How do i cook a whole fryer chicken?

starryeyedtiger

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The last time i was at the grocery store they had the small whole fryer chicken's on sale, so i picked up one. I got special seasonings/etc and want to cook it in the crockpot overnight sometime this weekend. Do whole fryer chickens have the insides and everything left in them? If so, what is the best way to clean it out well? I've never made a whole chicken before
Thanks!!!
 

karmasmom

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Yes whole chickens come with the gibles and thing inside. They usually are in the body cavity, sometimes they are found in the neck cavity. They will be in a bag so it will be easy to remove.

I have never done a whole chicken in a crock pot, usually I roast them in the oven. Its very simple to do. I found a link for you hat is all about cooking in a crock pot. They have ideas and recipies for whole chickens.

Here is the link, check it out and surf around, I am sure you will find something that sounds good.

http://crockpot.cdkitchen.com/

Here is a link to the site I use when cooking whole chickens in the oven.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=whole+fryer+chicken

I use this site for everything. Personally I would be lost with out it. I was able to cook our entire Thanksgiving meal(for 4 people), for the first time with no help all off this site. It came out perfect not one thing was burned and it was all ready at the same time. When I decided to do it I had never even cooked a whole chicken much less a turkey. So I can say this is the site for you.
 

sillyjilly

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I've checked them out before too but never picked one up. I really should do that one of these days and roast it.. or get one of those rotisseries for the grill and do that!!
 

momofmany

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I usually avoid putting a whole chicken in a crockpot because of the small bone fragments that fall off the bird as it cooks. It's yummy, but you have to watch out for the bones when you eat it.

I personally like to make a bread stuffing and roast them.
 

wookie130

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You can cook the whole bird in the crockpot, but 4-8 hours later, he'll be so moist that he may fall entirely apart in there. Personally, the whole fryers do come out a bit better roasted in the oven...and I too, like to stuff them first!

As far as the herbs and seasonings go, you can make a marinade out of melted butter, lemon juice, and the herbs (like rosemary, a pit of sage, basil, garlic, whatever you're using), puncture the bird in several areas with a huge serving fork, and then soak him in the mixture overnight and the next day, then roast him up!!! YUMMY!
 

pat locani

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Me? I stand aside and let someone else do it!


You are being sooooo domestic! Good luck with that bird!
 

rubsluts'mommy

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Sometimes I get a whole chicken and either roast in the oven or plop it in the stockpot on the stove... simple, no seasonings... but then again, I'm one of those weirdos (as my best friend and my whole family tells me) who eats cold cooked chicken with ketchup... I once ate half a chicken that way... didn't know it was that much until my mom told me. This was back in HS.

When I cook a whole chicken nowadays, I'll eat some hot, but then strip the remaining chicken down from the bones and save the rest for later... I live alone, so it's easy.
 

salemwitchchild

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I love to roast chicken. And I also stuff it with herb stuffing. Yes you do have to clean them out. What I do to clean it is make sure the kitchen sink is clean. Then I pull all the giblets out while it's in the sink and run water through the chicken so I make sure the insides is all clean. THen I put lots of butter and garlic on it, stuff it full of stuffing and roast it at 350 degrees until the temp checker is 180.
 

april31

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It will fall apart in the crock pot. That said it makes really moist chicken. And f you strain it to get all the bones and gunk out it makes a great broth for shicken and noodles.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Wow- great tips and recipes everyone!!! Thankyou soo much!
It sounds like i should be roasting it instead of cooking it in the crock pot- so i will do that instead
Haha i guess now i need to get a roasting pan?
 

oscarsmommy

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Trav said there is usually gizards still in the chicken in a bloody bag. Just pull them out and throw them away. Rinse the chicken out with cold water. We just buy an aluminum roasting pan, the disposable kind. He thinks its 350 degrees for an hour then use a meat thermometer to make sure its done. He puts half a stick of butter inside(keeps the chicken moist and juicy-flavor too) and then take the rest of the stick of butter and melt it and pour it over the chicken. Then he seasons it with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. It turns out FABULOUS! Make sure you keep basting it while its cooking to keep it moist. You can use more butter if you want but that's what we use. It's simple but AWESOME!
 

lakeriedog

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I like to roast mine in the oven too. I put two pierced lemons or oranges inside the cavity, rub the bird down with olive oil, salt and pepper and then bake for about an hour in a roaster at 350. Simple and delicious!
 

karmasmom

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Don't throw the giblets away. You can use them for gravey or cook them and give the kitties a special treat. Thats what I do, I just fry them in a pan and let Karma eat them once they cool down. She goes gaga for them. When I pull the bird out of the fridge she starts her feed me song and dance untill I give them to her, usually about an hour after I have pulled the bird out of the fridge, makes for an interesting cooking sesion.

For roasting we bought a flavor injector. Its a syringe(sp) that you use to force garlic butter and other things into the birds meat. Its great for other meats too. We bought ours at the grocery store but you can find them anywhere. I found a link for you so you can see what they are and get an idea on how much they should cost.

http://www.nextag.com/marinade-injector/search-html
 

swampwitch

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

... Haha i guess now i need to get a roasting pan?
For chickens, I use my large stainless steel frying pan in the oven. (It has a stainless steel handle). When the bird is done, I transfer it to a warm platter, put the pan on the stovetop, and make the gravy right then with the flavorful bits in the pan.
 

littleraven7726

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i like to roast them in the oven. but when i'm feeling lazy, i put them in the crock pot on low for 8 hours. don't do it much longer than 8 hours though, it gets a little overdone. i LOVE the whole fryer chickens, yum! our supertarget has them (no innards) for $5.99 and i have to stop myself from buying one every week.
i don't have any problems with the bones. we pick all of the meat off after dinner, then we have 1 dinner with leftovers and usually enough for leftover chicken sandwiches for my lunch. yum!


edited to add: the kitties love it when i make roast chicken--they always get some chicken too.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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thanks everyone for all of the great tips and ideas!!! i will get a roasting pan the next time i'm out (i figure i need one anyway as much as i'm starting to cook now) so i'll try to cook it soon and let ya'll know how it turns out!
right now it's in the freezer till i get ready to fix it
 

neetanddave

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MMMM, beer can chicken is good too.... Just clean out the innards, rinse him good inside and out while preheating the grill.... Season with a bit of garlic and pepper on the outside, then grab two beers and head outside.

Open one beer, have a drink.

Open the other beer and sit it on the grill grate, so it won't spill.

Have another drink of beer.

Sit the chicken on top of the beer on the grill, placing the can inside the chicken's body (neck up or course.)

Close the grill.

Wash your hands, then finish off the other beer while waiting 40-45 minutes for the chicken to cook.

The beer steams the chicken from the inside, no alcohol is left but you get a nice juicy bird.

 
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