How does a simple, juicy, flavorful chicken recipe sound? That is exactly what this Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken from Gooseberry Patch’s 101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes Cookbook is…so delicious!
Aunt Lou here, and it is confession time.
I get hung up on cooking whole chickens. Why? I have no idea. I just do. It makes no sense to me. They are a GREAT way to feed your family for less….and y’all know that I am all about doing things for less money. And I have yet to find a recipe that wasn’t pretty easy that uses a whole chicken. So I have NO idea why I get all timid about making a whole chicken.
Now Cris? She is all about a whole chicken. It doesn’t faze her at all. *sigh* The plight of a little sister! Big sister always has it all together…maybe someday I’ll catch up! 😉
The best part of this yummy Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken is that my kiddos loved it as much as Michael and I did. The entire family gobbled this thing right up! If you know what it is like trying to feed a one-year-old and a three-year-old, then you know this is no easy feat!
Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken
So one of the things that hung me up on this particular recipe was that it says to “gently lift the skin” and rub the BBQ seasoning on and under the skin. Again, when I was talking with big sis, she thought it was no big deal and compared it to steps in preparing a turkey. Welp, I have never prepared a turkey! (Much to Cris’ dismay…although, come to think of it, she knows just about everything that goes on in my life, so I am not sure when she thought I would have made a turkey if it wasn’t with her and mom…but I digress 😉 )
The point of all this rambling? Don’t let that step keep you from making this recipe. It was actually easier and not near as scary as it sounds. How easy is it you ask? Well, I had a one-year-old pulling on my legs and pants and a three-year-old that “really wanted to help” while I was preparing this recipe. It is so easy that I kept Ryder from touching the chicken or juices, and Iyla didn’t even reach full meltdown mode by the time I was done! Mommy score!
Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb roasting chicken
- 1/4 c barbecue seasoning plus a little more for sprinkling on top
- 12 oz beer or non-alcoholic beer
Instructions
- Lightly spray your crock pot with cooking spray
- Gently lift the skin of your chicken and generously rub your barbecue seasoning under the skin and on top of the skin
- Place your chicken in your crock pot and pour your beer over the top
- Sprinkle your barbecue seasoning on any areas the beer washed the seasoning away
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours
- Place in a broiler safe dish and broil for 2-5 minutes watching VERY closely to crisp up the outside
Slow Cooker Recommendation
I used my Hamilton Beach Programmable Insulated Slow Cooker for this yummy Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken. It was a snap to clean up, and I know that I can trust my Sir Hamilton to cook evenly. Depending on the size of your chicken, you will want to use a 3-6 quart slow cooker. The general rule is that you want your crock pot AT LEAST half full, but 3/4 of the way full is the sweet spot. So you will want to judge which size of slow cooker you need based off of the size of your chicken.
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Denise S. says
May 11, 2017 at 11:49 amWhat would you suggest to serve with it when it’s finished cooking?
Aunt Lou says
May 11, 2017 at 11:57 amHi Denise!
So many things come to mind! I’m a pretty traditional girl, so green beans, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, dinner rolls, corn salad, baked potatoes…your favorite veggie and a yummy dinner roll or slice of crusty bread would be great. Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Ginger Wroot says
November 13, 2015 at 4:52 pmWe don’t do turkey at Thanksgiving, since none of my famiily likes turkey, so I might try making a crockpot chicken instead. This looks totally yum and super easy!
Aunt Lou says
November 14, 2015 at 11:42 pmHi Ginger!
That sounds like a great idea! Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Sadie says
November 11, 2015 at 8:02 pmI’m going to try it with Sprite and Head Country seasoning.
Aunt Lou says
November 11, 2015 at 5:45 pmHi Nancy!
I don’t believe that this particular recipe would be good for producing a good stuffing since the chicken is sitting in beer or coke. I’m afraid the stuffing wouldn’t come out right.
Aunt Lou
Nancy says
November 11, 2015 at 3:37 pmHi again, I wanted to ask if you have tried stuffing the chicken first with a bread stuffing mix? My family love stuffing and it always tastes better when it has cooked in the chicken. Thank you. Nancy
Nancy says
November 11, 2015 at 3:33 pmIs there a substitute for the beer like a can of
gingerale or coke ? Thank you, Nancy
Aunt Lou says
November 11, 2015 at 5:40 pmHi Nancy!
I haven’t tried it, but I would think you can use a can of coke if you would rather. Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Barbara says
November 11, 2015 at 2:05 pmWhat barbecue seasoning do you use? One you have mixed together or store-bought….If your mixture, is there a recipe? Thanks. This sounds e a good replacement for rotisserie chicken from store.
Aunt Lou says
November 11, 2015 at 2:34 pmHi Barbara!
I just used a store-bought barbecue seasoning. The one that the store happened to have when I went in was McCormick’s. It worked out great! Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Ron says
November 14, 2015 at 9:30 pmI am assuming that is a dry rub?
Aunt Lou says
November 14, 2015 at 11:40 pmHi Ron!
Yes, the barbecue seasoning is a dry seasoning. Enjoy!
Aunt Lou
Goose says
March 26, 2017 at 12:19 amCan you use a BBQ sauce instead of a rub?
Aunt Lou says
March 26, 2017 at 5:10 pmHi Goose!
I haven’t tried this with BBQ sauce. I would guess that it would taste a bit different and also have more moisture since the rub is dry. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Aunt Lou