Hey there, fellow food lovers! Today I’m gonna share my absolute favorite way to cook a whole chicken that’s practically guaranteed to impress your family. If you’ve been buying those overpriced rotisserie chickens from the grocery store, I’m about to save you some serious cash with this super simple crockpot whole chicken recipe.
Let me tell you – once you try cooking a whole chicken in your slow cooker, you might never go back to roasting it in the oven again The meat literally falls off the bone, it’s juicy all the way through, and the flavor is amazing Plus, it’s ridiculously easy!
Why Cook a Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot?
Before I dive into the recipe let me share why this method is so fantastic
- Super simple prep – just 10 minutes and you’re done
- Crazy juicy meat that’s tender and flavorful
- No need to babysit it like oven-roasted chicken
- Budget-friendly – whole chickens are way cheaper than pre-cut pieces
- Perfect for meal prep – use the leftover chicken all week
- Makes incredible stock from the bones afterward
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple but incredible slow cooker chicken:
- 1 whole chicken (4-6 pounds), giblets removed
- 2 onions, sliced into thick rounds
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons salt (or less if you prefer)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you want some heat)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon white pepper (or use black pepper)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prep the Chicken
First things first – you’ll need to remove any giblets from inside the chicken. These usually come in a little paper or plastic bag tucked inside the cavity. Just pull them out and either discard or save them for making gravy or stock later.
Pat your chicken dry with paper towels. This helps the seasonings stick better to the skin.
2. Create Your Flavor Base
There are a couple different approaches here:
Option 1 Cut your onions into thick slices and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. This creates a natural “rack” for your chicken to sit on which keeps it from sitting in its own juices and gives it that rotisserie-style flavor.
Option 2: Make foil balls! Roll 3-4 pieces of aluminum foil into balls about the size of golf balls and place them in the bottom of your crockpot. This elevates the chicken so it doesn’t sit in the juices.
Pro tip: Some folks use root vegetables like carrots, celery, and potatoes under the chicken instead of onions or foil. This creates a complete one-pot meal!
3. Season the Chicken
Mix all your dry seasonings together in a small bowl. You can customize this blend however you want – the recipe I shared above is my favorite, but feel free to experiment!
Place your chicken on top of the onions or foil balls in the crockpot, breast side up.
Brush the olive oil all over the skin of the chicken using a basting brush. This helps the seasonings stick and adds moisture.
Sprinkle your seasoning blend all over the chicken, including inside the cavity. Use your hands or a brush to make sure it’s evenly distributed.
4. Cook Low and Slow
Cover your crockpot and cook on:
- LOW for 4-6 hours (preferred method for most tender results)
- HIGH for 2-3 hours (if you’re in a hurry)
Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chicken and your particular slow cooker. Some slow cookers run hotter than others, so you’ll need to adjust accordingly.
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: Always use a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh. Food safety first, people!
5. Finish and Serve
When the chicken is done, carefully remove it from the slow cooker – it might literally be falling apart, so be gentle! I recommend using tongs or two large spoons to lift it out.
Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving or pulling apart. This helps lock in all those amazing juices.
Want crispy skin? If you’re missing that crispy skin you get from oven-roasted chicken, you can place your slow-cooked chicken on a baking sheet and pop it under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
Tips for Crockpot Chicken Success
After making this recipe approximately one zillion times, I’ve learned a few tricks:
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Don’t add water – The chicken will create its own flavorful juices as it cooks.
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Use the juices – Save the liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker to baste your chicken before serving or to make gravy.
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Cut back on salt – Many reviewers of this recipe suggest using half the amount of salt for better flavor.
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Let it rest – Don’t skip the resting period after cooking! This makes a huge difference in juiciness.
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Cook breast-side up – This keeps the white meat juicy and prevents it from drying out.
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Don’t peek – Resist the urge to open the lid during cooking. Every time you do, your slow cooker loses heat and can add 20-30 minutes to cooking time.
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Plan ahead – For extra flavor, you can season the chicken and refrigerate it overnight before cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker chicken pairs perfectly with:
- Mashed potatoes (try them in the Instant Pot for a quick side!)
- Roasted vegetables
- Corn casserole
- Fresh salad
- Rice or quinoa
- Homemade gravy made from the chicken drippings
What To Do With Leftover Chicken
One of the best things about making a whole chicken is all the delicious leftovers! Here are some ideas:
- Chicken salad sandwiches
- Chicken noodle soup
- Chicken and cheese quesadillas
- Chicken burritos
- Chicken pot pie
- Buffalo chicken dip
- Add to salads for a protein boost
FAQ About Crockpot Whole Chicken
Q: Can I cook a frozen chicken in the crockpot?
A: For food safety reasons, it’s best to completely thaw your chicken before slow cooking. Cooking from frozen doesn’t allow the meat to reach safe temperatures quickly enough.
Q: How do I store leftovers?
A: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also shred the meat and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Q: Can I stuff the chicken?
A: It’s not recommended to stuff a chicken in the slow cooker as the stuffing may not reach a safe temperature.
Q: What size slow cooker do I need?
A: For a standard 4-5 pound chicken, a 6-quart slow cooker works perfectly.
Q: Can I cook vegetables with the chicken?
A: Absolutely! Place hardier vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions on the bottom of the crockpot and place the chicken on top.
The Final Verdict
I’ve been making this crockpot whole chicken recipe for years now, and it never disappoints. It’s become my go-to method for a busy weeknight dinner that feels special enough for company. The meat is always tender and juicy, and the flavors are amazing.
If you’ve never tried cooking a whole chicken in your slow cooker, I really hope you’ll give this method a try. It’s one of those life-changing kitchen hacks that makes you wonder why you ever did it any other way!
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Roast Chicken Recipe
- While this blog is called one pot only, I do use a second pan for this recipe because the homemade gravy that you can make with the drippings from the slow cooker chicken is so flavourful and delicious that its worth washing an extra skillet. Not a fan of gravy? Skip it entirely, no biggie
- You can take your pick on how you want to enjoy this chicken. After slow cooking, the chicken is beyond tender and is perfect for shredding for soups, salads, pasta, etc. But if youre a fan of crispy skin on your chicken, just like the rotisserie-style chicken you get from the store, all you need to do is to pop the chicken under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
- All you have to do is spend a couple of minutes prepping this recipe and then you can come home to a finished dinner. Winner winner, chicken dinner!
How To Make This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Remove and discard any innards of the chicken. Place the chicken in a baking dish or sheet pan to make seasoning it easier and pat dry with paper towels.
- Loosen the skin around the breasts, you can use a long spoon or chopstick to help loosen the skin without ripping it. Rub the olive oil on the chicken. Rub the softened butter under the skin of the chicken breast.
- Spread the spice rub over the chicken and under the skin on the breasts if possible.
- Place the lemon pieces, garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary in the cavity of the chicken.
- Place the onion, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker in a single-ish layer. Some overlap is fine.
- Transfer the chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker, breast side up.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken thigh is at least 165F/75C to tell when the chicken is ready.
- When done, for crispy skin, you can place the chicken on a sheet pan under the oven broiler. Keep a close eye on it to ensure it does not burn. You can also add the vegetables to the sheet pan to broil as well.
- Optional: Strain the liquid left in the slow cooker through a fine-mesh strainer. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth, around 30 seconds.
- Slowly whisk in the strained liquid while whisking constantly.
- Cook while whisking until it has thickened to your liking, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve gravy with the chicken.
- If you like your chicken sweeter, you can add brown sugar to the seasoning mix.
- If youd like some heat, you can add cayenne powder to the seasoning mix.
- You can swap the root vegetables for other ones such as sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, and more!
- Make a whole chicken in an Instant Pot.
- Make a whole chicken in an air fryer.
- Make a whole chicken in a Dutch oven.
- Since we are keeping the skins on the potatoes, make sure you are cleaning them thoroughly before putting them into the slow cooker.
- I dont recommend using frozen chicken for this whole chicken slow cooker recipe. Be sure to thaw your chicken out fully first.
- Avoid lifting the lid while the chicken cook as itll release all the built up steam and heat and affect the cooking time of your slow cooker chicken.
- Its easier to lift the chicken out of the slow cooker with two large spatula. Be careful as itll be fall off the bone tender!
- Dont throw out the bones! You can remove the meat from the bones then use the bones to make homemade chicken stock.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken thigh is at least 165F/75C to tell when the chicken is ready.
Nope! The chicken will release liquid as it cooks in the slow cooker. Adding liquid will lead to the chicken sitting in it, making it soggy.
Place cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
After slow cooking a whole chicken, I sometimes just shred the meat and freeze it for later. Then I can thaw what I need to add to salads, pasta, and soups.
