Slow-Cooked Whole Chicken w/Red Wine Gravy

This slow-cooked whole chicken recipe is actually one of the first I ever made for the blog.  The process is similar to roasting a chicken- you stuff some aromatics inside and smother the skin with a mix of spices and herbs- but the result is a bit different.  You end up with not only the most moist chicken in the world, but you’ll get a saucy broth in the end that makes for an amazing gravy.  It’s homemade herbed chicken stock, right at your fingertips!  

I recently updated this recipe, adding sage to the rub to make the gravy even more gravyi-ish, and lemon to the chicken, giving it a stronger more flavorful finish.  I should note this gravy may not be the same you’re used to at Thanksgiving… this one’s a bit saucier, and cooked down with red wine, which I think gives the chicken just the right amount of flavor without totally taking it over.  I freakin’ love it.  {Goes great with a side of mashed potatoes or cauli puree!}  

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, cleaned

2 cups onion, chopped, plus 1/2 cup

1 cup chopped celery (approx 3 stalks)

1 cup chopped carrot (approx 2)

3-4 whole garlic cloves

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, 7-8 sprigs

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1 lemon, quartered

1 cup water

for the rub…

1 tsp herbs de Provence

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic granules (or garlic powder)

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil or ghee

for gravy…

broth from the pot

1/4 cup red wine (one you’d like to drink, preferably on the drier side)

2 tbsp arrowroot starch* + 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee, pre-mixed

optional: sautéed mushrooms

*arrowroot starch is a thickener that tends to be easier to digest than some other starches… I use THIS one from Bob’s Red Mill, though you can use another starch if you prefer

DIRECTIONS

Chop the onion, carrot, and celery

Add the 2 cups onion, carrot, celery, peeled garlic, thyme, and bay leaf to the Crock Pot

Make the rub by mixing the herbs de Provence, paprika,

garlic, sage, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl

Quarter lemon and prep remaining 1/2 cup onion

Clean chicken, remove giblets (some people like to use these for gravy, some don’t)

Sprinkle approx 1/2 tsp salt inside the cavity, then add the lemon and onion

Rub the oil/ghee over the outside of the chicken, then smother it with the spice rub,

covering it as evenly as you can

Place the chicken, breast side up, atop the veggies in the Crock pot

Add water to the bottom

Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8

(Typically, slow-cooked whole chickens don’t require water, since they release a ton of liquid

on their own, but in this case, the water helps creates the base for the gravy that’s to come)

When done, transfer the chicken from the pot to a cutting surface

Let it rest for about 10 minutes (birds like to chill too)

Meanwhile, get that delicious gravy going…

Strain the broth… discard all those onions and such

(I know, I hate wasting too, but they’ve done their job by giving that broth a ton of flavor!)

Mix the melted butter/ghee and arrowroot starch until smooth (a slurry)

Add the broth, arrowroot-butter blend, and red wine to a pot over medium heat

Whisk while the gravy comes to a light boil

It should thicken as it cooks… and will definitely thicken more as it cools too

If you’d prefer a thicker gravy,

add more starch (mixed with either water or butter to prevent clumping)

Taste and adjust seasonings however desired

Optional: add in some sautéed mushrooms right at the end

Carve chicken and serve it up with a heap of red wine gravy…

Dig in and enjoy