Slow Cooker Whole Poached Chicken

Slow cooker whole poached chicken is a super convenient way to cook a whole chicken. And whilst you don't get the crispy skin that you associate with a roast chicken, you do get deliciously juicy moist and tender meat.

Why you'll love slow cooker poached chicken

Depending on the size of your chicken (and your family!), you'll have lovely left over chicken for during the week. There is very little wastage, as the slow cooked chicken is very easy to remove from the bones.

Another upside is that you end up with fabulous chicken stock. You can thicken this to serve as gravy with the meat. It will also store well in the fridge for a few days to turn into soups and sauces. Chicken stock also freezes very well.

Cooking your meat on the bone also means that you get more nutrients from the chicken. It's much better for you than buying ready-boned chicken breast. And with a recipe this simple, it's a good option for a midweek dinner.

How to poach a whole chicken in the slow cooker

The recipe couldn't be any easier. You simply place the whole chicken with the seasoning, herbs and a splash of water in the slow cooker and switch it on. Slow cookers do vary, in mine a medium sized chicken is perfectly cooked after 6 hours on the low setting.

Chicken stock

Even though this recipe does produce some stock, I still save the carcass to make a second batch of stock. Homemade chicken stock is a brilliant addition to so many recipes. It has a great flavour, and a long list of health benefits. Just pop the carcass back into the slow cooker with herbs, seasoning, a splash of vinegar and some water. The acid of the vinegar will help the minerals to dissolve into the stock. Cook on medium or low for around 8 hrs to extract the maximum goodness from the bones.

Stock, or bone broth as it is often called, is very nutritious. Long slow cooking of the bones extracts beneficial ingredients such as collagen, amino acids and minerals. These can help to protect the gut so are very useful for people prone to digestive issues. Bone broth is also very good for helping to protect your joints. This link has further information about the health benefits of bone broth.

Serving and storage

This slow cooker whole poached chicken is delicious served with some green veg, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots and onion gravy. Or try it with these low fat dauphinoise potatoes.

Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can easily shred the chicken and use it in sandwiches and packed lunches. You might also like to try this easy chicken ramen recipe or low fat coronation chicken with leftover cooked chicken.

Other healthy chicken recipes

If you are looking for a quick way to roast a whole chicken, this simple spatchcock chicken recipe saves a lot of time. Or for other slow cooker dinners you could try this slow cooker chicken curry recipe or slow cooker beef shin.

You might also like to try this easy healthy chicken tray bake.

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Recipe

Please note nutritional information is for guidance only