Super Easy Version
1 whole chicken, 3-5 pounds, giblets and such removed
Lawry's seasoned salt (or lemon pepper or seasoning blend of choice)
4-5 balls of foil or foil-wrapped baking potatoes
1. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
2. Season chicken liberally with seasoning mix.
3. Place foil or foil-wrapped potatoes in bottom of slow cooker.
4. Place chicken breast-side down on top of foil.
5. Cook on high for 4-6 hours.
Voila! Yummy chicken! This is very tender and moist. If you use potatoes, then your meal is almost complete. The potatoes will be a bit mushier than those baked in an oven; we smashed ours and added in butter, milk, salt and pepper.
Almost as Easy Version
This seasoning blend comes from Meals for a Month; half is rubbed under the skin of the chicken and half on top of the skin before freezing/cooking. This yields a very flavorful, almost "smoky" taste. You proceed in the same fashion as above with the crockpot, replacing the Lawry's with this rub (enough for a whole chicken or 3 pounds chicken parts):
- 2 t. salt
- 2 t. smoked paprika
- 1 t. onion salt
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. dried rosemary
- 1/2 t. dried thyme
- 1 T. sugar
- 1/8 t. pepper
- 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
14 comments:
Making this today. Hope it comes out ok, otherwise we will be heading down to Mr. T's for dinner! :-)
Actually I think I want to get rid of our rotisserie, and if this works for us, it will be one more nail in the Ronco's coffin.
I made this tonight and I had my doubts, but my husband and son loved the chicken and the potatoes!
It was great! I used the seasoning recipe (as opposed to Lawry's) and it really did taste like the ones you get in the deli. We also used sweet potatoes and mashed them with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Yummy. Hubby was impressed with my culinary skills. My first time having that much skin-to-skin contact with a chicken, but it worked out well. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad this is working out for everyone! I make it now on a regular basis with all kinds of different seasonings (our favorite is the herb roasted chicken--on our blog somewhere!). I'll make sure Carrie knows how great this recipe is for everyone.
I really love seasoning the chicken before freezing. It tastes like it's been in a brine. It's so delicious and so much easier.
Thanks!
Would this recipe still have the rotisserie flavor with regular paprika? My children don't care for the smoky taste.
I don't think smoked paprika is essential if you don't want a smoky taste--you can use whatever you like best!
Hi,
I have a few questions about your seasoned recipe.
1. Does the t stand for tablespoon or teaspoon?
2. I had previously tried a slow cooker rotisserie chicken recipe, that used paprika, onion powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper. It had slightly different quantities than yours.
The ingredients look similar to yours, except for yours has rosemary, an doesn't have onion powder.
I thought it was pretty good, but it didn't really have that seasoned rotisserie taste that is found in supermarket or fast food rotisserie chicken places. Also, the paprika was a bit strong, and that's something those store-bought or fast food places never exhibit.
3. If I try your recipe, I want to get your opinion on the following changes:
A. No sugar.
B. Instead of salt and onion salt, can I use sea salt? How much sea salt would you suggest?
C. No garlic powder.
Also, do you think the smoked paprika helps in the smoky taste? I really like the smoky taste. I only have regular paprika. Should I get the smoked paprika?
With the above changes, do you think it will still have that rotisserie taste I'm looking for?
4. Lastly, do you have any pictures of the chicken that you can upload?
IMO, after cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker a few times, the chicken itself comes out even better than the store-bought kind. The juiciness and texture is even better. I just haven't been able to get that same taste I'm looking for.
Thanks.
Let's see if I can answer your questions:
1. t stands for teaspoon; T stands for tablespoon
2-3. Smoked paprika is KEY for that smoky taste--that's the real secret here. I'm sure you can play around with the remaining ingredients, but I'm pretty sure the ones in the stores also have some sugar (that's present in so many things now!). Definitely sub in sea salt for regular salt; we like onion-y things, so I think I might miss the onion salt (I've used onion powder and just upped the salt before)
4. I don't have pictures! I should totally take one and upload it. I keep forgetting that there's not a picture of it--and we just had it a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for the response.
I'll get some smoked paprika then.
I'll also try subbing 1 teaspoon of onion salt for onion powder.
I was searching through others' recipes today before I found yours, and while most of theirs had pictures and yours didn't, I think I'll try your recipe.
You were also the only one to mention smoked paprika.
Also, the chicken I have is 5lbs. Will there be enough seasoning for it?
Should be enough seasoning! I usually have plenty. Let me know how it turns out! I've had to hunt to find smoked paprika, but it's worth it (nicer grocery stores, Fresh Market, etc.). I often make chicken stock from the carcass and use it to cook beans in--gives a beans/rice dish that same smoky taste which, in this house, is a husband pleaser :-)
I made it a few days ago.
This was my first time putting aluminum balls at the bottom of the crockpot. I understand why it's there, so the chicken isn't simmering in its own fat during the cooking process.
I don't know what happened, but I just didn't taste much flavor with the finished product. I don't know what happened. It smelled great, especially the combination of spices. Better than the other spice based chicken I had made.
Also, I thought the chicken was slightly dry. Maybe I liked it better without using the aluminum balls. I don't know.
Maybe I needed more spices, for a 5 lb chicken? But it seemed to be just enough.
I'm not sure when or if I'll try making another one of these, whether I use your recipe or someone else's. This has just left me a little disappointed. Not just because of this time, but the previous recipe I had tried too.
The chicken is ok, I don't mind eating it. I was just hoping it would be what I was looking for, and I had my hopes up smelling it all day.
So sorry it didn't work for you! If your smoked paprika isn't very aromatic, then it won't do the job (I learned that the hard way). I do think chicken in the crockpot turns out a bit drier, but I'm not sure I've noticed a big difference with the aluminum or not. Hmmm...
Thanks.
I thought the smoked paprika was aromatic. I smelled and tasted a little before using it.
I could also smell it while it was cooking.
The one crockpot chicken I've been able to consistently make, to my satisfaction, is a lemon rosemary one. I just take lemon slices, and put it all over the chicken. And also some rosemary.
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