Gluten Free Crockpot Whole Chicken

Total time4 hr 30 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time4 hr 15 min

Checking the ingredient list, there's nothing here that runs afoul of a gluten free kitchen — no flour, soy sauce, or bouillon cubes hiding in the mix, just a whole chicken, real vegetables, and a smoked paprika rub built from pantry spices. That's genuinely good news for a dish this comforting: the slow cooker does the heavy lifting, turning carrots, celery, and onion into a savory base that keeps the chicken elevated and self-basting for hours on low heat. Stuffing the cavity with lemon, a whole head of garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs means the meat cooks up fragrant and juicy from the inside out, while that quick trip under the broiler at the end gives you the crisped, golden skin you'd never expect from a slow cooker bird. It's a hands-off, fuss-free way to get a Sunday-dinner-worthy roast chicken with tender vegetables already built into the meal. This one's a reliable pick to add to a gluten free dinner rotation, especially on nights you want something low-effort but still impressive at the table.

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Ingredients

4 servings

1 whole chicken (3.5–4.5 lb)
2 tsp smoked paprika
McCormick Smoked Paprika - 0.9 Oz McCormick Gourmet Organic Smoked Paprika,1.62 oz Spice Islands® Smoked Paprika HemisFares™ Smoked Spanish Paprika Badia Smoked Paprika
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1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, top ¼ inch cut off to expose cloves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, quartered

Instructions

1
In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, black pepper, and kosher salt. Stir in the olive oil to form a loose paste.
2
Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels — this is the key step for getting any color on the skin later. Rub the spice paste all over the outside of the chicken and under the breast skin wherever you can loosen it. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, the garlic head (cut side up), and the fresh thyme sprigs.

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