Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Veggies
Servings 6 servings
Keep your Thanksgiving dinner simple this year, and make a whole chicken with tender, flavorful veggies and the works right in the crockpot! This slow cooker Thanksgiving chicken is perfectly tender and moist thanks to the long cooking time and will keep your oven free for all your sides and pies! {Gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 pound Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 4-5 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teapoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh sage leaves
- Half a lemon, cut in quarters
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (if needed)
Instructions
- Place the onion, potatoes, carrots and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to make a spice paste. Pat the outside of the chicken dry and slather the chicken all over with the spice paste.
- Stuff the cavity with the rosemary, thyme and lemon, and place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the internal temperature inserted into the thickest part of the breast and thigh registers 165℉.
- Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter to rest. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and add to the platter with the vegetables. Discard the papery husk of the garlic. Pour any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, adding enough chicken broth to make 1 cup of liquid. Remove any extra fat from the liquid with a fat separator or use a spoon to spoon off the top layer of fat and pour this into a small saucepan on the stove, bringing it to a boil.
- In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cool water or broth until smooth. Pour this into the boiling broth and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally until gravy is thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- If desired for a crispy skin, you can gently scrape off extra spices (to keep them from burning) on the skin and brush with a little oil. Place the chicken under the broiler for just a few minutes to crisp and brown the skin. You could also place it into a 450℉ oven for 5-8 minutes. Slice chicken and serve with vegetables and gravy.
Notes
- Dry herbs can be substituted for fresh. Use 1 teaspoon rosemary, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon sage. Bay leaf may also be added if you have it on hand.
- If you prefer, you can just make the slow cooker whole chicken without the veggies and serve it along with mashed potatoes, rice, dumplings, or noodles.
- All slow cookers cook differently and yours may take a bit longer to cook. Make sure the lid stays on as much as possible as it takes time to come back up to temperature every time you open the lid. I suggest checking the temperature around the 4 hour mark. The chicken will begin to fall off the bone when it is done.
- If you have a stand for your crockpot, set it in place first then tuck your vegetables in below. Place the chicken on top and cover the slow cooker.
- If you have leftover chicken, it's also great to use in a chicken pot pie or casserole!
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 30gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 672mgPotassium: 766mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5662IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
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