The best whole chicken in a crock-pot, really!

This recipe has really become the go-to for the hubby and I, and I can't tell you enough just how amazing it really is! The recipe comes from the 100 Days of Real Food blog, and besides being incredibly easy, as most slow-cooker recipes are, the resulting chicken tastes fantastic, so juicy and flavorful! We generally double up on the recipe, somehow squishing in two whole chickens into one (large) crock-pot, and reserving the remaining juices and bones to start the next batch of bone broth.

I love the set-it-and-forget-it style recipes, especially when they yield such awesome leftovers, and as we continue to go more GAPS/paleo, having a good meat recipe on hand is an essential. This slow-cooker chicken has made an awesome addition to dishes like our zughetti with squash sauce and salads, is a great topper for juice pulp chips, and is pretty darn good all on it's own. I can't say enough about this recipe, so try it and let us know in the comments what you think, and if there are any fun variations you've come up with!

The Recipe

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large chicken

The Process

1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.*
2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Remove any giblets** from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
4. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
5. Cook for 4 – 5 hours on high*** (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones!

*I just sprinkle all the ingredients over the chicken(s) once they are in the crock-pot, which has worked just fine.

**When possible (or when provided) we use the entire chicken, giblets and all!

***I generally let it cook on a low setting for at least 8 hours or more, till it's falling off the bone, or when I can get around to processing it.