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+ servings
A slow cooker whole chicken with herb garlic butter visible under the skin on a plate with herbs and garlic

Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Whole Chicken with Gravy

A tender and super flavorful whole chicken made in the slow cooker. Stuffed with a delicious garlic butter and topped with an easy gravy, this recipe is simple but oh so good.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yield:6 servings

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken

  • ¼ cup fresh parsley
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more
  • 1 head garlic sliced in half crosswise
  • 1 3-4 pound whole chicken giblets removed
  • 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
  • aluminum foil
  • kitchen twine
  • pastry brush

Gravy

  • 3 tbsp cassava flour or all-purpose flour see Note 1
  • ½ cup chicken stock

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine parsley and garlic. Pulse until chopped. Add softened butter and salt and pulse until well combined. Scrape out of food processor into a bowl.
  • Place chicken on a cutting board and pat dry. Remove giblets if necessary. Loosen skin by inserting fingers between the skin and meat, breaking any membranes connecting the skin to the meat.
  • Stuff garlic butter mixture evenly under skin. Working with 1-2 tablespoons at a time, stick a little mixture under the skin then spread out by pressing on top of the butter with your fingers under the skin or another hand on top of the skin. Repeat until all mixture is evenly used under skin over breast and legs.
  • Cut 1 head of garlic crosswise down the middle. Place one half of the garlic inside the chicken cavity.
  • Tie chicken legs together. Place a long piece of kitchen twine, about 3 feet long, on a surface. Place chicken in the center of the twine right at the top of the thigh. Take both pieces of twine in your hands and bring them down along the seam between the leg and breast. Loop twine inside the end of the leg and around, bringing both ends together and tying very tightly. See photos for examples.
  • Sprinkle chicken with a bit more salt.
  • Create a foil rack and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Twist a long piece of foil into a "rope" then shape into a circle, or ball up 3-4 pieces of foil and place in a triangle or square shape in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place remaining half of garlic head in bottom of slow cooker.
  • Place chicken breast down on top of foil rack and cover.
  • Cook on low heat 4-5 hours or until internal temperature registers 160º F. See Note 2 for other cooking times.
  • Remove ceramic cooker from heating element. See Note 3 if your cooker does not come out. Carefully flip the chicken from breast down to breast up. Brush the 1 tablespoon oil all over chicken skin and preheat broiler. Place ceramic cooker in oven about 10" from heating element. Watching carefully, broil until skin is evenly browned, then remove from oven.
  • Remove chicken from cooker and place on a cutting board. Loosely tent with foil to rest. Replace cooker in slow cooker heating element and turn heat to high.
  • Make the gravy: Remove the garlic head. Sprinkle drippings with cassava flour and whisk well until smooth. Add in 1/2 cup stock and cook 10-15 minutes. If the mixture does not thicken to your liking, transfer to a saucepan and cook a couple minutes over medium heat, whisking constantly.
  • Carve chicken and serve with plenty of gravy.

Notes

Note 1
You can use arrowroot starch if you do not have cassava flour on hand. Use 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch instead of 3 tablespoons cassava flour.
Note 2
Cooking Times on Low Heat
2-3 lbs. = about 3-4 hours
3-4 lbs. = about 4-5 hours
4-5 lbs. = about 5-6 hours
Cooking Times on High Heat
2-3 lbs. = about 2 hours
3-4 lbs. = about 2 1/2 - 3 hours
4-5 lbs. = about 3 1/2
Note 3
If your ceramic cooker does not easily remove from the slow cooker, carefully transfer your chicken to a baking or roasting dish to broil the skin until crispy.
Note 4
If you're on a Whole30, make sure you use ghee instead of butter, cassava flour or arrowroot starch instead of all-purpose flour, and ensure your chicken broth is Whole30 compliant.

Nutrition

Calories: 435cal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 315mg | Total Carbs: 7g | Net Carbs: 7g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 6.5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik