Slow Cooker "Rotisserie" Chicken: Your Recipe, My Kitchen

This week's post is a combination of two recipes from posts and a third from a cookbook.   I have been meaning to give a homemade version of grocery store rotisserie chicken a try for a long time.  At the same time, I am cleaning out my freezer in preparation for our move across the country.  With four whole chickens sitting frozen in that said freezer, this week seemed like a perfect time to "kill two birds."   I went over to A Year of Slow Cooking and then over to Our Best Bites to find a good technique.  I made foil balls and then used the little rack that came in my crockpot to keep the bird off the bottom of the slow cooker.

As you can see from the photo, I sometimes have a hard time getting "breast side up" correct.  Anyway, this seemed like a great way to make chicken.  I put a semi frozen chicken in the crockpot on high for 5 hours and  it was done.   The problem occurred when I kept it in the slow cooker for one more hour.  It was just a tad bit dry.

Next, I wanted to try a technique I learned in the cookbook, Cheater BBQ.  The authors advocate using a slow cooker to achieve great barbecue flavor by wrapping meat in foil and not letting it sit in its juices while it cooks.  So.  I tried a second bird the next day in a foil wrap.  I think it was better.

In both cases, I slathered the chicken with plain old season salt.  I cooked both on high for 5-6 hours.  Both were incredibly tender and flavorful.  The foiled bird, though, seemed more like the grocery store style bird.

Slow Cooker "Rotisserie" Chicken

1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry

enough seasoned salt (or any flavored salt) to completely cover the bird

Rub the flavored salt all over the bird, inside and out, top and bottom.  Line your slow cooker with foil, with enough hanging out and over the edge of the top of the crock to be able to fold it over and seal it shut.  Place the bird on  top of the foil and close it completely over the chicken.  Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 5 hours.  Check with a meat thermometer at 4 1/2 hours.  You want the temperature to be between 175 and 180 degrees F.  When done, remove  the chicken from the foil to a serving platter.  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.  

Melt in your mouth Monday

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Mangia Monday

Homemaker Monday

Now it's your turn to share your creations of the week:

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