Crockpot or Oven Roaster Chicken for Fast, Real Food Weekday Meals

By SpartyGreenMom

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (crockpot) or 2 whole chickens (oven roaster)
• 1-2 onions, coarsely choppd
• 4-5 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from raisinggenerationnourished.com

Preparation

Step 1

Throw all the veggies into the bottom of the crockpot or oven roaster.
Rinse the chicken(s) inside and out, and lay breast DOWN in the crock or roaster.
Fill the crock or roaster with water halfway up the chicken(s).
Cook on low in the crockpot 8 hours, or at 275 degrees in the oven roaster for 8 hours.

Tips:
I don’t skin the carrots, or chop the veggies nicely – or even chop off the ends. What you see in the picture is how I put them in. I just throw them in as is. I usually buy these veggies organically so I don’t mind. And usually I am throwing the bones right back into the crock with the leftover veggies to make stock, so we don’t plan on eating them.
It is so much easier to tear the chicken apart when it is warm. I usually tear it apart after we have dinner and just shred it with my hands into freezer bags. It goes fast.
SAVE the bones and carcass for making chicken bone broth! The minerals you leach from the bones of pastured chickens is extremely healing to the gut, and your immune system will never be stronger than getting soups using bone broth in weekly! This is one way you can get the most bang for your buck in buying whole chickens too. You can freeze the bones if you don’t plan on making your stock right away.
Make one day a week or every other week “chicken day” so you know you can plan on having chicken for your dinner and then shredding the leftovers for the freezer or the rest of the week.