Crockpot Whole Chicken and Easy Broth Recipe

Okay, so I am really bad at keeping exact measurements when I cook. My husband reminds me of this when I ask him to make one of my recipes, and then I explain it to him. He says, "This is why I can't cook! You can't tell me a little bit of this and some of that. I need exact measurements."

For those of you out there who like exact measurements, like my husband, I will do my best for you with this post.

Now, let's talk chicken. And broth. And crockpots.

First, chicken. I love it. I love it roasted in the oven for 3 hours with some great seasoning. I like to make my own homemade gravy with the drippings left in the roaster. But, that takes time. I don't seem to have very much time to roast chickens lately, so I thought, "You've got to be able to make this in the crock pot."

Turns out, I was right. Which leads me to crock pots. I love them. I can start a healthy meal and run to work. When I get home and the kids are starving, then I have a ready-cooked meal that is nutritious and delicious. Love it!

So, what about broth? Well, I have been meaning to make some homemade broth for the last couple months or years... I have heard it was so easy, but I just didn't want to try. I don't know why. I guess because I was so stuck on my regular routine with chicken. Well, after reading once again about how amazing bone broth and homemade broths are for you, I decided to give it a try, especially when I heard that you can make it in the crock pot. Oh, and finding out that the majority of store-bought broths (even organic!!!) contain yeast extract, which is actually MSG - an awful toxin you don't want in your body. Yuck! That was the last straw for me.

So, I tried two new things in one meal, and they worked out perfectly. First let me share with you how I make a whole chicken in the crockpot.

First, I got my spices ready.  I used:

• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• a couple shakes of cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp black pepper

I mixed all these spices in a small bowl. Then, I grabbed a medium sized onion, chopped it up and spread it out in the bottom of the crock pot. I gently set my whole chicken on top. Last, I sprinkled my spices over the whole chicken and inside the chicken. I cooked this guy for 4 hours on high setting. Not only was it super easy, but it made my house smell divine and was cooked to perfection. While the skin wasn't crispy like when you roast it, it was still amazingly delicious.

After dinner, I put the bones back into the leftover drippings still sitting in the crockpot. Then, I added the onion scraps, a few carrots scraps, some fresh parsley and other veggie scraps (you can also add in celery and other fresh herbs) to the broth. I filled the crock pot almost to the top with purified water (just used our reverse osmosis water) and cooked it on low. I cooked it all night long. I have since learned you can cook it even longer, until the bones are practically falling apart!

When you are ready, just strain the scraps and bones out and you have an amazingly healthy, super delicious broth. And it makes a lot of broth, as you can see in the picture below!

The next day, I cooked up a whole pumpkin and added some of the homemade broth to make delicious pumpkin soup. Perfecto!