Description
This comforting slow cooker whole chicken recipe combines tender, juicy chicken cooked low and slow with a flavorful stove-top stuffing enhanced with fresh vegetables and herbs. Perfect for an effortless family meal, the chicken infuses the stuffing with rich juices, creating a savory and aromatic dish that requires minimal hands-on cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
Chicken
- 5 lbs whole chicken
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
Seasonings
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage (use oregano if unavailable)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing
- 6 oz box stove top stuffing (savory herb style recommended; chicken, turkey, or cornbread styles also suitable)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Clean out the inside of the whole chicken by removing any extra parts or packaging and discard these. This ensures the chicken is ready for cooking.
- Set up the Slow Cooker: Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the whole chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Season the Chicken: Pour the melted salted butter evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the dried thyme, dried sage (or oregano), paprika, salt, and pepper over the chicken to season it thoroughly.
- Cook the Chicken: Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Prepare the Stuffing: Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove excess liquid from the slow cooker, leaving about 1.5 cups of liquid along with the cooked vegetables. (Reserve any extra liquid for gravy or other uses.) Add the entire box of stove-top stuffing mix to the vegetables and liquid in the slow cooker.
- Let the Stuffing Sit: Replace the slow cooker lid and let the stuffing sit for 10 minutes to absorb the flavors and liquid. Afterward, fluff the stuffing gently with a fork to separate it.
- Final Presentation: For a pretty presentation, add the chicken back to the slow cooker on top of the stuffing before serving. Alternatively, slice the chicken and serve it on a platter alongside the stuffing served separately.
Notes
- Precisely measuring the cooking liquid to match the stuffing box instructions (1.5 cups) is crucial for perfect stuffing texture.
- If you don’t have sage, oregano is an excellent substitute and adds a fresh herbaceous flavor.
- The paprika helps give the chicken a warm color since it won’t brown in the slow cooker.
- Reserved cooking liquid can be used to make a flavorful gravy or added to other recipes.
- Use a whole chicken around 5 lbs for optimal cooking time and results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approx. 8 oz chicken with stuffing)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
