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Hey, friends, how are you on this fine Monday?
You all know how I feel about turning on my oven in the middle of summer. I avoid it as much as possible. No central air + oven = sauna kitchen! No more sauna kitchen rants. Read about my previous one here!
Chicken is one of my main go-to proteins that we will have throughout the week. I often like to roast a whole chicken in the oven, cut off the meat and then use it however needed all week long. Juicy chicken with crispy skin: perfection!
Except there is one teensy, weensy problem: I have to turn on my oven for 2 hours! In the winter I relish the extra heat from the oven. Ugh, but not in the summer! What’s a girl to do?
Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken to the rescue!
It’s brilliant! You bust out your trusty slow cooker, place it on the counter, out of the way, and let it cook that baby right up for you without barely noticing that you are cooking something in your kitchen at all. Did I mention, it won’t heat up your kitchen? Yay for no kitchen saunas!
Happy Dance!
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about this idea at first. I mean a whole chicken in a slow cooker? Will the chicken even get cooked all the way through? My slow cooker skills are slim to none. Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
The only drawback is that the skin won’t get crispy like it does when you roast it. But, BUT, Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken is perfect for tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken.
No sauna kitchen, no babysitting a chicken, leftover chicken all week long! Life is good!
More chicken recipes
- chicken pot pie soup with biscuits
- sonoma chicken salad (whole Foods Copycat)
- curried chicken salad in cantaloupe boats
- Mexican salads in a jar
- Chicken caprese salad jars
- 10 minute curry chicken salad
- the best chicken noodle soup
- Instant pot whole chicken
- super easy instant pot chicken broth
More slow cooker recipes
Slow Cooker pulled Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 8 to 10 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Cuisine: Entree
Description
Simply throw a whole chicken into the slow cooker and several hours later you have juicy, tender, fall-of-the-bone chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (this may sound like a lot of salt but it really helps to keep the chicken moist; the chicken won’t taste salty)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- A 4 to 6 pound chicken, insides removed
Instructions
- Crumple up several balls of tin foil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. This is to keep the chicken out of the chicken juices while it is cooking. You could also use roughly chopped veggies, such as onions, potatoes, or carrots.
- Mix the seasonings up in a small bowl until well combined. Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the chicken. Sprinkle a good amount inside the chicken too; this really adds a lot of flavor.
- Place the chicken in the crockpot and cook for 4 to 6 hours on low or for 2 to 4 hours on high, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. My slow cooker seems to be rather fast at cooking, so that’s why I give such a large range of cooking time.
- Once the chicken has cooked, transfer the chicken to your cutting board and allow to rest for 30 minutes. This helps to keep the juices in the chicken.
- Use 2 forks to shred the chicken, removing the skin as you go. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can use the chicken in salads, soups, chicken salad, or to make anything you please all week long.
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