chicken on top of onions.
  • Turn crock pot on high setting.
  • Enjoy enticing smells in your home while your chicken cooks for 4-5 hours. 🙂
  • Remove chicken from crock pot. Yes, it will literally start to fall off of the bones. Pick out all bones and set aside.
  • I partition my chicken into various amounts and freeze it in freezer bags. You can eat this chicken as is or use it for chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, chicken and rice, and so much more. The sky is the limit with this one!
  • Note- DO NOT DISCARD YOUR BONES, THE JUICE, OR THE ONIONS!!! (You are going to make the best chicken bone stock known to womankind).

 

What a beauty!
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What a beauty!

Yes, it’s really that easy and really that delicious. Most of us already have onions and the required spices on hand in our pantries. I bought my chicken (4.3 lbs) at my local health food store. It was $8.60. That is CHEAP for all of the chicken you get from this recipe! You also get more money savings and the BEST chicken bone stock you’ve ever had. I’m not kidding…you get a TON of chicken stock from these bones! Check back tomorrow to learn how to make the best chicken stock you’ve ever tasted. Yum!

Now, go start your chicken and let me know what you decide to do with your meat!

xoxo,
Jessica, aka Scratch Mommy


This post was shared at…
*
Hunk Of Meat Mondays, hosted by Beyer Beware*
*Homemade Mondays, hosted by Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity!*
*Real Food Wednesdays, hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop!*


 

Comments 10

    1. Hi Jo,

      Right you are! This is definitely a money saver and I’m always looking for those! I also just love all of the stock and yummy chicken; so healthy!

      I just made another batch of chicken yesterday and my stock has been brewing overnight. I am going to let it go all day today to really get the benefit out of those bones. Yum!

      I just went to your website…it appears as though we have a lot in common! It’s very nice to meet you. Maybe we’ll chat again in the future. 🙂

  1. Quick question…my husband is allergic to onions (and everything in the onion family, like scallions). Should I add some water to the crock pot during cooking due to the elimination of moisture from the onions? Thanks!!!

    1. I wouldn’t add water, Jen. If you cut up some carrots and celery and use this as a bed for your chicken, there will be enough juice. I have made chickens in my crock pots for years and have never had to add water or stock. If your husband is allergic to the onion family, isn’t he also allergic to the garlic in this recipe? Aren’t they from the same family?

      1. Hi Jen & Susan,

        Yes, Susan is correct. You will need to place something down as your ‘bed’ for the chicken that will produce juice. If you don’t want to put anything down (veggie wise) until you make your stock, you’ll need to add a bit of water.

        Hope this helps. Enjoy your yummy whole chicken (and the lovely stock, too)! 🙂

        Thanks for stopping by,
        Jess

  2. Can I use a dutch oven instead of a crock pot, and cook this in the oven for a few hours rather than on the stove-top?

    Thanks..

  3. Just found a big ol’ chicken on sale at the grocery store and guess what I am doing with it!! Can’t wait to have some more of that wonderful chicken stock in the freezer for dumplings or soup!! Great recipe and so easy!! Thanks, Jess!!

  4. I know that this recipe was posted a long time ago, but I just made it last night and it was delicious and wonderful and the first time I have successfully cooked an entire chicken. I am so amazed that it was as juicy as it was (my husband and I seriously debated whether or not we would need to add chicken stock because we thought it was CRAZY that we didn’t need to add any extra liquid). Anyway, thanks for this recipe and the stock (it’s simmering away as we speak)!!

  5. The first time I cooked the chicken in the slow cooker I didn’t even have time to look up the recipe. I worried that the chicken might stick to the bottom so I crumpled up some foil – 2 or 3 balls – and put it under the chicken, rubbed on some spice rub I had mixed a while ago, put it on low and cooked it for 8 hours. No surprise – the meat fell off the bones and was delicious. Lots of broth too even with any other additions.

    I think I like the idea of putting onions on the bottom but it’s not needed for liquid production in my opinion. The chicken I used was free range and about 5 lbs.

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