Growing up in the South, Sunday Dinner was a weekly family tradition – a special time when the whole family gathered around the table to share a home-cooked meal, and even more important our lives! It was such a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with each other, and often get to know others too, as many a guest graced our table.
Of course, now that I have a family of my own, it’s one of the cherished memories that my husband and I have committed to passing down to our children too. And although we gather around the table as a whole family nearly every night of the week, there is still something extra special about Sunday Dinner together.
Perhaps it’s because it’s the one uninterrupted family day we have together – no work, no school, no bustling here-n-there to sports and activities. Just a day to enjoy intentional time together as a family.
Roasting a whole chicken is super easy in a crockpot. Just toss in the ingredients and go about your day. A delicious, juicy, tender bird will be waiting for you!
So in order to spend more time with my family (and less time in the kitchen), I try to keep our Sunday Dinner menu as simple and easy to prepare as possible. That’s why this delicious slow cooker roasted chicken is one of my favorites. It’s especially easy to prepare if you chop the veggies and make the seasoning ahead of time.
Bonus! A whole roasted chicken results in more than one meal!
Lots of Leftovers = Easy Meals on Busy Weeknights!
Another thing I love about this recipe is that there’s always plenty of leftover chicken meat that I can use to create other healthy meals later in the week when our schedules are crazy busy, such as easy Zoodle Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry, Creamy Chicken Soup and Chicken & Mango Lettuce Wraps, for example.
And if that’s not enough, once I’ve stripped the chicken bones of all the meat, I put the bones back into my crockpot along with some fresh chopped veggies to create a nutritious bone broth that can be used as a base for my family’s favorite soups and stews.
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb. whole organic chicken
- 1 large onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 small lemon
- 1 head garlic
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Lightly coat the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker with olive oil or coconut oil.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the Seasoning Mix ingredients; set aside.
- Cut the onion in half. Then cut each half into quarters. Cut the carrot and celery into 2 inch pieces. Cut the lemon into 4-5 thick slices. Smash and peel all of the cloves in one head of garlic.
- Place half of the onion into the bottom of the crockpot. Then add all of the chopped carrot and celery, along with 1/3 of the garlic cloves.
- Next, remove the giblets and neck from inside the chicken and reserve for making stock. Thoroughly rinse the bird in cool running water, trim away any excess skin. (If you are not planning to crisp the skin in the oven, I recommend removing the skin altogether as it will become rubbery in the crockpot). Once you’ve finished cleaning the bird, pat it dry with paper towels.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken. Then stuff with the remaining onion and 1/3 of the garlic cloves, along with a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Place the bird breast side up in crockpot and top with the sliced lemon, remaining garlic cloves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Chicken is finished when an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.
- To crisp the skin (if you’ve left it intact), carefully transfer the bird to a broiler pan. Set oven to broil and position the bird about 10-12 inches from the heat source. Broil for approximately 4-5 minutes, just until skin browns and crisps. Delicious and easy! (Remember to save the chicken bones to make easy and healthy homemade slow cooker bone broth!)
Notes
Recipe Variation: For a more traditional garlic-infused bird, omit the lemon and add 6-8 crushed garlic cloves to the top of the bird instead. Super flavorful and makes a wonderful gravy, as noted below.
How to Make Gravy: If you’d like to make gravy using the accumulated juices from the crockpot, remove any large pieces from the liquid. Place a fine mesh strainer over a heatproof 2-cup measuring cup, and carefully pour the liquids into it. Skim off the fat from the top, then transfer the liquid to a small saucepan. Dissolve one tablespoon of arrowroot powder in a small bowl with two tablespoons of water. Whisk thoroughly to form a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the juices while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium and continue to whisk until gravy thickens (about 4-5 minutes). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Place gravy into serving dish and serve alongside the roasted chicken.
