Roasting an entire chicken can be a time-consuming task. For those of us pressed for time in the evenings, the slow cooker can be a life-saver! Orange Roasted Chicken in the Slow Cooker is a recipe I created to save time on busy weeknights. The oranges lend a wonderful sweetness to the meat and the slow cooker makes sure the bird is nice and juicy. It’s a win-win!
A short chicken story…
The chicken I used for this recipe was a behemoth! Really, it was the size of a small turkey. Last year our family raised meat chickens as a way to encourage us to eat more chicken. As luck would have it, our family dog, Poppy, loves chickens. So what started out as a large flock of 25 was plucked to 3 one humid May evening. We attended our son’s baseball game, and Poppy tore into the chicken coop. So it was up to me, instead of the Amish, to butcher the remaining chickens. Needless to say, I might have waited a little long with this guy! The chicken I used for Orange Roasted Chicken was easily in the 6-7 lbs. range! You might want to find one a little smaller so that it fits in the slow cooker. 🙂
The recipe, unlike butchering, is extremely easy and can be thrown together the evening before cooking in five minutes or less! The only ingredients needed for Orange Roasted Chicken are a large yellow onion, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and 2 navel oranges. This short list takes a regular chicken from bland to extraordinary over the course of a work day. It’s magic! 🙂
Orange Roasted Chicken in the Slow Cooker Recipe…
The first step for Orange Roasted Chicken was to place a bed of onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. The onions made a great garnish when serving, picking up the flavors of the chicken and oranges, and becoming very sweet.
Next, I placed the bird on the onions (breast-side up), stuffed orange wedges into the bird’s cavity and sprinkled the salt, pepper, and thyme on the breast and thighs. I covered and refrigerated the crock over night. This saved me time in the morning, as I only had to place the crock into the slow cooker and turn it on. 🙂 Please note, I did remove the skin from the chicken during butchering for less fat during cooking.
When I left for work, I placed the crock in the slow cooker and turned it on low. When I arrived home, my kitchen smelled amazing and the chicken looked beautiful. The bird was fall-off-the-bone tender and full of orange flavor.
Orange Roasted Chicken in the Slow Cooker was a hit! I sliced the tender bird and served it with a few of the roasted onions and a drizzle of the cooking liquid. I didn’t have to spend hours after work roasting the chicken. Instead, I walked into the house and dinner was finished. I peeled a couple of oranges, threw together a spinach salad, and dinner was served.
Our chicken was so large I have plenty of meat leftover. As a result, we will enjoy sandwiches for lunches and chicken for homemade chicken and noodles. I love when I can cook once and have leftovers for other dishes!
If you love the slow cooker as much as I do, please be sure to check out my recipes for Five Minute Beef Roast, Swiss Steak in the Slow Cooker, or Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup.
Orange Roasted Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Notes
Be careful not to overcook the chicken, as the white meat could become dry. Leftovers can easily be added to any recipes requiring baked or shredded chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 large roasting chicken (5-6 lbs.)
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin slices
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 1/2 t. dried thyme
- 2 navel oranges, washed and sliced into 8 wedges each (leave rind)
Instructions
- Place sliced onion in bottom of slow cooker.
- Lay chicken, breast side up, on top of onion.
- Fill cavity with as many orange wedges as will fit, placing remaining wedges around the outside of the bird.
- Sprinkle outside of bird with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
- Turn slow cooker to low and roast for 8-10 hours, or until breast and thigh meat test at least 165 F.