Garlic Crockpot Chicken

When I found this recipe, the blogsite hostess said, "If you do not like garlic, do not try this recipe." I love garlic so of course I am going to try this!

However, what the blogsite hostess failed to say was that not only do you have to LOVE garlic, but your neighbors have to love it. Your children have to adore it, because it will permeate every piece of clothing in the room on their bodies. And your husband better enjoy bathing in it. I mean seriously. You have to LOVE LOVE LOVE garlic.

I thought I loved garlic. But this lends itself to a new kind of infatuation. I mean really. REALLY.

SO I'm going to say the same thing, only amended. Ahem.

Only make this chicken if you have a very unhealthy LUST for garlic. Because that is all you taste. Just garlic. So, let that be your warning.

Moving on.

So my thoughts on this bird were not only that it could have not been sooooo flippen garlic-y, but that there was hardly any flavor in the meat itself... well maybe there was flavor but it was masked by all the garlic! So, right. If you like garlic flavored everything and a house that smell like garlic two days later, this is the bird for you. No vampire attacks here this week.

What you will need: 

2 gallon sized freezer bags

1 quart sized bag

1 sandwich bag

Write on the outside of bag 1, 40 Clove Garlic Chicken - Low 5-8 hours (depending on bird size)

Put 1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry, giblets and excess fat pockets removed inside the gallon sized freezer bag. Cut a lemon in half and stick it INSIDE the cavity of the chicken and seal the bag.

In sandwich bag put 1-3 tsp of each of the following spices (depending on bird size):

marjoram

sage

rosemary

thyme

salt and pepper

and smoked paprika (I put more like a tablespoon or two cuzz I love that stuff ;))

In the last bag you are going to put about 40 cloves of unpeeled garlic (I used 5 heads and no I didn't count the garlic pieces I just said, looks good). You need to NOT peel the garlic because in the slowcooker they will absolutely turn to mush and not be what you want. So make sure to get them in their peels. TO do this I just whacked the side of each bulb with the side of my knife and then they fell into pieces. I did remove most of the flakey bunk.

Seal all the bags and stuff them into the main bag and into the freezer it goes.

The day before you cook it, make sure you thaw your bird out WELL! No frozen birds in the crockpot, please. Dries out the meat. And don't think you can turn it on high just to make amends. Just don't do it. 

Place cloves in the bottom of the crockpot. Next put the chicken over the top (Breast side up) and then sprinkle with all the spices. That is it. Set the crockpot and come back in 5-8 hours to see the results.

When it's done, you can get the color you want (that you can't get in a crockpot) by separating the chicken into individual pieces (breast, wings, leg quarters) and broil them on a baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Makes the skin crispy but makes an awful mess too ;)

You can use the drippings inside the crockpot to make gravy or mix into your cauliflower potatoes. But expect ultra garlic.

I apologize for no pics of the finished bird. My kids were so starved I just worried about my own safety and not a pic. No one (but my husband) complained about the meal... but no one had seconds either. And later it was agreed it was wayyyyyy too garlic-y. Okay fine. It was 40 clove garlic chicken. Lesson learned. I don't lust for garlic.

The bird itself had little flavor as well. Possibly because our nostrils were overrun with garlic but... it just wasn't a huge win. But someone who loves Garlic (with that unhealthy love) will love this too.