Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

We all have lots of  things going on and life is busy, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t time to sit down for dinner. According to research, less than 10% of families eat together more than 2 times a week – that blows my mind because I grew up eating together as a family. There are SO MANY benefits to eating together as a family which include things like healthier diets, improved grades, & improved behavior/attitude. Now I know that it is not always practical to eat dinner together every night (sports, classes, etc – I know, even in our household of two life can get hectic many days of the week with both of us taking graduate classes). But everyone has to eat – so when you are home why not carve out that time to eat together. I know that the next problem is the when, when should you create this dinner to eat together! How about the night before when the kids get to bed, or even in the morning?

This chicken is SO easy to put together (thanks Julie) – rub it all over, throw it in the crock pot, turn it on low and come home to a tasty smelling house & a family dinner ready to go. You can broil it for a few minutes to toast up the skin (that does give an extra dish and takes a few extra moments) and also serve it along with some roasted potatoes and you’re set with a delicious meal!

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

Rub Ingredients

  • 4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 roasting or fryer chicken (at least 3-4 pounds, I can fit 6 pounds no problem)
  • 1 cup chopped onion, approx 1 medium/large onion
  • 4-5 carrots, scrubbed, chopped in halves or thirds
  • 4 celery stalks, cut in thirds
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • [1 lemon quartered]

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Add quartered lemon to the inside of the chicken.

Place onions, carrots and celery inside the slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. (I just put it in when I left for work.) Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer.

To crisp up the skin: Remove chicken and place in a 9×13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes.

Serve with Potatoes… 4-5 medium potatoes diced & tossed in olive oil, salt, garlic powder, & pepper. Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes. Then add 1 onion & 2-3 medium sized peppers (whatever colors). Toss the onions & peppers in the casserole dish with the potatoes, cover and cook for another 20 minutes or so, until done.

One Year Ago – Healthy Chicken Fingers & Fries

And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… do you call it a Crock Pot OR a Slow Cooker – and is there a difference between the two!?