{"id":7608,"date":"2019-01-14T14:15:29","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T19:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/?p=7608"},"modified":"2019-09-13T10:15:11","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T14:15:11","slug":"whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot\/","title":{"rendered":"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I am convinced that buying a whole chicken is one of the best values for your grocery budget. I regularly see whole chickens on sale at various grocery stores for about a dollar a pound. Take the work out of dinner prep by <em><strong>cooking your whole chicken in a crock pot.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27301\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_Uncooked.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_Uncooked.jpg 639w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_Uncooked-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The problem with whole chickens is that no one wants to touch them, or mess with them until they are cooked. I was like that too, but then I realized how much money I could save buying whole chickens instead of pre-packed parts and I quickly got over my &#8220;whole uncooked chickens give me the heebie jeebies&#8221; thing.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Update:<\/strong> If you have a minute, read through the comments, my readers have added some awesome tips and ideas for cooking whole chickens. I have also posted a <a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/bulk-cooking-video-tutorial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener noreferrer\">whole chicken in a crock pot<\/a><\/em><em> video tutorial for those who are interested.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zOXs10x7AbM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1>How to Cook a Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot<\/h1>\n<p>First unwrap the chicken, remove the bag of innards from the cavity, and give the chicken a quick rinse. (Read the comments for ideas on what to do with the innards from the chicken). If you are exceptionally grossed out by this step <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2KVXIin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">wear gloves<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After rinsing the chicken place in a <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2NabxxX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">crock pot<\/a> that has been sprayed with non-stick.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27302 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Uncooked.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Uncooked.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Uncooked-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You do not need to put any liquid in the pot, just the chicken.<\/p>\n<p>Then sprinkle your favorite spices on the chicken. I usually sprinkle garlic and paprika.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27303 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Seasoned.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Seasoned.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Seasoned-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Place the lid on the crock pot. I always start raw meat on high, then reduce the temperature to low after two hours. \u00a0Depending on the size of your chicken, 6-8 hours later you will have a beautiful cooked chicken ready to serve for dinner.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27304 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Remove the chicken from the crock pot. (Remember do not throw away the broth in the crock pot)<\/p>\n<p>Once you have removed all the meat from the bones, put the bones back in the crock pot and add four to five cups of water. I also put the skin back in the crock pot since my kids won&#8217;t eat it.<\/p>\n<p>If you do not want to serve the chicken for dinner, allow the chicken to cool and then remove the meat from the bones. You can use the meat like you would any other cooked chicken, in casseroles, chicken salad, chicken pot pie, pastas, etc. You won&#8217;t believe how easy it is to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot.<\/p>\n<h2>How to make chicken broth<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27305 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Bones.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Bones.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Bones-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Set the slow cooker<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=thehaphou-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B001AO2PXK\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/> on the low setting and cover. Let it cook overnight. In the morning you will have a crock pot full of bones and chicken broth, and your house will smell like Boston Market for the next day or two.<\/p>\n<p>Strain out the bones and you have homemade chicken broth for free!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27306 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Straining.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Straining.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Straining-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not only is it free, it is free from all the preservatives, salt, and other junk you find in some of the store bought chicken broth. I store my broth in large yogurt containers.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27307 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Broth.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Broth.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Broth-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I got about 50 ounces of broth from one chicken. After you put the broth in a container, place in the fridge to cool. When the broth has cooled a layer of fat will be on the top.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27308 size-full\" title=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy Housewife\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Fat.jpg\" alt=\"Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot at The Happy HousewifeWhole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Fat\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Fat.jpg 550w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/Whole_Chicken_in_Slow_Cooker_Fat-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Scrape the fat off with a spoon and the broth is ready to be used or can be stored for up to six months in the freezer. Don&#8217;t throw away the fat, <a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/what-to-do-with-the-fat-from-homemade-broth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener noreferrer\">it can be used in other recipes<\/a>.\u00a0 Also, see <a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/how-to-reheat-chicken-broth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener noreferrer\">How to Reheat Chicken Broth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot Meal Ideas<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Meal #1 (served 7): Chicken and Mashed Potatoes<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chicken<\/li>\n<li>Mashed Potatoes<\/li>\n<li>Veggies<\/li>\n<li>Biscuits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Meal #2 (served 7): Chicken and Rice Casserole <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chicken (use leftover chicken)<\/li>\n<li>Rice<\/li>\n<li>Cream of Chicken Soup<\/li>\n<li>Veggies (I used chopped broccoli and carrots)<\/li>\n<li>Spices<\/li>\n<li>Cheddar Cheese<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cook rice according to the directions. Chop leftover chicken, and veggies. Mix with cream soup and add spices. (I used garlic, minced onion, and red pepper flakes). Combine the cooked rice with the chicken mixture. Spread in a 9&#215;13 casserole dish, sprayed with nonstick. Bake covered for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then uncover, top with cheese and bake until the cheese melts.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tip: If you want to use brown rice for this recipe, replace half the water with your chicken broth. Even your pickiest eaters will love it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>By purchasing one chicken I was able to make two meals and get about $3 worth of chicken broth from a $4 chicken.<\/p>\n<h3>More Chicken Recipes to Try:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-enchiladas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicken Enchiladas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-tetrazinni\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicken Tetrazinni<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/mexican-chicken-skillet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mexican Chicken Skillet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-pot-pie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicken Pot Pie<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-lettuce-wraps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicken Lettuce Wraps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-tortellini-soup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tortellini Soup with Chicken<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/chicken-tortellini-soup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Wondering what to make for dinner? Check out my family&#8217;s favorite<a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/tag\/crock-pot-recipes\/\"> crock pot recipes<\/a> for great dinner ideas!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/PIN-A160-2_Whole-Chicken-in-a-Crock-Pot.jpg\" alt=\"How to cook a whole chicken in a crock pot\" class=\"wp-image-30668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/PIN-A160-2_Whole-Chicken-in-a-Crock-Pot.jpg 700w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/cooking\/files\/2009\/10\/PIN-A160-2_Whole-Chicken-in-a-Crock-Pot-210x300.jpg 210w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am convinced that buying a whole chicken is one of the best values for your grocery budget. I regularly see whole chickens on sale at various grocery stores for about a dollar a pound. Take the work out of dinner prep by cooking your whole chicken in a crock pot. The problem with whole [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2800],"tags":[2049,2810,1238,2047,2125],"class_list":{"0":"post-7608","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-main-dishes","8":"tag-cooking-a-whole-chicken","9":"tag-crock-pot-recipes","10":"tag-slow-cooker","11":"tag-whole-chicken","12":"tag-whole-chicken-crock-pot","13":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot - The Happy Housewife\u2122 :: Cooking<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It&#039;s easy to cook a whole chicken in a crock pot. 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