Cooler days and nights, combined with busy schedules means the slow cooker is coming out of the pantry to take care of dinner.  While I usually think of this cooker as the best way to a hearty meal ready when I get home, I wanted to make a low fat dish.  Over the years of using a slow cooker, and watching cooking shows, I have learned (and confirmed with experience) that the most flavorful meats need a bit of extra care.  Certainly throwing everything into the cooker and turning it on is one way to go, but a few extra minutes on both ends will give you a meal to savor as slowly as it cooked.

This time I started with chicken thighs.  I think the thighs stand up to long slow cooking well, although you could use the breast.  The key is to leave the skin and bones intact (we’ll remove them later), so their flavor is added to the cooking.  The boneless, skinless chicken breasts tend to become tough and dry, plus the bone in skin on pieces are usually less expensive.  A bone in piece of chicken just has more flavor.  I gathered onion and spices, chicken broth, bourbon and mushrooms.

Set a frying pan on the stove to heat with a bit of olive oil.

Season the skin side of your chicken.

Place in the pan skin side down and season the other side. Sear on high heat.

Turn the chicken over and sear the other side.

While the chicken sears, cut a large slice of onion and break into rings.  How much is purely a taste issue, a bit more or less doesn’t matter.

Spray the slow cooker crock with no-stick spray, then place half of the onions inside, top with the chicken pieces.

Slice the mushrooms.

This is the underside of the seared chicken, look at the lovely color on the meat.

Measure about 1/2 cup of broth, about half of the can, give or take a smidge.  Put the rest in the refrigerator, we will use it later.

Top the chicken with all the mushrooms.

Add the remaining onions, and pour the chicken broth over, along with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bourbon to taste.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.  I use a four quart slow cooker, but you can use a larger size if that is what you have.

Doesn’t this look good? It will get even better with just a few more steps.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a plate. Remove the skin, gristle and bones, and discard. This is a fat separator, and it works wonderfully. Just pour the hot liquid left in the pot into it. The sieve at the top will catch any large bits left, the liquid goes to the bottom. The fat floats on top, and the broth will pour from the bottom, effectively and quickly de-fatting the broth.

Pour the broth into a saucepan, and heat on high to boiling.

Mix two tablespoons of flour with the remaining chicken broth until it is smooth.

Add to the boiling broth in a thin stream stirring continuously, until a thickened gravy forms, about one minute.

Replace the chicken and vegetables back in the cooker, and pour the gravy over.

Warm the chicken in the gravy for 5-10 minutes, until nicely hot.  It can hold in the slow cooker for an hour at this stage if needed.  Serve over rice, if desired, or noodles would work too, or even mashed potatoes. For a low carb meal, just serve it plain with roasted vegetables, or maybe spaghetti squash. Sorry this pic is a bit blurry, but it looks even more scrumptious with the seared side up.

Eat it up!!  The bourbon lends the chicken an aged, smokey flavor.  The alcohol burns off leaving this wonderful flavor behind infused into the meat.  Use the 1/4 cup amount for a light flavor, go up to the 1/2 cup for a stronger flavor.  Yum!!

Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken and Mushrooms

3-4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on (or breasts, or a mixture of light/dark pieces)
Garlic salt and lemon pepper, enough to lightly sprinkle all the pieces of chicken both sides.
1 tablespoon olive oil (or just enough to lightly film a saute pan)
one large thick slice of onion
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 can low sodium, low fat chicken broth, divided
1/4-1/2 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons flour

Set a frying pan on the stove to heat with a bit of olive oil. Season the skin side of your chicken. Place in the pan skin side down and season the other side. Sear on high heat until nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and sear the other side. While the chicken sears, cut a large slice of onion and break into rings. Spray the slow cooker crock with no-stick spray, then place half of the onions inside, top with the chicken pieces. Measure about 1/2 cup of broth, about half of the can, give or take a smidge. Top the chicken with all the mushrooms and the remaining onion. Pour the 1/2 cup of chicken broth over, reserve the rest for later. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bourbon to taste.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a plate. Remove the skin, gristle and bones, and discard. Using a fat separator, pour the hot liquid left in the pot into it, de-fatting the broth. Pour the broth into a saucepan, and heat on high to boiling. Mix two tablespoons of flour with the remaining chicken broth until it is smooth. Add to the boiling broth in a thin stream stirring continuously, until a thickened gravy forms.

Replace the chicken and vegetables back in the cooker, and pour the gravy over. Warm the chicken in the gravy for 5-10 minutes, until nicely hot. It can hold in the slow cooker for an hour at this stage if needed. Serve over rice, if desired, or noodles would work too, or even mashed potatoes. For a low carb meal, just serve it plain with roasted vegetables, or maybe spaghetti squash.

Enjoy!! Do you use your slow cooker a lot?