Best Chicken Ever

Last night I made CrockPot Rotisserie-Style Chicken and Jason proclaimed it the best chicken I had ever made ever. It was pretty tasty and very easy.

1 whole chicken, skinned* (4-5 pounds)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder (I didn't have any onion powder, so I used garlic powder instead)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of chili powder
4 whole garlic cloves
1 yellow onion, quartered

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity. In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the crockpot. Shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat. I cooked it for about 9 hours on low.

I was a little concerned about there not being enough liquid and the chicken burning and sticking to the crock. However, by the time the chicken was done, it had created about 3 inches of flavorful juice in the bottom of the crock. I made mashed potatoes to go with the chicken and they were great with a little bit of that juice spooned on top. Since I skinned the chicken, the juice was only a little greasy.

* The whole skinning thing is easier than I thought it would be and then the chicken isn't simmering in its own fat all day, which is a good thing.