Day 295.
We love rotisserie chicken in this house. Costco clearly labels their chicken as gluten-free, so I usually pick up 2 when we go.
But I haven't been going.
I find myself grocery shopping a few times a week now with this crazy crockpotting year, and it just isn't feasible to go to Costco. I'm only meal planning a few meals at a time, and since I have Trader Joe's, Safeway, and a produce stand all within walking distance, it seems wasteful to drive to another city to buy a carload of food and other stuff (it's so hard not to impulse-buy at Costco) without truly having a plan.
So I stay away.
To satisfy our rotisserie chicken cravings, I threw a whole chicken in the crockpot last night covered in an awesome seasoning blend. I also took off all of the chicken skin. The result? A moist, delicious rotisserie-want-to-be with virtually no fat.
The Ingredients.
--1 whole chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds)
--2 tsp kosher salt (if you'd like it as salty as the ones in the store, add another 1 tsp.)
--1 tsp paprika
--1 tsp onion powder
--1/2 tsp dried thyme
--1 tsp Italian seasoning
--1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--pinch of chili pepper (probably not necessary)
--4 whole garlic cloves (optional)
--1 yellow onion, quartered (optional)
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart crockpot for a 5 pound bird. It fit nicely.
Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. This takes a while, and is gross. Keep small children away so you don't freak out about salmonella. I skin whole chickens because I hate the idea of the chicken fat simmering all day in the crock---it also looks disgusting when the chicken is cooked because it's all slimy and icky.
I get it that I'm weird. If chicken skin makes you happy, then by all means, ignore me.
In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot.
If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.
Do not add water.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.
The Verdict.
Very tasty. I used 2tsp of kosher salt, and the meat was no where near as salty as a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I was surprised at how not-spicy the meat was (even the part coated in the mix) although I added a bunch of pepper. We were pleased with the flavor, and the kids ate their portions without saying anything---which is always good.
The four of us ate almost all of the chicken for dinner last night. There's a bit leftover for today's lunches.
I really like cooking with whole chickens in the crock. If you're looking for other flavors, you can try
--Myron's Whole CrockPot Chicken
--Lemon and Herb CrockPot Chicken
and then keep the bones/carcass to make Homemade Chicken Broth in the CrockPot!
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