This Slow Cooker Engagement Chicken is a whole chicken kicked up a notch, it also makes enough broth to prepare a decadent gravy.
I found this recipe for engagement chicken about the same time I found the recipe for Land your Man Baked Beans. I’m a very curious person and had to know how good these recipes were since they have such confident names.
This is a vintage recipe that supposedly, if you make this for your boyfriend, you will get a proposal. As you know I have no interest in getting married again, one time is enough for me, LOL. My poor husband, I made this elaborate meal (you must see the video at the bottom) and what he got was his plate heated in the microwave when he arrived home from work since I do all my filming at 3 pm most days. He said the honeymoon is over. We had a good laugh about it, we have a great time joking about our relationship since we’ve been married for 18 years. Another funny named recipe I have is Marry Me Chicken which is just as good as this recipe!
I’ve made many whole chicken recipes in the crock pot, but seriously nothing this tasty. I don’t know if it was the garlic, wine or butter, or possibly a combination of the 3 things being cooked with the chicken that made this recipe stand out from others that I have tried.
The best part of this recipe is the gravy, it is made from the drippings and broth that is created while cooking the chicken. I researched the best way to make gravy from hot broth. What I did was, I ladled the grease off the top of the broth, used that to make a roux with flour in a skillet, then whisked in the broth.
Easy peasy and there are measurements below in the recipe box to get the same results I did. I am going to use this gravy method next thanksgiving, we usually use cornstarch in cold water, this method with the drippings and flour makes the best gravy ever. The gravy made from this chicken broth has lots of great garlic, butter and wine flavor.
Other slow cooker whole chicken recipes:
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Veggies
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Butternut Squash
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Whole Tuscan Chicken with Buttery Yukon Potatoes
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Slow Cooker Engagement Chicken with Gravy
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 2 sweet onions (large); sliced
- 1 whole chicken small, about 5 pounds
- 2 garlic bulbs cut in half
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick); melted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup dry white wine I used chardonnay
For the gravy
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup chicken renderings separated fat; from under chicken after it's cooked
- 2 cups broth from under chicken after it’s cooked
Instructions:
- Remove any extra parts from the inside of the chicken and discard.
- Add the onions to the slow cooker and lay chicken over them.
- Add the garlic head halves around the chicken wherever they fit.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juices over the chicken.
- Pour over the melted butter, then sprinkle over the salt, pepper, thyme and paprika.
- Pour the wine down the side of the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or 7 if your chicken is larger.
- When the cooking time is done, remove the chicken to a serving platter.
- Using a slotted spoon, strain out the onions and put them next to the chicken.
- Let the liquid from the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes; allowing the broth and renderings to separate.
- The grease will rise to the top, the broth will be at the bottom.
- Carefully spoon out all of the grease, reserving ¼ cup for the gravy.
- Measure out 2 cups of the broth from the slow cooker.
Gravy
- On the stove, heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot add the ¼ cup of grease and whisk in the flour; continue whisking the roux for 1 minute.
- Pour in the 2 cups of broth, whisking constantly until a smooth gravy forms, about 5 minutes for the gravy to thicken.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the onions and gravy.
- Enjoy!
How to Video:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Thank you for the recipe! I’m new to slow cooking. I usually cook for just me and my husband. 5 lbs chicken is too much for us. What would the cooking time be for a 3 pound chicken so it’s cooked but not falling apart?
It’s hard to say; most likely 5 hours.
So good!!!
I made glamour engagement chicken for my boyfriend years ago and he asked me to marry him. Close to the original and very easy. I love it!
Looks like a lovely dinner. What do you do with the garlic?
The chicken came out of the slow cooker fragrant & juicy. I made the gravy as per the recipie and to be honest it looked a little pallid and unappealing. Appearances can be deceptive – it was flavoursome right down to the very last forkfull! I smushed in the garlic and mixed the onions in as I made the gravy. Shall definately be cooking this again. Yum!
This whole combination was a no for me… I’m not sure why (maybe the wine?) but something was off and I just didn’t like how this came out. I threw away the whole thing… I will just stick to oven cooked engagement chicken.
Does it help to brine the chicken beforehand? I am making a 7 pound rooster and want to use your method in the slow cooker. The bird takes up most of the space, but it does fit. Thanks!
LOOKS GREAT CAN’T WAIT TO TRY IT
Made this tonight for company. It was delicious. My only issue was one of the garlic halves fell apart and I had to fish out the pieces. But, I will definitely make this again.
Hi Sarah, this looks amazing and as a mom of two toddlers super easy which is a win on busy days! Could you give a way to do the gravy with the “cornstarch and water method” that you mentioned for thanksgiving, my daughter is on a low oxalate diet and can’t have flour. Thank you!
It’s similar to this. Basically want to mix corn starch with cold water separately before adding to the chicken drippings. https://www.argostarch.com/Recipe/Easy_Gravy
Is there any way to adapt this to use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken? I’m new to the whole cooking thing and not quite ready to go for a whole chicken yet! 🙂
Hi Ashley. I would do bone in, skin on chicken breasts. Should work fine 🙂
I don’t like wine could I just use broth?
Yes, that would be fine!
Sounds so yummy!! Thanks, Marie Goodson
omg sounds and looks delicious xxx thank you Sarah xxxx