Crockpot “Rotisserie” Chicken ‘n Vegetables
Sooooo a whole chicken cooked in the crockpot doesn’t have exactly the same appearance as one that’s been roasted in an oven or rotisserie. But just wait till you experience the INCREDIBLE TASTE! Slow cooking a chicken in the crockpot does the most AMAZING job of sealing in the natural juices so that every bite is extremely succulent and tender. And guess what? This dish is a one-pot meal as all the veggies are cooked right along with the chicken!
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (depending on size of chicken)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (depending on size of chicken)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 5 pound roasting chicken
- 4 cloves garlic crushed (or more if you like)
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
Dry Rub
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or more if you like
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 5 stalks celery sliced into fourths
- 1 pound carrots peeled (if desired), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large onion cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled, cut in half vertically and sliced
Instructions
- Coat the bottom and sides of crockpot with olive oil. (to prevent sticking)
Dry Rub
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
Chicken and Vegetables
- Remove neck, giblets, etc. from chicken. (Save for another use if desired.) Pat chicken dry.
- Arrange celery, carrots, onions and sweet potatoes on bottom of crockpot.
- Place chicken on top of vegetables.
- Rub garlic cloves and lemon all over chicken, place both inside cavity.
- Massage Dry Rub all over chicken. If any rub is remaining, massage inside cavity.
- Note: no need to add liquid…see MPM Mini-Bites below
- Cover; cook on High for 1 hour and Low for 4 to 5 hours. Or cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours. Chicken is cooked when internal temperature of the thigh reaches 170 degrees F. and juices run clear when pricked with a fork. As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time as needed.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board. Separate wings, thighs and drumsticks; carve breast meat. The chicken will be so tender, it will practically fall apart!
- You may ask…but what’s a roasted chicken without crispy skin? No worries! Just pop your cooked chicken (leaving out carved breast meat) under the broiler for a few minutes until your preferred level of crispiness is achieved. Rotate pan as needed. Watch carefully; do not allow skin to burn.
- Arrange chicken and veggies on a serving platter or in a casserole dish. (If desired, remove celery.) Spoon juices over.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: dry rub may be stored covered in a cool location for up to 4 months. This dish may be cooked up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat on Low setting of crockpot for about 1 hour or until heated through. To save time, reheat chicken and veggies in a large casserole dish coated with olive oil spray. Cover; reheat at 325 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until heated through. This dish may also be assembled in the crockpot up to 1 day ahead prior to cooking. Cover and refrigerate. Cooked chicken and veggies may be frozen for up to 4 months.
Size matters: this recipe was made using a 6-quart crockpot and a 5 pound chicken. Even with all the veggies, there was still plenty of room. Use your judgment; avoid purchasing a chicken that is larger than will fit into crockpot along with the veggies. (leaving some room to spare) If your crockpot is too crowded, there won’t be enough room to properly cook the chicken and veggies.
But what about adding liquid? It seems hard to believe, but the chicken and veggies will provide enough natural juices on their own during cooking without the need for additional liquid. However, if preferred, you can add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the bottom of the crockpot before adding the veggies.
Like a thicker gravy? Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender) puree about 1/3 of the natural juices and vegetables; combine with remaining juices and vegetables in crockpot. (Be careful not to puree too many vegetables as you want to be able to serve them with the chicken.)
Use your crockpot as a veggie steamer! During the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking add a layer of thin green beans (like haricot vert) or sliced zucchini and yellow squash around the chicken. When you are ready to eat, your veggies will be perfectly steamed!
Got leftovers? Extra cut-up chicken is wonderful in all kinds of salads as well as great to have for quickie dinners such as Build Your Own Chicken Tostadas.
Prefer an oven-roasted chicken? Then do try Favorite Roast Chicken or Roast Chicken with Apples 'n Vegetables which are two of my most popular recipes…EVER!
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