Crockpot Whole Chicken

This Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe makes the virtually flavorful, juicy rotisserie style chicken. A whole chicken and vegetables melt together in the slow cooker for an like shooting fish in a barrel yet impressive dinner!

With instructions for how to chocolate-brown tedious cooker chicken and make gravy from the drippings, plus a pace by footstep recipe video.

crockpot whole chicken and vegetables on a serving platter

Craven is a dinnertime staple, and when it comes to chicken recipes, this crockpot whole chicken is ane of the best.

Cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot is easy and the results are truly delicious. This recipe requires simple ingredients to make a seasoned roast chicken, vegetables and gravy.

Add together in some biscuits, yeast rolls, or garlic knots for a meal worthy of company or a Lord's day dinner at dwelling house with the family.

pouring gravy onto chicken on a plate with vegetables

Why You'll Love this Tiresome Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe

  • The chicken ever turns out moist, juicy and flavorful.
  • You lot tin cook vegetables in the slow cooker along with the chicken, or you can leave them out if you adopt to cook just the chicken.
  • It'south quick and easy to prep, and yous can use whatsoever leftover chicken in many meals (ideas below – cracking for meal prep!)

carved chicken on a serving platter

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

Here is a quick overview of the ingredients needed and the steps to make the all-time crockpot whole chicken. Y'all'll find the total recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe carte below.

Ingredients

ingredients for slow cooker whole chicken recipe

  • Onion, Carrots & Potatoes: These go in the bottom of the wearisome cooker, to keep the chicken out of the juices and then information technology won't get soggy every bit it cooks. You tin can likewise use other vegetables such as celery, parsnips or turnips. If yous prefer to not use vegetables you lot can put a few foil assurance under the chicken to keep information technology out of the juices. If y'all want to serve your chicken with mashed potatoes, yous can go out the potatoes out of the boring cooker.
  • Whole Chicken: Yous want to buy a whole craven that is not as well big, and so it easily fits in your irksome cooker. I used a four pound chicken, which fit perfectly in my 5 quart slow cooker. The chicken should exist fresh or thawed, not frozen.
  • Seasonings: This recipe uses a unproblematic seasoning blend similar to what I use in my Instant Pot Whole Chicken recipe. It'south succulent, and the paprika in the seasoning gives the chicken a beautiful browned appearance.
  • Olive Oil: To rub on the chicken to assist the seasonings stick.
  • Lemon & Fresh Rosemary or Thyme Sprigs: You'll put these in the cavity to season the craven as it cooks.
  • Butter & Flour: If you lot choose to make a gravy with the cooking juices, y'all'll need butter and flour.

How to Make Crockpot Whole Chicken

  • Put something under the chicken in the slow cooker to keep information technology out of the juices as it cooks. In this recipe I use onion, potatoes and carrots, which make a perfect side dish for the repast.
  • Pat the chicken dry and rub it with olive oil and then the seasonings. For the most flavor, rub some seasoning under the skin on the breasts.
  • Put half a lemon and fresh herb sprigs in the cavity. If desired, you lot can tie the legs together with kitchen twine. This is for presentation merely and will not affect how the craven cooks.

whole chicken in slow cooker before cooking

Practise I Demand to Add Water?

No, you don't need to add together water or other liquid considering the chicken volition release some juices as it cooks. You don't desire the chicken sitting in water as that volition make it soggy.

How Long to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Ho-hum Cooker

I recommend cooking the chicken on your slow cooker'due south high setting and then that the craven will reach a food rubber temperature faster. The exact cook time will depend on the size of your bird and your particular slow cooker, only should be about 4-five hours on high.

Avert lifting the lid while the chicken cooks to keep the rut in the crockpot. It is ok to bank check the craven for doneness near the end of the minimum cook fourth dimension. Use an instant read thermometer to check if the craven is washed. It should register at least 165° F at the thickest part of the leg, not touching the bone.

whole chicken in slow cooker after cooking

How to Brownish the Chicken

You can serve the chicken and vegetables directly out of the slow cooker, only I prefer to brown them nether the broiler in the oven. This helps to crisp and brown the skin and caramelize the veggies.

To chocolate-brown the craven, put information technology on a rimmed baking sail. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken, leaving the juices in the tiresome cooker. Broil for 4-five minutes. Allow the chicken remainder for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing and serving.

whole chicken on sheet pan with vegetables

How to Make Gravy with the Juices

Making craven gravy with the juices from the slow cooker is and so simple! On the stove, melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and and then the chicken juices from the irksome cooker. Cook until thickened and and then season with salt and pepper. The gravy is so good served with the chicken and vegetables!

whisking butter and flour in pot and then second photo of whisking gravy

Can I Cook a Frozen Chicken in the Slow Cooker?

No, you should not cook a frozen craven in the slow cooker for food safety reasons. If your chicken is frozen, permit it thaw in the refrigerator for a few days before cooking it in the slow cooker. If you don't have time to let it thaw in the refrigerator, you can cook a whole frozen craven in the Instant Pot.

chicken and vegetables served on a white plate

Leftover Chicken Recipes

Y'all can store whatever leftover crock pot chicken in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. It makes delicious sandwiches, or effort 1 of these easy recipes:

  • Craven Salad
  • Craven Taquitos
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • BBQ Chicken Pizza
  • Chicken Florentine Pasta Bake
  • Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

Crockpot Whole Chicken

Course Chief Grade

Cuisine American

Keyword crockpot whole craven, rotisserie chicken, whole chicken in crock pot

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 20 mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 335 kcal

Preclude your screen from going night

This Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe makes the most flavorful, juicy rotisserie style craven. A whole chicken and vegetables cook together in the slow cooker for an like shooting fish in a barrel still impressive dinner. With instructions for how to dark-brown the chicken and make gravy from the drippings. This meal is a family favorite!

  • 1 medium yellow onion (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
  • four medium carrots (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
  • 2 medium Yukon aureate or red potatoes (chopped into 1-inch pieces)
  • two teaspoons paprika
  • ii teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion pulverisation
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • i teaspoon dried thyme
  • ane teaspoon common salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 pound whole chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ lemon (cutting in half)
  • 4-half-dozen sprigs fresh rosemary or fresh thyme

For Gravy (Optional):

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, for gravy)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional, for gravy)
  • Place the onion, carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the tiresome cooker. Conform them in a single layer as much as possible.

  • In a modest bowl, stir together the spice rub ingredients: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, table salt and pepper.

  • Identify the chicken in a baking dish to catch any excess juices. If in that location is a bag of innards in the cavity of the chicken, remove it and discard. Bleed out any liquid that may be in the cavity.

  • Pat the craven dry out with paper towels. Loosen the skin around the breasts. Rub the olive oil and and then the spice rub over the craven, rubbing some of the seasoning under the skin on the breasts if possible.

  • Identify the lemon pieces and fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs in the cavity of the chicken. Optional: tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

  • Identify the chicken on tiptop of the vegetables in the ho-hum cooker, breast side upwards. Cover and cook on high for four-5 hours, until the craven registers at to the lowest degree 165° F in the thickest part of the leg, not touching the os. Avoid opening the slow cooker lid during the cook time, as this can crusade too much heat to escape the slow cooker.

  • Yous can serve the chicken and vegetables every bit is, or apply the following steps to dark-brown the chicken and vegetables and make a gravy.

Optional: Chocolate-brown the Chicken and Vegetables nether the Broiler

  • Preheat broiler with a rack in the center of the oven.

  • Transfer the chicken (breast side upwards) to a rimmed baking sail (be certain to use a metal baking canvas or other broiler-safe pan). Use a slotted spoon to place the vegetables around the craven, leaving whatever juices backside in the dull cooker.

  • Broil for 4-v minutes, until the peel of the craven browns and the vegetables begin to brown around the edges.

  • Cover the pan loosely with foil and let the chicken rest for virtually 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Optional: Make gravy with the juices from the slow cooker.

  • In a medium bucket over medium heat, cook 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for xxx seconds.

  • Slowly pour in the juices from the slow cooker, while whisking constantly. Melt, whisking oft, until thickened, about v minutes. Season to taste with table salt and pepper. Serve gravy over craven.

  • Cooked chicken volition last in your fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Nutrition information includes gravy and assumes chicken peel will exist consumed, which it may not be.

Serving: 1 /viii recipe | Calories: 335 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 k | Protein: 22 thou | Fat: 21 g | Saturated Fatty: 7 one thousand | Trans Fatty: 1 g | Cholesterol: 89 mg | Sodium: 387 mg | Potassium: 510 mg | Cobweb: 2 thou | Saccharide: two g | Vitamin A: 4318 IU | Vitamin C: 13 mg | Calcium: 39 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Diet information is an estimate.

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