Easy Whole Chicken+Bone Broth Recipe

Hey! I’m back again with another recipe well… actually two recipes! They go hand in hand so I figured why not share them both in one post? I’ve been cooking a lot of whole chickens lately because they are SO easy to make. Crazy enough I used to be intimidated by cooking a whole chicken. I’m not exactly sure why? Sometimes I’m intimidated by the easiest dishes and then when it comes to a complicated dish I’m like, “let’s go for it!”

Anyway, let’s get to two of my favorite “intimidating” recipes.

Here are the spices that I used for the whole chicken. I just use spices and an onion but you could throw in carrots, celery, and potatoes if you’d like.

I didn’t get a picture of the chicken after it was done cooking and I flipped the chicken over to the other side before I started cooking it but I decided to share this picture anyway.

Here is a picture of the bone broth the next day! Also, I can’t help but note some of the incredible benefits of bone broth.

1. It is anti-inflammatory (it can act as a remedy for the common cold).
2. It is a good source of Glucosamine and Collagen (both nutrients are good for our skin, hair, nails, and bone+joint health)
3. The gelatin in bone broth supports healthy digestion+gut health (really helpful if you have a leaky gut or IBS).
4. It is easy for our bodies to digest and absorb (I enjoy drinking it if I start to feel sick).

I like to store my bone broth in mason jars. I also will freeze whatever I don’t use within the first 3-5 days of making it.

Whole Chicken:

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-5 lb whole chicken (preferably local and without any added hormones)
• 1 onion, chopped into big chunks
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, if you don’t like any spice you can omit this)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start by mixing the spices in a bowl, set aside. Chop up the onion, set it aside.

2. Spray down the crock-pot with olive or avocado oil.

3. Remove any giblets from the chicken and wash the chicken underwater. Pat it dry and rub it with some olive or avocado oil. Then, rub the spices all over the chicken, coating the chicken evenly.

4. Place the chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, breast side down.

5. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Once the chicken is done, place the chicken in the oven on broil for 4-5 minutes (this makes the skin crispy and delicious).

Bone Broth:

INGREDIENTS:

• Bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. from the whole chicken
• 1 whole onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 TB apple cider vinegar (optional)
• Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. After removing the meat from the whole chicken leave everything else in the crock-pot. If you are cooking the broth the next morning, place the whole crock-pot in the fridge.
2. The next day, take the crock-pot out of the fridge and add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, seasonings, and water.
3. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
4. After the broth is done cooking, strain through a colander into a bowl, discard the bones and veggies. Transfer the broth to mason jars and store in the fridge for up to five days (freeze anything you don’t use within five days).

That’s it for today! Thank you for stopping by. 🙂