This Low-Fat Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken is the epitome of feel-good, good-for-you comfort food. Simple to make and satisfyingly delicious, your family will love this low-fat, one-pot meal.
I’m going to share a secret today – there is one recipe that I pretty much prize above all other recipes that I know. It is the epitome of feel-good, good-for-you food.
Is it a cold winter night after a long week and I need a low-fat comfort meal? This is the recipe. Are we headed to a potluck and don’t know what to bring? This is the recipe. Are we having company over? This is what we cook.
Mainly I make it for new moms in my life, or really any parents who have just had their first, second, or third child. It’s the perfect mix of tenderness and flavor. It’s heart-healthy, good for your soul, and perfect for these brisk nights with early sunsets. The smell of Sticky Chicken cooking in the slow cooker is the most soul-affirming smell to come home to, or to enjoy while reading a book by the fire. Or if you’re like me and you work at home, you will love smelling it all day or night long.
Low-Fat Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Recipe
The recipe has changed hands throughout the years, and is adapted from my husband’s friend, Heather. We call it all sorts of names but “Sticky Chicken” has stuck the longest. My husband and I have changed it in ways to add wholesome flavor. We add apples, oranges, and pineapples for flavor during the cooking. You can use the juices left over in the slow cooker to make a gravy, but the recipe has plenty of flavor just from the slow cooking in spices. I have yet to make this for anyone and NOT have them then ask me for the recipe. It’s perfect for all occasions.
Now I’m going to share the recipe with you, so you don’t even have to ask for it!
In terms of comfort foods, this is the best meal I know. It's a whole chicken in a slow cooker - with potatoes, carrots, and seasonal vegetables. It slow cooks in spices all day (or night) long and comes out tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or use half if this seems like too much)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large roasting chicken - make sure it will fit in your slow cooker
- Diced potatoes and carrots
- Chopped apples, oranges, and pineapple (optional)
- 1 cup chopped onion
Instructions
- In small bowl, thoroughly combine all spices.
- Clean chicken well and remove giblets.
- Pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin.
- Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight - this is recommended, but not necessary.
- When ready to cook, put the chopped onion inside the chicken.
- Chop up garlic and put it under the chicken skin
- Cut up apples/oranges/pineapple and add to the slow cooker inside and outside the chicken.
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker breast down.
- As the cooking process goes on, the chicken will produce its own juices.
- Cook on low 8 hours (high 5-6).
- Put the diced potatoes and carrots in when there are three hours left for perfect vegetables.
- The chicken will be falling off the bones.
Notes
Home Chef Tips: You can add a little melted butter to the chicken as you are rubbing it. When the meal is done and you've removed everything from the slow cooker, you will be left with a liquid primed for gravy. You can take a cup or two of it, add corn starch, red wine, low sodium chicken broth, and then simmer. If you want to leave out both butter and gravy, for the natural, low-fat version, there are enough flavors in the slow cooking process! You can add/omit any spices. You can also do the chicken rub the night before. It's not necessary, but is recommended.
I love the history this recipe has, and how it has passed from friend to family to friend to family. We all make our own versions of it, and ours comes from years of perfecting it in the slow cooker. I love it for special occasions, or Sundays in November when I really love the smell of dinner cooking while the sun sets so early.
In writing this recipe out, I looked through my old emails and found one in which my husband sent it to our friend, Ross, and copied me on it. When we adopted our rescue puppy, Athena, a man in Boston adopted her brother, Levi. We made this recipe one weekend because Ross was coming over to meet us, and to have our dogs reunite and play. Those are the kinds of special memories I associate with this Low-Fat Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken – good times, good people, good food.
What special occasion would you make Sticky Chicken for?
We hope you love this Low-Fat Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Tamara from Tamara (Like) Camera, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, be sure to visit our Slow Cooker section for more easy weeknight meal ideas. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and stop by our Google+ Community to see all of the amazing recipes our community members are sharing. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply