Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

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You won't believe how easy it is to make a whole chicken in a crock pot. This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken recipe comes together in only a few simple steps and is always flavourful and juicy. Prep this rotisserie-style seasoned chicken and vegetables in the morning in the slow cooker for an easy, hands-free dinner!

I'm truly obsessed with this slow cooker whole chicken and vegetables recipe. It's tender, flavourful, juicy, and only requires a few minutes of hands-on work and then the slow cooker does the rest! Chicken is a household staple and this crockpot whole chicken is one of the best ways to enjoy it.

Overhead view of a large plate with a slow cooker whole chicken with chopped root vegetables around the chicken.

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Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Roast Chicken Recipe
Ingredients You'll For Cooking a Whole Chicken in a Crock-Pot
How To Make This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe
Recipes Variations
Tips and Notes
Recipe
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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 it's 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 you're 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!

Overhead view of a piece of chicken leg on a plate with some vegetables around it.

Ingredients You'll For Cooking a Whole Chicken in a Crock-Pot

Ingredients needed to make slow cooker whole chicken.

onion — feel free to use any type of onions you have on hand.
carrots and potatoes — these root veggies are sturdy enough that they'll hold up in the slow cooker. I love using Yukon gold potatoes but you can use russet potatoes too.
seasoning — I season the chicken with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
chicken — make sure the chicken you buy fits into your slow cooker! 4 pounds usually fits perfectly in a 5QT slow cooker so if you have a larger or smaller slow cooker, adjust the size of your chicken accordingly.
butter — I recommend using unsalted butter.
oil — use your favourite. I usually just go with olive oil.
lemon — this adds a nice bright flavour to the chicken.
garlic — the more garlic, the better 😉
rosemary — fresh rosemary just adds a little something something to the whole slow cooker chicken.
flour — to make the gravy with.

How To Make This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe

Set of two photos showing seasoning in a bowl and chicken on a sheet pan.

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.

Set of two photos showing chicken brushed with oil and coated in seasoning.

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.

Set of two photo showing chicken cavity stuffed with aromatics and vegetables added to a slow cooker.

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.

Set of two photos showing a whole chicken in crock pot before and after being cooked.

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.

Set of two photos showing the slow cooker chicken and vegetables added to a sheet pan to broil and flour added to butter in a pan.

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.

Set of two photos showing gravy made in a pan.

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.

Gravy poured over a chicken egg with vegetables around it.

Recipes Variations

If you like your chicken sweeter, you can add brown sugar to the seasoning mix.
If you'd 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.

Tips and Notes

Since we are keeping the skins on the potatoes, make sure you are cleaning them thoroughly before putting them into the slow cooker.
I don't 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 it'll release all the built up steam and heat and affect the cooking time of your slow cooker chicken.
It's easier to lift the chicken out of the slow cooker with two large spatula. Be careful as it'll be fall off the bone tender!
Don't 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.

A slow cooker whole chicken surrounded by root vegetables on a large serving plate.

Do I have to add liquid?

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.

How do I store leftovers?

Place cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Can I freeze the chicken?

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.

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