Dry-Rubbed BBQ Chicken

It seems like we've gotten a whole chicken for the past few months in our CSA packages. And while I love Simple Roasted Chicken as much as the next person, it was time to do something new. It's also been too cold to do much grilling, and it seems like I've been either busy or sick too, which cuts down on my cooking time. So what better way to save time than by using my trusty crock pot?

This chicken uses both a dry rub and barbecue sauce. The rub is really easy to make and uses spices you probably already have in your kitchen. And it makes enough for several chickens--and would taste great on pork, fish, or beef too!

To make this easy, here's what's in the rub: chili powder, paprika, garlic, brown sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, onion powder, pepper, and salt. (I used both kosher and smoked salt, but all kosher is fine.)

I mixed everything together in a bowl, used what I needed on my chicken, and then put the rest in a plastic baggie for future use. Be sure to label your bag though--this looks awfully similar to The Perfect Taco Seasoning.

I got my crock pot out and sprinkled half a roughly chopped onion and a few garlic cloves along the bottom.

Now get out your chicken. Be sure to wash it thoroughly, and dry it really well.

Sprinkle your dry rub all over your chicken (be sure not to touch the spoon to the chicken!) Dig in with your hands and make sure there's spice everywhere. It'll be a little messy.

Once every inch of your chicken is rubbed, place it in the crock pot. This was about a 5 pound chicken, and it fit pretty much perfectly. Even if your chicken seems a little large for your crock pot, you should be fine--it will shrink up and get a little more flexible as it cooks.

Pour your favorite BBQ sauce over the top. This is mild BBQ from ToKen BBQ. They don't sell their sauces in bottles (which is a shame!), but the owner, Tony, was kind enough to give us some sauce to take home when we asked.

Now set your crock pot to low. It will take around 6 hours to finish cooking. No worries if you'll be at work during that time--it's a crock pot, after all.

When your chicken pulls apart easily with a fork, it's ready to eat!















Pour more sauce over the chicken and serve! It will pull right off the bone. Yum! I used the leftover meat in Chicken and Wild Rice Soup the next day. The sauce added a subtle sweetness and a little smokey flavor. Or try it in a summery pasta salad or just go simple and serve as pulled chicken sandwiches.






Recipe: Dry-Rubbed BBQ Chicken

4 tbsp. chili powder
4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. onion
1 tsp. black pepper

1 chicken, 4-5 lbs.

1/2 an onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves

your favorite BBQ sauce


Combine all spices; stir well.

Rinse and pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with spice rub and make sure the whole chicken is well covered.

Sprinkle onion and garlic on the bottom of your crock pot. Place chicken on top of onions and garlic. Cover chicken with BBQ sauce. Let cook on low for at least 6 hours.