Slow Cooker “Roast” Chicken (and BBQ Chicken Sandwich)

One staple in our house is the slow cooker chicken.  I can usually pick up a whole chicken that will fit in my slow cooker for under $5 (this week I got one for $3.91) and the meat from it makes meals for DAYS.  A few people I know on Facebook requested some of my recipes, so I decided to start a series that highlights some of the yummy (and CHEAP) meals you can make using a slow cooked chicken as your foundation.

Today’s recipe is the source of all this yumminess…the chicken itself.  Here’s how to slow cook a chicken:

Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients: (adapt these to what you have on hand)

1 whole chicken that will fit in your slow cooker
1-2 onions, sliced in quarters
2 carrots, sliced lengthwise, and then in 2-3 pieces per length
Several peeled cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Remove giblets bag from chicken (reserve for another use, like gravy) and wash the chicken all over with cold water.  Pat dry.
2. Stuff the chicken with the onions, carrots, and a clove or 2 of garlic.
3. Stuff the remaining garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken, between the chicken and breast meat.
4. Sprinkle entire chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until completely cooked through.

At this point you can eat the chicken as is, or discard the veggies and put the cooked, cooled chicken into a container for refrigeration.  You can also save any broth created from the chicken for soup or seasoning.  Pure flavor there!!!

And if you’re in a hurry to use some of your chicken yumminess right now, here’s a quick bonus recipe:

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite-sized pieces
2-3 Tbsp prepared BBQ sauce
1 whole grain bun (have you tried the Arnold thin ones? 100 calories of pure yumminess!)
1-2 oz reduced fat cheddar or goat cheese

Method:

1. Toss shredded chicken and BBQ sauce in a bowl.  Warm in microwave for a minute or so.
2. Toast bun lightly, then add cheese to both halves and broil until melted.
3. Add warmed BBQ chicken to bun and enjoy!

I hope to add pictures for some of this later, but for those of you hungry now, go make your own pics!

Advertisement