Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Roast + Gravy and Stock Recipe!

Finding a good slow cooker recipe is like hitting the jackpot. Who wouldn’t want their food cooking all day with minimal effort? This recipe is definitely a keeper. Not only do you get a whole roasted chicken in a few hours, but you also get gravy and chicken stock – all from one pot! The beauty of this recipe is that it’s easily customizeable to whatever seasonings you want! Serve the chicken roast with a side of mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans.

Part 1 – Whole Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

– whole chicken, skin on
– 2 tsp salt
– 2 tsp paprika
– 1 tsp cayenne pepper
– 1 tsp onion powder
– 1 tsp thyme
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1 tbsp oil
– 4 garlic cloves, crushed
– 1 onion
– 2 whole carrots
– 2 stalks celery
– sprigs of parsley
– 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Wash and dry your chicken. Remove any excess pieces of fat.

2. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, oil, and crushed garlic.

3. Rub seasoning all over chicken. Make sure you get under the skin too!

4. Place chopped celery, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. I stuff the inside of the chicken with lemon, onions, and parsley. Place the chicken on top of the veggies.

5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for about 4 hours.

Chicken is all prepped and ready to cook in the slow cooker!

After cooking on high for about 4.5 hours, I checked on the chicken with my meat thermometer and it was ready. Since I had company coming over, I turned my oven broiler on high and placed the chicken on a rack in a pan and cooked it for about 5-7 minutes to turn the skin a nice golden brown color. This step is not necessary, you could simply serve the chicken as is!

Finished! About to go in the oven broiler for about 5 minutes.

Now the chicken is ready to plate. Check out how the skin got nice and crispy from placing it in the broiler! Everyone raved about how soft and delicious the chicken was. My husband went up for seconds and thirds. Cooking it at low heat really helps to retain the moisture and allow the seasonings to set in.

Dinner is served!

Part 2: Gravy and Stock Recipe

Please for the love of God do not toss out the amazing juices left behind in the slow cooker:

Aromatic juices left behind in the slow cooker

I used a portion of the juices to make the absolute best gravy I’ve ever had in my life (containing no artificial ingredients), and the rest of it to make the most flavorful chicken stock, using the same pot! Read below to find out how I did it. It took only a few minutes to prepare each item and I highly recommend you do it. Recycle, baby!

To make the gravy, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Whisk in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 1/3 cup of the chicken juices/drippings, 1/2 cup milk, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

To make the stock, remove all the chicken off the bone and place the bones back in the slow cooker, along with the savory juices. Add in some more chopped onions, carrots, celery, and sea salt to taste. Add 2-3 quarts of water (depending on how much the slow cooker will hold). Cook on low heat overnight. In the morning, strain out all the vegetables and bones. Use the stock within 3 days or freeze into bags like I did. You can also freeze the stock into ice cube trays and use when cooking to add more depth and flavor to your food. Enjoy the health benefits of homemade broth, the smell alone will permeate your senses and inspire you to make it again and again.

Prepping the broth

Siiiighh. The most aromatic broth I have ever made – in a slow cooker, who would have thought?

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to make a whole chicken in a slow cooker. Use part of the leftover juices to make a delicious gravy, which I served alongside the mashed potatoes. Then make an awesome broth overnight, using it in a soup or to flavor rice the next day. Bon appetit!

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