Whole chicken in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 2.5 tsp sweet paprika
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• Chicken carcass weighing 2-2.5 kg, gutted, trim off excess fat

Barbecue sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• Special equipment: 6 liter slow cooker.

Preparation:

1. Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray and line the bottom with 3-4 canning jar lid rings (without the flat metal plates). In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, pepper, salt, coriander, and cumin.
2. Dry the chicken thoroughly and turn it upside down. Make a 2.5 cm slit between the thigh and the backbone on both sides. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, coating it completely on all sides, and place it in the slow cooker on tin rings. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 7 hours.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Microwave for 4 minutes, stirring once, until the sugar and spices dissolve and the sauce thickens. Cool completely.
4. When the chicken is done, remove the lid from the slow cooker, generously brush the chicken with barbecue sauce, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker by inserting tongs into the cavity and sliding a spatula underneath to transfer it to a platter. Serve the chicken with barbecue sauce in a separate bowl.