Slow cooker roast chicken
Cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker keeps it tender and moist. Serve with all the trimmings for an easy Sunday lunch.
Each serving provides 355 kcal, 57g protein, 3g carbohydrate (of which 2g sugars), 12.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 0.8g fibre and 1.7g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 onion thickly sliced
- 1.5–1.6kg/3lb 5oz–3lb 8oz whole chicken
- 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt or ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
Scatter the onion over the base of a slow cooker. Remove any trussing string from the chicken and place, breast-side up, on top.
Pour the oil into a small bowl. Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper. Brush the oil over the chicken.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 4–4 ½ hours or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked – the meat should be almost falling off the bones. Remove the lid and pierce the thickest part of the bird with a skewer and make sure the juices run clear. If you wiggle one of the legs, it should move very easily.
Transfer the chicken carefully to a board to rest.
Strain the cooking liquor through a sieve and use as a thin gravy. (You can thicken it by simmering in a saucepan or adding a couple of teaspoons of gravy granules, if you like.)
Carve into slices and serve.
Recipe Tips
The meat from this slow cooker roast chicken is wonderfully moist and tender so any leftovers will be great to use in sandwiches.
In November 2023, this recipe was costed at an average of £4.73 when checking prices at four UK supermarkets. It is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost store-cupboard.