Best way to slow cook a whole chicken - and have crispy skin?

[loverstryst]

I am the new owner of a slow cooker. I want to try cooking a whole chicken.

Any cooking advice/recipes really welcome - and what's the best way to get the skin crispy? Brown before or after?

[Catsdontcare]

I would brown it in a pan beforehand. Although I found you never get it as crisp as when you roast it though.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I cannot imagine trying to brown a whole chicken

we have a slow cooker and have never had crispy skin on a chicken done on it. You might need to take it out of the slow cooker when its nearly done and bung it in a very hot oven for the last few mins? Stuff done in a slow cooker is very moist, your meat will have a different texture to a roasted chicken and I prefer the slow cooked version even though the skin is not crispyl

I never brown anything that I put in my slow cooker. I just bung the meat and veg in and leave it. Anything else is faff and extra washing up that defeats the purpose of an easy slow cooker imo.

[Catsdontcare]

It's no easy tasks and requires four hands and many large forks!

[loverstryst]

Yes I know slow cooker meat is different texture

Someone suggested making a 'sling' out of silver foil that draped across bottom of cooker bowl and over edge. Then you can cradle the chicken out at end?

Otherwise I may try browning gently before

[caffeinated]

I do the sling and bung in a hot oven for 15 mins when I want crispy skin

[zipzap]

Make sure you don't have too much liquid in there to start with and then if you have some of that spray oil give it just a little spray Of oil (or I guess rub just a little oil in if you haven't got any spray). Then put any herbs or whatnots on top that you were planning to. Plus a knob or 3 of butter if you like it. Be careful not to use too much oil.

It isn't perfectly crispy but it's a hell of a lot better than when there's no oil on it!

[zipzap]

Oh and a pair of turkey forks for lifting it out work wonders.

[Curioustiger]

I am also learning how to use my slow cooker. I've tried two methods with chicken. 1. Brown in a frying pan, then SC, and 2. SC, then transfer to a hot oven for last half hour ( my SC has an oven proof dish so a bit easier with my model). 2. was much easier and much tastier! Plus you don't look like a lunatic as you attempt to turn an enormous recalcitrant chicken in a small frying pan!

[Curioustiger]

Btw for no 2 I just put the chicken in the SC - no fat, no oil, no butter, nothing. The chicken fat rendered down and it was delicious. Then spooned the fat over as it went in the oven.

[JamNan]

Chicken doesn't brown very well in a slow cooker. Pop it under the grill to crisp up the skin then wrap in tin foil and leave it to rest.

[JamNan]

AFTER YOU HAVE COOKED IT Pop it under the grill to crisp up the skin then wrap in tin foil and leave it to rest.

Sorry

[WorrisomeHeart]

How long and which temp do you do it on in the Sc? On low for 10ish hours?

[Curioustiger]

I did it on high for 4.5 hours then 30 mins in oven. Next time I will do high for 6 hours and 15 mins in oven. In my SC book it says chicken should always be cooked on high (although I know lots of people use a lower setting and it's fine).