The Best Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker Recipe
My friend piqued my curiosity when she told me about her co-worker bringing in a slow cooker to work with just a whole chicken and slow cooking it for an entire day. She often brought her slow cooker in with some kind of concoction so she could bring dinner over to her friend’s house who was going through chemotherapy treatment. What a great friend, I’m sure her friend appreciated it. My friend told me their office often smelled really good during these days.
So when I was on the hunt for a chicken slow cooker recipe, I googled and found this one. It’s incredibly simple and the chicken goes into the crockpot in minutes. I added my own twist to it and guess what? The chicken is wonderfully moist and it’s very simple. After the chicken is done, you can throw it in your broiler to crisp up the skin. Carving the chicken is so easy because it just wants to fall apart. The breast comes right off the bone and is very easy to cut up. The chicken is really tender and flavorful and much easier than roasting a chicken in the oven.
I use a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound chicken and it fits just fine in my slow cooker. I added the carrots and vegetables and the chicken rests nicely on them. Also, I added garlic and lemon. My favorite roast chicken recipe calls for garlic and lemon inside the chicken so I do the same when I make it in the slow cooker.
This makes a wonderfully easy meal you can serve with mashed potatoes or rice and your favorite vegetable alongside the carrots and celery if you wish. And wait until you see what I make I make chicken pot pies with the leftover chicken.
Add the rub to the outside and inside of the chicken.
I put the vegetables in the slow cooker first before laying the chicken on top.
I use turkey lifters to remove the chicken from the slow cooker carefully. Place chicken in an oven safe dish or roasting pan & in the broiler for just about 4-5 minutes.
Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 min
It's incredibly simple and the chicken goes into the crockpot in minutes.
Ingredients:
Rub Ingredients
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 lbs roasting or fryer chicken
1 cup chopped onion, approx 1 medium to large onion
4-5 carrots, scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
4 celery stalks, cut in thirds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 lemon quartered
Directions:
Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Remove chicken from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or reserve for later use in another recipe. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub garlic all over outside of the chicken. Put garlic inside the chicken. Rub the rub all over the outside and inside the chicken. Add quartered lemon to the inside of the chicken.
Place onions, carrots and celery inside the slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover slow cooker and cook chicken on low for 4-8 hours. (When I used a 4 lb chicken, it took about 6 hours. The time will depend on the size of the chicken and your slow cooker.) Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F or use a pop-up thermometer as the original recipe calls for.
Remove chicken and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes. Allow chicken to rest after removing it from the broiler for 5-10 minutes.
Modified and adapted from food.com.
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I have made this recipe so many times now that I can’t even count. It seriously is the best recipe for making a whole chicken in a crockpot! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to blog about it. Be sure to check out next week what I do with the leftovers!
Disclosure: There are a couple of affiliate links in this post – that means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I make enough for a cup of coffee or two. Thanks!
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Hi, my name is Julie and I love to share the cooking and baking adventures from my little kitchen. Cooking and baking is in my blood, thanks to my Mom! 
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Mmm that looks so good! I’ve never done a whole chicken in the crock – usually just soups and stuff like that. definitely going to have to get around to trying a chicken sometime.
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JulieD replied: February 3rd, 2011 @ 9:51 pm
This is my first recipe trying a whole chicken in the crockpot and it’s definitely a keeper. Let me know if you do try it!
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Totally going to try this!! I don’t think I have any whole chickens left, though. I want to make this for dinner on Sunday.
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JulieD replied: February 3rd, 2011 @ 10:41 am
I love crockpot Sundays. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
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That looks yummy! Thanks for sharing
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That has me drooling! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love cooking in a slow cooker.
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what a great idea! I’ve done something similar, but with lots of water so it makes chicken broth as it cooks. It doesn’t turn out nearly as pretty though. This looks beautiful – I want to try it
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JulieD replied: February 3rd, 2011 @ 9:00 pm
Thank you, Megan! Even with adding no water, there is a lot of a kind of broth that ends up at the bottom of the crockpot, I’m sure you should strain it out and use it as a broth. I never thought of that, thanks!
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I’m making this tomorrow! It sounds so good. And how easy is this? Going to fridge right now to take chicken out of freezer.
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JulieD replied: February 3rd, 2011 @ 9:01 pm
Ooh, I’m excited! Let me know how it turns out! Next week, I’m posting what I do with the leftovers.
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Sounds delicious! I love using my slow cooker!
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Oh man that chicken looks scrumptious. I’m hungry now!
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Looks yummy… Can’t wait to try this!
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Mine’s in the crockpot right now. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
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JulieD replied: February 13th, 2011 @ 10:02 am
Paula, let me know how it turns out! I wish I had one in the crockpot right now too!
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Paula@ Frosted Fingers replied: February 13th, 2011 @ 6:29 pm
We haven’t sat down to eat yet, but just trying to pull it out of the crockpot the entire chicken broke in half. I had all the breast in one piece and the dark meat stayed in the crockpot.
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JulieD replied: February 14th, 2011 @ 10:23 am
Hey, Paula.
I hope it still turned out okay. Like I said in the post, I use turkey lifters to remove the chicken. I haven’t had it break in half on me (yet).
Do you add any liquid? That is so awesome. I have to try this!
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JulieD replied: February 13th, 2011 @ 10:49 am
Hi Carolyn,
I don’t add any liquid but there is a lot of liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the slow cooker. Someone made a great suggestion, it would make a great chicken broth for something later, I might try it…strain it and save it. I do add a little of the liquid over my chicken when serving too.
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Carolyn G replied: February 13th, 2011 @ 10:53 am
Julie,
thanks for the info. I am so going to try this next week. I have been wondering how to do it. Now I know. Thanks for the recipe!
C
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Paula@ Frosted Fingers replied: February 13th, 2011 @ 6:28 pm
Yes, there was a lot of liquid on the bottom. I was thinking about straining it, too! I got some cheesecloth in able to do that.
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I am most in need of this cookbook because I don’t have a favorite crockpot dish and am always in search for a good crockpot recipe.
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I have a whole chicken sitting in my freezer… going to get it out tonight so I can make this over the weekend! What a great idea and so easy
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JulieD replied: February 18th, 2011 @ 6:26 pm
Hi Kristen,
It’s so good and so easy. Like I told you on twitter, I’m making this recipe again tomorrow too! I made chicken pot pies with the leftovers. I hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by my blog!
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I can’t wait to make this… looks amazing!
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This sounds great and I will have to give it a try!
Margaret Goodwin
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I have this recipe on my to do list!
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I love cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot — in fact, it’s what we’re having tonight. I may try this version instead — what do you do with the leftover liquid/stock? do you freeze it?
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JulieD replied: March 18th, 2011 @ 2:50 pm
Hey Rachel!
I usually don’t do much with it but the last time, I did strain it and saved the broth for stock. It’s in the freezer right now. But remember, you don’t add any liquid to the slow cooker, the stock is created by the chicken. It’s pretty neat. I would love to hear about if you try it!
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Rachel -- Following In My Shoes replied: March 21st, 2011 @ 7:55 pm
I use my crock-pot/slow cooker ALL the time so I’m down with the “not adding any liquid”. . . I meant the leftover liquid from the cooking process.
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Rachel -- Following In My Shoes replied: March 21st, 2011 @ 7:56 pm
And, I’m making it tonight!
This looks fantastic! YUM!!!
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I made this today for the first time. It was just going to be me, and I’d use the leftovers for your chicken pot pie. I timed things so the slow cooker part would be done when I got home from church, then I’d put it under the broiler. A friend snagged me after church and I ended up inviting her over. I was really hoping this would be good (as I was now having company). This is not good – IT IS FANTASTIC! I will never do a whole chicken any other way! I don’t know what makes this so moist – the lemon, the process of slow cooking? But no matter – I’m completely sold on this method on roasting a chicken from here on out! Thanks for sharing Julie!
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I just fixed this for dinner tonight and it was great! Thank you for a great recipe.
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I loved everything about this (although I had a leg and wing casualty in the moving process). The flavors were awesome and it was SO easy. I only wish my pictures would have been as beautiful (guess that means I will have to make it again). Thanks for the easy inspiration
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JulieD replied: September 30th, 2011 @ 10:58 am
Hi Rachel,
So sorry about the casualty! I use turkey lifters and usually minimize that but it does happen. I’m making this recipe again this week! So glad you liked it and thank you so much for stopping by to let me know!
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What about the ‘neck and pouch with organs’ ? Any good recipes for them? I am trying your recipe out as I write this. Just bot my slow cooker today.
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JulieD replied: October 2nd, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
Hi Marie,
I hope you like it! I have heard people use the neck along with the whole chicken or a chicken carcass to make chicken stock and/or soup. You can use the liver to make chicken pate? Have fun with your slow cooker! I love mine!
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Just made this for my man yestedday and it was a HIT !!! So easy and tasty and economical…I had all the spices in my cabinet already ! The house smelled delish and clean-up was a snap ! Will definitely reccommend this to all !!
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I’ve been using my slow cooker a lot lately, would love to try “roasting” a chicken in it – great idea broiling it afterwards to get that roasted look.
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This is perfect for fall!
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I can’t believe how beautifully that chicken came out of the crockpot. I am definitely going to try this.
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Am I missing something?
Ok, just finished the 49ers football game and now this dad must cook a chicken in the slow cooker because I heard it was easy. lol. Which up to now it is, I followed the directions and it’s all in there – actually took 15 min. believe it or not. However, I didn’t see that the recipe called for water? just making sure, I’m sure it wasn’t left out intentionally because it’s one of those things where it’s so obvious? Thanks! anyone?
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JulieD replied: November 6th, 2011 @ 6:35 pm
Hi Noe,
Nope, no water needed. As along you keep the slow cooker closed the entire time, a nice little broth will accumulate at the bottom of the slow cooker. You can make a little sauce to put on top of the chicken or save and use as a stock for soup later on. I love making this recipe because it takes no time at all to put into the slow cooker! Hope it turn out well for you!
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Sooooooooo good! I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical as to how it would turn out in the crock pot, but it was FANTASTIC! Super-easy and you cannot beat that heavenly aroma coming from the kitchen as it cooks. (Can you tell I love chicken?) The brief stint under the broiler was a great idea. This is definately one of my new favourites. Thank you!
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I just came home from work after putting a whole chicken in the crock pot this morning for 8 hours cook time, 2 hours on warm…and it is fantastic! Falling off the bone…so many things you can do for flavor…I used poultry seasoning, garlic salt, onion salt and rosemary for the rub and one onion and 4 cloves of garlic in the crock pot, set under the chicken, and some inside the chicken as well as some of the rub…soooo good! easiest dinner yet! Now I will make a stock from the juices left in the crockpot…
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the best whole chicken recipe I’ve ever tasted! holy shit i love the lemon
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JulieD replied: December 5th, 2011 @ 7:57 am
Hi John! So awesome! Thanks for letting me know! Happy holidays to you!
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I have made this recipe three times already and it is a SMASH hit everytime. The rub is simply to die for…once you have all the spices on hand this dish costs approximately $8.00 and tastes like a million ! I try to use a 4 1/2 pound chicken and I only use a half a lemon inside with a ton of smashed garlic. Easily can be “fancied” up with various side dishes. Truly my “go-to” dinner !
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Fantastic idea, Julie. I’ll see if my slow cooker is big enough for the chicken.
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I have made this recipe a few times now and it has always turned out fantastic! I now use the slow cooker for chicken every time. Thank you for the recipe!
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