Slow cookers have become a popular appliance in recent years, especially in the winter months when it’s cold outside.

They can be used to make various different dinners, including bolognese, stews and even sweet treats.

I recently decided to use the appliance to cook a whole chicken to see how tender it would be.

Slow cookers make meat so tender due to the long cooking time and low heat which breaks down the meat’s collagen into gelatin.

I followed a BBC Good Food recipe and now I’ll never cook a whole chicken in the oven again.

Ingredients:

One onion thickly sliced

1.5-1.6kg whole chicken

One tablespoon of olive oil

One teaspoon of paprika

One teaspoon of flaked sea salt

Half a teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

Scatter the onion over the base of the slow cooker before removing the trussing string from the chicken and place, breast-side up, on top.

Pour the oil into a small bowl and then stir in the paprika, salt and pepper, brushing it over the chicken.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for four to four and a half hours or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked.

The meat should be almost falling off the bones. Remove the lid and pierce the thickest part of the bird with a skewer to make sure the juices run clear.

Carefully transfer the chicken to a board to rest for a while, and then make the gravy.

Strain the cooking liquor through a sieve and use it as a thin gravy, or thicken it in a saucepan by adding a couple of teaspoons of gravy granules.

Carve into slices and serve immediately with the rest of your roast dinner, and leave any leftovers to cool.

Leftovers can be kept for a few days in the fridge to use on salads or sandwiches. This chicken was absolutely delicious, so tender and extremely flavoursome.