This slow cooker whole chicken in cider recipe is taken from page 116 of The Ultimate Slow Cooker Cookbook. The combination of chicken, cider, lettuce and leeks work so well together in this dish and the creamy sauce is mouth-watering. This is a perfect alternative to Sunday lunch that everyone in the family will really enjoy! This recipe is packed with flavour but also nutritional goodness to give your body a boost, from the shallots to the chicken to the leeks you are adding in protein, fibre, and numerous vitamins and minerals so whilst the cider and cream might feel like an indulgence you can still eat this meal with confidence knowing that you are fuelling your body.
The aroma that fills the kitchen as this dish cooks is simply irresistible. The scent of cider mingling with fresh rosemary and the sweetness of caramelising leeks creates an inviting and cosy atmosphere. The chicken emerges from the slow cooker perfectly cooked, its skin golden and meat succulent, infused with the rich, tangy flavours of cider. The Little Gem lettuces, which might seem unusual at first, transform beautifully in the slow cooker, becoming tender yet still retaining a bit of crunch. They soak up the flavours of the cider and herbs, adding an unexpected but delightful dimension to the dish.
Photo by Danielle Wood.
Ingredients
3 shallots, sliced
1-2 leeks, sliced
3 x 300ml cans of cider
1 small to medium chicken, about 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) – make sure it fits into your slow cooker
4 Little Gem lettuces, sliced lengthways into quarters
100ml (3½fl oz) single cream
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the slow cooker on low for about 30 minutes.
Put the shallots and leeks into the slow cooker, then pour in the cider. Add the chicken, breast-side down to begin with. Cook for 3 hours on low, turning the chicken halfway through cooking.
Add the lettuce quarters, placing them around the chicken, which is now breast-side up. Cook for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the chicken, until it is cooked through with no trace of pink. Remove the chicken and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a delicious sauce by putting the single cream and rosemary leaves into the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.
Carve the chicken, divide among 4 plates, then pour the sauce over the top.
Serve your slow cooker whole chicken in cider with roast potatoes or buttery mash, and don’t forget some crusty bread to mop up the creamy sauce, in fact if you have an air fryer at hand why not whip up a batch of my air fried bread rolls, you can find the recipe for them here.
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