One of my most favorite and easy go-to recipes is this crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe. I had heard that it was pretty simple to make your own in a slow cooker, but I wanted to see for myself.
Once you get the swing of this recipe, you can assemble it in the slow cooker in under 10 minutes. Either I’ll allow it to cook overnight while we sleep or during the day so that it’s ready for dinner.
Don’t be surprised if your entire slow cooker is filled to the brim with the juices from the chicken!
I taught this recipe to a cooking class and the participants were highly skeptical that the chicken would turn out super tender. Boy, were they surprised! The crockpot rotisserie chicken was nearly falling off of the bone and super delicious.
I’ll typically use the juices to cook rice with (so that it tastes wonderful too) or freeze for another time when I have plenty of vegetables to sauté. This recipe also pairs well with my sweet potato fries or stuffed acorn squash.
A word about buying chicken
If you can chicken from a local farmer who allows them to roam freely, even better. The reality is that chickens raised by industrial companies live in conditions that aren’t good for their health.
By the way, chickens are not vegetarians.
Ideally, your raw chicken should not be labeled “vegetarian fed” because it may indicate that the bird was not allowed outdoors. It’s best to look for pastured chickens.
They typically will eat grubs and other insects freely. And they’ll have their diets supplemented with some corn (preferably non-GMO), other grains, and ingredients necessary to be healthy throughout their life before heading to slaughter.
If you find that organic chicken is out of your financial reach, figure out what day your local grocery store typically marks its unsold meat down 50%. (However, this crockpot chicken soup recipe uses a super cheap cut of meat even if its organic.)
This would usually be a day or so before the item’s sell-by date. It’s a great time to pick up whole birds or chicken pieces which can be used immediately or frozen for later.
I talk frequently how to purchase better quality meat for less in The Savvy Gluten-Free Shopper because ultimately it’s more nutritious and raised ethically.
Flavorful spicing for your Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
I promise that you’ll love this because the spicing isn’t over-the-top. Many of the recipes I initially tried from various websites were under-spiced and very bland. I took the experiences of what seemed to work (and what didn’t) and eventually created this favorite.
You’ll see that you can use either white or black pepper. White pepper has a slightly different taste but makes the chicken equally delicious.
And I’ve also swapped out the paprika for smoked paprika. This has added a nice smoky flavor to the chicken and the carrots once cooked.
Any way that you choose to make this crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe, I know you’ll love it just as much as I do. Enjoy!
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Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken preferably organic, rinse & pat dry
- 1/2 onion
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 bag Baby carrots preferably organic
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp ground pepper black or white is fine
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Turn your crock pot on to low and dump in the entire bag of baby carrots. Even out the layer to cover the bottom.
- Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme in a bowl and mix with a fork or spoon.
- Remove any contents left inside the chicken (ie. the liver and anything else by the store or your farmer).
- Place the chicken on a big plate and rub it down with olive oil (you can also use duck fat or ghee if you'd like). Starting with the chicken with it's back facing up, sprinkle on about half of the seasonings and then rub in with your hands.
- Flip the chicken over, stuff the cavity with the onion and bay leaf, and then sprinkle on about two-thirds of the spices that are left. Again, rub them into the chicken skin so that it's evenly coated.
- Place chicken breast-side up inside the crock pot. Sprinkle on the last bit of spices evenly. Cover the container with the lid and allow the crock pot to cook undisturbed for 8 to 10 hours.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove it and the carrots from the liquid that's been produced. Be careful as the chicken will be so tender that it will probably want to completely fall apart. Discard the onion and bay leaf.
- Store the liquid in an airtight container in the fridge. Once it has cooked, you can skim off the fat to cook with (only if the chicken is organic would you use the fat). You can use the juices to cook grains or other vegetables. If you need to save it for later, you can freeze it.
- Enjoy the chicken as part of traditional meals or added to salads!
Recipe Notes
The added oil/fat isn't necessary for the chicken to come out correctly. I've made it without the added olive oil as I had run out and it came out just as good.