makes 6-8 servings
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" segments
1 white onion, quartered and separated into slices
1 3-5 pound chicken
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 lemon, quartered
small handful fresh herbs (I used rosemary, thyme, and flat-leaf parsley)
1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the rub:
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1. Add the chopped carrots and onions to the bottom of a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker bowl.
2. Remove the giblets (if necessary) from the chicken and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
3. Insert the smashed garlic cloves, quartered lemon, and herbs into the chicken.
4. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Then gently rub the spice mix into the skin of the chicken.
6. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs of the chicken together. (I skipped this step, as I didn't find our kitchen twine until after the chicken was done cooking ... but trussing the legs together does help with even cooking; our chicken didn't seem the worse for wear with untied legs, however.)
7. Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper and tuck it tightly around the sides. Then place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4-6 hours, or until the interior temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. (I always check in the meatiest portion of the thigh.)
8. If you'd like a crispier skin, once cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it in an oven-safe baking dish. Place the chicken under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Keep an eye on your chicken, as the skin can go from brown to black in seconds!
9. Let the chicken rest for five minutes before carving.