Best Recipe: Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Whole chicken in slow cooker

Cook’s notes: I was shocked to find out how much sodium and “chemical enhancement” methods can be packed into carryout rotisserie chickens. (Read the list of nutritional negatives on the livestrong site.) Luckily, I found this recipe by Lisa Leake, who called it “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot.” I totally agree. Lisa also notes that “after you pick off the good chicken meat, you can leave the bones in the crock pot to make some stock.” See her original post for these stock instructions.

This recipe is a winner — It’s so easy, it only has three ingredients (spice mix, onion, and chicken), it doesn’t heat up the house, and you don’t need to add any extra liquid or butter. Any spice rub combination will work as well. The chicken is just delicious. I’d like to try putting the chicken on a bed of cut-up yams or Yukon gold potatoes, instead of onions. (Lisa notes that if you use carrots, add them during the last hour. Otherwise, they are too mushy.) This recipe is already in heavy rotation at our house; we make it about every two weeks. It’s a great dish for the weekend or to bring to a potluck.

 

Ingredients

1 sweet onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large chicken
6 teaspoons Dry Rub for Chicken

Directions

Lightly coat the slow cooker with cooking spray. Place onion pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Remove any giblets or string from the chicken, and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity.

Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to High. There is no need to add any liquid.

Cook for 4 to 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Easy to shred

(Note: we cooked it for 4.5 hours, and made sure the chicken was cooked to a USDA specs: a “safe minimum internal temperature of 165 F/75 C as measured using a food thermometer.” At 5 hours, you can shred the meat with a spoon, the onions are melted, and you have to be very careful with removing the bones.)

Be careful when you take the chicken from the slow cooker: It did indeed fall off the bones and easily pull into many small pieces. You won’t remove it in one piece.

Source: Adapted from Lisa Leake’s blog, 100 days of real food

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

Cook’s notes: We had a family-size package of fresh boneless skinless chicken breast halves that needed cooking.

This recipe was inspired by fat-free salad dressing recipes that use broth instead of oil and balsamic vinegar. It uses a broth-based sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. Because the herbed chicken is low in fat and doesn’t have tomatoes, it should not aggravate heartburn. Prep time is about 5 minutes. The chicken is ready in just 3.5 hours, which is very quick for a slow cooker.

8 fresh boneless chicken breast halves, without skin (3.25 lbs)
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
4 Tablespoons (2 oz) balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Turn the cooker to HIGH.

Make the sauce: In a medium size bowl, whisk together the broth and remaining 5 ingredients (balsamic vinegar to black pepper) until smooth.

Place half the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with half the sauce. Place remaining chicken and sauce in the slow cooker.

Cook covered on HIGH for 3.5 hours. Do not remove the lid. Do not stir the ingredients while they cook. Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, and serve the chicken with brown rice.

Alternate method: Cook covered on LOW for 6 hours.

Adapted from the cdkitchen.com (Chicken Italiano II recipe)

Menu: BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker for 6

Cook’s notes: Such an easy menu for a Saturday evening gathering. One couple brought chips and guacamole, the other brought dessert. We provided dinner and then played Trivial Pursuit.

Dinner plate

What worked: The barbecue chicken recipe is my new favorite way to prepare this dish. I’m officially designating it a “best recipe” on this blog. I reduced the sugar in the cole slaw recipe and used a mixture of light mayo and nonfat yogurt to lighten the dressing. I did like the fact that the carrot wasn’t overly sweet — I’ve never liked the version with heavy mayo, sugar, and raisins. Also, having guests contribute their signature dishes was so much fun. This lets everyone focus on the dish they make best.

Suggested changes: This meal has several tangy elements. In addition to the pickles, both side salads had a vinegar dressing. The cole slaw was much more popular than the carrot salad. To balance out the menu, omit the carrots and serve a different side dish without dressing: corn on the cob, green beans, pinto beans (link), or rosemary potatoes. You could also serve fresh strawberries and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Menu:
Appetizer: Tortilla chips and homemade guacamole with salsa, brought by a guest (similar to this)

Dinner:

• Zesty Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken: Shredded BBQ chicken, made in the slow cooker and served on buns with pickles
• Creamy Cole Slaw
• Balsamic Carrot Salad (link)
• Assorted beers, brought by a guest
• Easy Blender Margaritas
• Dessert: Lemon bars with cream cheese, brought by a guest (similar to this version)

Schedule
Put the chicken in the slow cooker and make the margaritas. Later on, make two easy side salads. After dinner, start playing board games and serve the lemon bars.

12:15 pm    Start preparing the chicken
12:30 pm    Chicken starts cooking on HIGH for 1 hour
12:45 pm    Make the margaritas; place in a gallon zip-top bag in the fridge
1:30 pm     Turn the slow cooker to LOW. Do not remove the lid. Do not stir. Chicken cooks for 4 more hours.
4 pm        Make the cole slaw and the carrot salad; store in the fridge
5:30 pm     Shred the chicken and return it to slow cooker
6 pm        Guests arrive; serve drinks and put out chips and guacamole for nibbling
Dinner    Guests assemble their own sandwiches and get side salads
Play board games and serve dessert

Best Recipe: Zesty Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken

Update 10/1/2011: Watching your sugar intake? Here’s a variation: Omit the brown sugar. Instead of 12 oz BBQ sauce, combine 8 oz tomato sauce, 6 oz tomato paste, 2 Tbsp water, and 1 TBsp mustard.

Cook’s notes: I used a 3.3 lb “family size” package of chicken breasts for this recipe. This recipe is my new favorite way to prepare barbecue chicken in the slow cooker.
Prep time, about 30 minutes total, including the shredding. Cooking time: 5.5 hours

Best BBQ chicken

About 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh)
1.5 cups (12 oz) bottled molasses-based barbeque sauce
5 oz bottled Italian salad dressing
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Spray the inside of a 4-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl (or glass 2-cup measure), mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together well.

Place half the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with half the sauce. Place remaining chicken in the slow cooker; pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.

Put the lid on, and cook covered on HIGH for one hour. Turn heat to LOW and cook for another 4 hours. Do not remove the lid during cooking. Do not stir the ingredients while they cook.

Shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Return the meat and sauce to the slow cooker; heat on LOW for another 30 minutes.

Adapted from allrecipes

Island Soyaki Chicken

Cook’s notes: This is simply a variation on the Slow Cooker Chicken with Pineapple, but made even easier with the use of bottled teriyaki sauce and other products from Trader Joe’s.

15 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
3/4 cup bottled teriyaki sauce, such as Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki sauce
1.5 lb package boneless, skinless chicken breasts
ginger powder

Drain the pineapple chunks, saving the juice in a glass measuring cup (I got about 3/4 cup). Add the teriyaki sauce to the pineapple juice and stir to combine.

Coat the slow cooker crock with vegetable cooking spray. Layer the chicken and pineapple pieces in the slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken liberally with ginger powder. Pour sauce over chicken.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Serve with hot rice and a tossed salad.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Pineapple (Hawaiian Chicken)

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
15-oz can pineapple pieces, drained (reserve juice)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup cornstarch

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker coated with vegetable cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with a little salt. Place pineapple over chicken. In small bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger, and cornstarch. Stir until cornstarch mixes with liquids. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Serve with hot rice.

Adapted from the Slow Cooker Cookbook by Barbara C. Jones.

Best Recipe: Turkey and Black Bean Chili

Makes about 4 quarts. This version replaces the older “Mild Turkey Chili”.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 Tbsp jarred)
1 lb to 1.25 lbs ground turkey (16 to 20 oz package)
15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice (do not drain)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes, with juice (do not drain)
2 cans (about 15 oz each) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)
6 oz can tomato paste
4 oz can diced green chiles (mild)
1 Tbsp Mild Chili Spice Mix
1 Tbsp ground cumin powder

Optional garnishes: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, guacamole, toasted pumpkin seeds, or tortilla chips

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and ground turkey until the meat is no longer pink. Stir often to keep the mixture loose. Drain well (leave no more than 1 Tbsp fat in the pan). Add the remaining ingredients (fire-roasted tomatoes to cumin), and stir well.

MAKE AHEAD: Cool chili to room temperature, and store covered in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, place the chili in a slow cooker. Cover and heat on LOW for 4 hours: do not stir and do not lift the lid. Serve with garnishes.

SAME DAY: Bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until heated through and thick. Serve with garnishes.

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Peanut Sauce

Cook’s Notes: I made these fantastic meatballs last week with store-bought, frozen meatballs. They are mild and totally addictive. No kidding, I ate them 5 days in a row with brown rice. Three lbs. of meatballs filled our 4-quart crockpot. Next time, I’d make the same amount of sauce but only use 2 lbs. of meatballs. I followed directions from crockpot365 but doubled the amount of sauce. Thanks for a great recipe, Stephanie!

Serves 10 to 12

3 lbs. cooked turkey meatballs (frozen): 3 x 16 oz bags from Trader Joe’s
4 Tablespoons chunky peanut butter
15-oz can light coconut milk (shake well)
2 Tablespoons red chile paste (jarred, in the Asian cooking aisle): Trader Joe’s General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce
4 teaspoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons white sugar

Put frozen meatballs into 4-quart slow cooker.

Combine peanut butter and coconut milk. Microwave on High for 30-seconds, and stir to loosen the peanut butter. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Add General Tsao’s sauce, soy sauce, and sugar to the peanut butter-coconut milk mixture. Stir well. Pour sauce over meatballs, making sure they are all coated.

Cover slow cooker and cook on High for 2 to 4 hours (2 hours was perfect), or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout.

Serve as a hot appetizer or over brown rice as a meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

Cook’s Notes: Prep time is mostly for handling the sweet potatoes and the chicken. You don’t need to brown the chicken for this recipe. We often have sweet potatoes and black beans on hand. I mixed two recipes to come up with this dinner. We’ll be serving this Latin-style dinner tonight with a pineapple couscous salad. Time: 15 to 30 minutes prep; 5 to 6 hours cook time. SERVES 6 to 8.

1 large sweet potato (20 oz), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
1 medium onion, diced
12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into squares (we used the “Fire-Roasted Red Peppers” from Trader Joe’s)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Faith’s Special Spice Mix
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into large cubes
14-ounce can reduced sodium chicken broth

Peel and cube sweet potato. Place potato cubes in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot; cook onion and pepper in olive oil until the onion softens.

Add spices (cumin to allspice), stir well, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in beans, and pour vegetable mixture into slow cooker over the potato cubes.

Add raw chicken on top. Pour chicken stock over all, and cover with lid. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with rice or couscous and a mixed green salad.

Adapted from Recipezaar Recipe #253599 and a Jamaican curry recipe

Tried and Liked: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

I was looking for slow cooker chicken recipes the other day. I found a good one repeated in several places online (such as this one: link). Hawaiian Chicken has pineapple, ginger powder, and very few other ingredients. I used pineapple chunks instead of slices, and it turned out great.

Follow the instructions as given, but increase the ground ginger to 1/2 teaspoon. The ginger and pineapple are delicious together. Our package of 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves weighed 2.87 lbs, or about 46 oz.

Cooked on HIGH for 3 hours in the slow cooker, Hawaiian Chicken was delicious with hot rice and a mixed salad. I would definitely make this again.