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Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken , 3 to 3 1/2 pounds.
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 medium carrots , cut in half
  • 2 stalks celery , cut in half
  • 1 medium onion , peeled and quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic , peeled
  • 1 large or 2 small bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Do this a day ahead and store in the refrigerator, if possible.
  2. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with paprika, if desired. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot, tucking them around the chicken. Add the bay leaf and the water. Put on the lid and turn the pot to low. Cook until the chicken is done. You can check for doneness by inserting a little knife where the leg attaches to the body of the chicken to see that the meat is no longer pink. This will take 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a carving board. Carve the bird into pieces.

Recipe Notes

To make chicken broth, once the chicken is cooked, pull the meat off the bones. Store the meat in the fridge until ready to use. Put the bones back into the crock pot. Add two more whole carrots, 2 whole stalks celery, half an onion, and another bay leaf. Add 5 more cups of water, turn the pot to low and cook an additional 4 hours. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.