I love buying one chicken to make two meals! This is a fabulous recipe is great for summertime when you don’t want to heat up the house by turning on the oven. Plus it’s easy, fast, and really good. My husband frequently requests this. Oh, and it can feed your family for several meals. (Great for the pocket book, too.)
Liz also gave me a great tip that has helped me significantly in the world of using a slow cooker to cook a whole chicken–remove the skin. It may seem like a lot of work, but the pay off comes when the chicken isn’t swimming in fat. The skin never crisps anyway, so I opt for removing it. Obviously, you have to do what works for you.
One Chicken, Two Meals
Here’s a little tip of my own-– I place my whole chickens right into a large Ziploc bag when I get home from the store. That way, if I do need to freeze it, it’s all ready to go. If I’m using it within the next day or so, the juices won’t get all over my fridge.
When I am skinning the chicken, it’s easy enough to put all the skin and the packaging from the chicken back into the Ziploc bag so it doesn’t stink up the garbage. It makes for super easy clean up.
Now for the recipe…
Meal #1: Sticky Chicken
Sticky Chicken
adapted from Liz Maravilla
1 whole chicken (I usually use a 4 lb. chicken, it fits perfectly into my 4 qt. slow cooker.)
Remove the giblet sack from inside the chicken. Wash the chicken inside and out with cold water. Remove the skin, if desired. Set aside while preparing the spice rub.
Spice Rub
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, garlic powder
1 tsp. each: white pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, cayenne
2 tsp paprika
4 tsp salt
**I make a few adjustments to this sometimes. For instance, this time I was out of thyme, so I used poultry seasoning. I cut down on the cayenne (because it’s too hot for the kiddies) and the salt (because my chicken was smaller and it didn’t need that much salt.) And I never have onion powder. Whatever works for what you have on hand will be fine.
Mix the spices together. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken.
Rub the spices all over the top, bottom, and sides of the chicken.
Cook in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours, or low for about 6 hours.
The chicken will be very tender and fall away from the bone.
We like to eat the sticky chicken with rice and beans.
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Meal #2: Chicken Taco Soup
I typically wait for the chicken and juices to cool. Then I pull the chicken off the bones to use in another recipe.The chicken is very flavorful and tender and makes great soup or enchiladas. Freeze the extra chicken if you don’t plan on using it within a few days.
Chicken Taco Soup
from Lindsey Johnson
Leftover Sticky Chicken, shredded
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1-2 can beans (black or kidney)
chicken broth
salt, to taste
Garnishes–shredded cheese, sour cream, olives, green onions, etc.
Place everything in a pot and heat. Serve with warm cornbread or chips.
You could use the skin and bones from the chicken to make broth later. I then use that to make gravy or chicken and dumplings.
I made this for the second time, this time adding little alphabet pasta to the soup. Super yummy!! I was wondering if anyone has tried it with a turkey breast?
I have some super easy chicken recipes here as well….love these recipes! http://swappinspoons.blogspot.com/2009/03/south-of-border-with-chicken.html
I just came across this recipe, and I’m trying it today…the house smells wonderful!! I did think it was pretty gross skinning the chicken, BUT, I was pleased with how much fat it won’t be sitting in! Thanks!
Tomorrow night, SOUP!
Want a delicious recipe for chicken
then try this new recipe chicken recipe I recently found
I made it for a family dinner
the entire family enjoyed it very much
great for 2 meals or leftovers
Thais is really an interesting article but its quiet helpful for me…..Because i am live in abroad alone for my study….so i have to make my dinner, breakfast to my won hand. Also i love chicken…and this a good recipe..By the way thanks for the info.
I’m as curious as Susan, why is it called sticky chicken? Nothing is sticky?
This recipe was AMAZING! I will never bake a chicken in the oven again. Only in the slow cooker. My family devoured it!
These recipes sound wonderful and I can’t wait to try them! I love getting new easy recipes. Thanks.
This looks so good! It is in my crockpot right now. I also posted it as a tip to go along with Albertsons sale on my website. I will be linking to your site much more in the future I am sure. Thanks!
Throw the carcass in some water and boil it to make stock for a third meal.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
I LOVE using whole chickens in recipes. They are so cheap, (I like to stock up when they go on sale around here for $0.79/lb.) and depending on what you make and how big a chicken you buy you can use it for more than one dinner. One of my familie’s favorite recipes is Chicken Stuffing Bake. Use a whole chicken, shredded. A can each of cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk. 1/2 cup of chicken broth and 2 boxes (we use Aldi brand) of chicken stuffing mix. Also about 1/2 cup butter. Mix the butter and stuffing and put 1/2 in a 13×9 pan. Cook soups and milk and broth together until warm. Add cooked, shredded chicken to pan, pour soup mixture in, add the other 1/2 of stuffing mixture and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. YUMMY!!
Want to see a chiken stretch even further? I make stock from the bones. After picking the caracass and bones as clean as you can after dinner, throw them back in the crock pot. I add some cut up vegetables, (a couple carrots, celery, onion). You can ommit if you don’t have any. Then I add about 1 – 2 t of each of the following: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic. This is totally to taste and you can add what seasonsings you feel like. Cover the whole thing with water and cook on low overnight. In the morning, I turn off the crock pot and let it cool. Strain through some cheese cloth, then pour into freezer bags. I freeze in two cup or one cup increments, and freeze flat. Microwave until thawed for recipes. Much better then store bought stock!
Love this dry rub for chicken! I’ve used the same one. We had it often when whole chicken was a necessity over boneless due to cutting costs. I have done it in the crock pot, but also in those oven bags!
Looks great but why is it called sticky? There is no sugar or anything sweet to make it sticky. Susan
http://blip.tv/file/2384736
:-)
I used to make Sticky Chicken in the oven – I’d cook 2 chickens at the same time on 250 or 275 for hours & hours. The meat just fell off the bones. I’ll have to give it a go using the crockpot. Good variation!
Instead of taking the skin off of the chicken before cooking it in the crockpot is to just toss a few balls of aluminum foil (2 inch in diameter) on the bottom of the crockpot. The chicken sits on top of the foil instead of the chicken drippings that way. So yummy!
Thanks for this! I bookmarked it for future reference. Lately we’ve been trying to go with a whole chicken instead of buying just breasts. We were doing the beer chicken thing but then someone suggested the slow cooker. Tried that on Sunday – yummy! Leftovers went into Sesame Chicken (not the fried kind). My husband then had those leftovers for lunch the next day. All that from a little $3 chicken!
How fun to come to your site and find a recipe I’ve made for years too. The only difference is that my kids call it “red” chicken. My family likes the skin so when the chicken is done I take it out and throw it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. YUMMY!
THANKS! These are great, I’m going to try this weekend!
Thanks for these recipes. And also a big thanks for your great posts. I enjoy reading your blog daily.
looks very tasty, I’m excited to try it out.
Yes! Thank you for catching that error. It is supposed to say “HIGH for 6 hours.” Sorry about that everyone.
Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try this.
aw man looks so delicious! chicken in the crock is something i haven’t tried yet, which is amazing since i use the crock almost every day, but i just got a new crock (found out rivals have lead in them, made me sad cuz it was red and matched my kitchen, but rather not have lead ya know) and i can’t wait to use it… i think i’ll try this today! have 2 chickens thawing i was gonna pull out the rotisserie, but its such a hassle…. thanks!
thanks! This looks great! Cannot wait to try! I LOVE 2 for 1 recipes!!!
I seriously bought a whole chicken last time I went to the grocery store. Now I have a great recipe to try out. Is it suppose to be on high for 6 hours?
Thanks for sharing!!
The sticky chicken is fabulous (I have a recipe almost identical to yours), but you MUST include a few cloves of garlic & an onion stuffed inside the cavity!! :) My hubby flips over sticky chicken!
Agree! Chicken is so great for stretching the budget! Lately I have been buying the rotisserie chickens ($4.99!) and stretching them for two days. One tip we saw on tv (and it is a keeper!) is to cut the chicken into parts and lightly sautee the parts in a pan with a touch of oil- it gives each piece a touch more color and flavor.
Our fave 2nd day meal: chicken salad. On sliced bread or on crackers. I buclk it up by adding bacon, celery, shredded carrots, rinsed/drained cottage cheese. Hubby likes minced onions in his so he adds that in his portion.