Recipe: Whole Chicken in a Crockpot

A few weeks ago a friend of mine posted that her mom made this amazing bean recipe. So I messaged her mom and she sent me a whole bunch of crockpot recipes. She even included this one for a whole chicken. I have never done a whole chicken and when I tried this recipe, I almost couldn't stop eating it because it was SO good! So, here is the recipe for a whole chicken from my friend Lue.   I also included her chicken stock recipe too.

Whole chicken in the Crock Pot

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 onion
1 whole chicken

Thick slice the onion and put in crock pot.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Rub the mixed dry ingredients under chicken skin, in cavity and on top of skin.
Put in crock pot with about ¼ cup of water or broth/stock. The chicken will make it’s own juices. Cook on high 4-5 hours (for a 3-4 pound chicken).

Sometimes I skip the dried thyme and have added fresh thyme and rosemary. Just stick it wherever under the skin, in the cavity etc. You can do the same with garlic. You can’t screw this recipe up. The 1st time I did it, I had only an onion and salt and pepper. It was still good. Whatever you have on hand is great. Oh yeah--I cook the neck etc in the same pot as the chicken because it adds flavor.
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After picking all the delish meat off the bones, throw the whole carcass back into the crock, skin, previous juices, old onion etc. and make some:

Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
1-3 ribs of celery, roughly chopped
1-2 carrots, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
1-2 bay leaf
1-3 sprig fresh parsley
1-3 sprig fresh thyme
1-3 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt, to taste
Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway. Throw whatever you have on hand into the crock. It's going to taste delish! I also add 1-2 Tablespoons of apple cidar vinegar (the taste and smell will cook out) because it helps draw the calcium out of the bones, making your stock more nutritious.


• Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about 1/2” at the top).
• Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
• After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc. Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice.
• This stock is great in soups like chicken noodle soup and also in rice like risotto. Enjoy!






I also made some tortillas and put the chicken on top of some spinach to make a yummy wrap for lunches.

What do recipes do you use cooked, shredded chicken in? Please share!