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What’s so great about it?
I’m glad you asked.
Slow Cooker Chicken is one of those staples in my house that is eaten several times a week so finding the cheapest and easiest way to buy and prepare it was a must.
- Buying chicken whole rather than cut-up is definitely cheapest.
- Cooking the whole crock pot chicken allows free time rather than babysitting the bird.
- The result of slow cooker chicken is super-moist and yummy.
- Many meals can be prepared just by cooking a couple whole chickens in one afternoon.
- Homemade Chicken Broth has amazing healing properties and vitamins your body needs.
- Crock Pot cooking is so easy.
- Your Crock-Pot can be very cheap or your Slow Cooker can be super-fancy.
The Bird
Place the bird in a clean sink and rinse inside and out. Now would be a good time to remove the “package” from inside and lay it to the side.
{No one told me about the “package” inside the cavity and I almost cooked it inside the first Thanksgiving turkey I attempted. Oh yeah.}
Next, sprinkle your seasonings of choice on the inside and top {breast}and let him sit while you chop your choice of veggies to add some flavor to the broth. Only onion is mandatory to me but you may also add celery, peppers, etc. Since we are salt-free these days, a spicy flavor of Mrs. Dash is a wonderful choice. Now place those chopped veggies and 1/2 cup of water to bottom of crock pot before adding Mr. Bird…breast-side up. Throw on that lid and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4 hours. {This depends on the size of your bird}. I always know that it is ready when the meat is falling off the bone when you touch it.
Chicken Broth
After removing the chicken from the bones of the whole chicken, replace all of the bones and carcass back into the crock pot. Fill close to the top with water, cover and let simmer on low for at least 12 hours.
When convenient, I let mine simmer overnight. After the bones have had time to simmer, use a strainer to pour all of the liquid into a large container. Then pour broth into mason jars with a strainer in between to catch all the bits and pieces that you can later discard.
Be sure to leave some “head space” at the top of your jar. Like all liquids, it will expand when chilled and will bust if it doesn’t have room to spread out.
Having plenty of homemade chicken broth on hand is such a blessing now that we eat healthier (after going through the 24 Day Challenge) and have become more intentional about eliminating the salt, sugar, and processed (fake) foods out of our daily diet. By cooking our whole grain rice, Quinoa, and vegetables in our homemade chicken broth, the flavor is added during the cooking process and excessive seasoning is not necessary. I’ve also discovered a healthy way to make sauces and gravy using chicken broth as well.
Here are some added benefits in homemade chicken broth:
- Collagen
- Glycine
- Gelatin
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Trace Minerals
- great digestion aid
- boosts immune system
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about healthy crock pot chicken or homemade chicken broth.
How long will the broth keep in the mason jars and do you refrigerate it?
Author
Hey Reba! Typically when I fill the mason jars with the fresh chicken broth, I will place two in the fridge to last over the course of one to two weeks. We use it a lot! The rest of the jars will go straight in the freezer {remember to leave that head space at the top so they won’t explode}. I would not trust it to last more than a week and a half or two weeks.
Thanks for the great question.
Blessings!
My bone broth is in the crock pot now! Your post simplifies the many confusing articles on making broth! This is an article to bookmark!
Author
Thank you, Thank you! We keep lots in the freezer and frig and not sure how we lived without it before. I’m certain that it’s one of the major reasons we aren’t sick every time a bug floats around. 😉