Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe

Rinse and drain the chicken . Pat dry with paper towels. Run your fingers under the skin of the breast-meat and down the top of the legs to loosen the skin.

Remove the zest from the orange with a microplane . Set the orange flesh aside. Combine the orange zest, butter, and allspice into a compound butter. Use your fingers to push this orange compound butter evenly under the breast-skin and down the legs.

Slice half of the orange flesh and half of the sweet onion , placing the slices on the bottom of the crockpot . Coarsely chop the remaining halves of the orange and onion. Stuff these pieces into the cavity of the chicken and tie legs together.

Whisk together paprika , brown sugar, salt , and pepper . Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the skin of the entire chicken. Place chicken, breast-side up, in the crockpot on top of the orange and onion slices. Cover and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings Note: The cooking time will depend upon your particular type of crockpot. Newer models heat up faster and cook at a higher temperature, so cooking time will be less. It is difficult to achieve a nice browning of the skin in a crockpot. You may wish to place the cooked chicken under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes to enhance the coloring. Let the chicken rest 15 minutes before carving to serve.

Oven Method: Proceed as above, but use a foil-lined, deep-sided roasting pan. Cook in a preheated 375 F. oven for 1 hour, until golden. A meat thermometer inserted between the thigh and breast, not touching bone, should read 165 F. Let the chicken rest 15 minutes before carving to serve.

Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe Photo © 2010 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.