Another Chicken Post

(Or: Being Wrist-Deep in a Chicken Cavity is an Experience Unlike Any Other)

Here is a recipe for Sticky Chicken, which I got from a friend.  I’ve modified it slightly to my tastes, with the original recipe ingredients italicized at the end of this post.

This chicken was great on its own, served with potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables.  It cooked in its own juices, and was amazingly tender and full of flavor.  I love this recipe because the prep-work is super low-maintenance, the crockpot does all the cooking, and the options are endless for using it in other recipes: tortilla soup, chicken noodle soup, or even purée it with broth to make homemade baby food. 

Sticky Chicken

Mix the following ingredients into a small bowl:

2 tsp salt (I use Kosher.  Sparkly.)

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 tsp paprika (I use smoked)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

¼ tsp white pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

Coat the inside of a 5 qt. crockpot with baking spray.  Rinse and dry a whole 4lb. chicken, and remove the guts from chicken cavity.  Throw the guts away.  (Quickly.  And try not to hurl.)  Rub the spice mixture over the entire outside and inside of the chicken (un!), place the chicken in the crockpot insert, and cover it with the lid.  Let it sit in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, set your crockpot to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.  Off to work you go.

When you get home from work, throw a few potatoes in the microwave or make a quick batch of rice, and steam broccoli or asparagus with butter, salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon pepper.  Your after-work cooking efforts will be minimal, and the meal is deliciously home-cooked.  A 4lb. whole chicken will serve a family of 4 for 2 dinners, when served with 1-2 side dishes.  (Depending on the ages and appetites of your little ones.)  Or, freeze half of the cooked chicken and the following week you can make homemade chicken salad to take with you to work. 

Sidenote: SAVE THE BROTH that is left over in your crockpot.  You could have around 2 cups of perfectly seasoned, perfectly fatty broth to use for a future soup or gravy recipe.  Just let the broth cool, fish out any grody floaters, and store it in the freezer in a quart-sized, freezer-safe Ziploc bag labeled with the date and contents.  It will look like sewage but you’ll be glad you saved it.

Original recipe called for: seasoned salt instead of Cajun seasoning; 1 tsp. white pepper; ½ tsp black pepper.