Slow Cooker Country Chicken

Country-style chicken cooked low and slow in your slow cooker.  Vegetables give it a fantastic flavor.

Entire Meal In One Pot

The slow cooker is an excellent choice if you want to make a whole dinner in just one pot.

This chicken dinner is an good example. Everything cooks together. I’ve just discovered this feature (because I am slow LOL) and have been loving it.

My first foray into complete slow cooker dinners was my Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetables and just recently my Complete Pot Roast Dinner.

Great Family Meal

This is a meal that the whole family will enjoy.

Not only is this meal easy on you, it also tastes great. The chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender so you don’t even need a knife!

The chicken and vegetables are mildly flavored so even young children will like this. There is nothing highly spiced, although you can add things to the chicken rub that suit your tastes if you do.

The rub is basically the same one I use for standard rotisserie chicken. What I do is make up a batch and store it in a half-pint mason jar. That lasts me six months because I make a lot of roast and rotisserie chicken.

Root Vegetables As A Rack

I used whole carrots and parsnip sticks as a rack for the chicken, but those vegetables not only keep the chicken away from the ceramic liner, they also infuse with the flavor of the chicken.

You could also do this with potatoes, but I’d caution you to use a waxy variety of potatoes such as red or Yukon gold.  Otherwise they may break apart.

Carrots are a must here because they lend a sweetness. So do the parsnips, but not everyone likes that flavor. If you don’t, then turnips will do and any variety. You can double the amount of carrots if other root veggies aren’t to your liking.

Roasting In The Slow Cooker

Can you roast in the slow cooker?  The answer is a definite “yes.”

However, the end result doesn’t entirely resemble roasting from the oven. First of all, the skin on the chicken won’t crisp. Truthfully, I love crispy skin, but the slow cooking infuses the meat with such wonderful flavor, I find the trade-off acceptable.

Most importantly, resist the urge to add any water. It’s not necessary. In fact, you’ll end up with about 1-2 cups of liquid just from the chicken juices and the water in the vegetables. Adding any amount of water will turn these meals into a soupy mess. Don’t do it.

You can make a gravy from the juices that form or freeze it for later use as a rich and flavorful stock or soup.

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Country Chicken

Country-style chicken cooked low and slow in your slow cooker.  Vegetables give it a fantastic flavor.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Total Time23 mins

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken recipe, slow cooker chicken

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 982kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 5-7 lb chicken
• 16 oz package carrots peeling is optional if they are "young" carrots
• 3 medium parsnips peeled and cut into thick strips
• 2 ribs celery cut in chunks
• 1 onion thickly sliced
• 5-6 medium potatoes cut in half (again, peeling optional)

RUB

• 1/2 tbs paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp thyme

Instructions

• Mix rub ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Place carrots and parsnips in the bottom of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
• Rub chicken all over with prepared rub; place on top of the carrots and parsnips.
• Distribute remaining veggies around the sides of the chicken.
• Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-5 hours. TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE. ALWAYS CHECK AT MINIMUM TIME FOR DONENESS.

Notes

I strongly suggest using a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. If you only have a 5 quart, use a smaller (3-4 lb) chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 982kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 940mg | Potassium: 2419mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 19910IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 11mg

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