This slow cooker whole chicken is a rotisserie style seasoned chicken made with the help of the crock pot. It’s a super easy dinner option and the leftover chicken can be used in countless other dishes!
I love rotisserie chicken, but it can be pricey and is often filled with sodium and sometimes even preservatives and other questionable ingredients. This slow cooker roasted chicken has just a few minutes of prep time, you can set it in the morning and come home to have dinner waiting for you! You simply can’t go wrong with slow cooker comfort food classics like slow cooker brisket, slow cooker beef bourguignon and a whole chicken. This is an all time favorite recipe in my house, along with my famous baked chicken wings.
For the longest time, every time I went to Costco I’d pick up one of their rotisserie chickens for a cheap and easy meal. Then one day I read the ingredient list, and there are some additives in those chickens that I’d rather not feed my family. This slow cooker whole chicken is SO easy to make, and you can have a fresh cooked rotisserie style chicken any time you want with more natural ingredients!
Can you cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker?
Yes you can! The first step is to choose your chicken, I like to use organic whenever possible. You want to make sure that your chicken will fit inside your crock pot, I use my larger oval crock pot for this task which is big enough to accommodate almost any sized chicken. If you’re using a smaller round slow cooker, opt for a smaller bird.
The chicken gets coated in a simple spice blend, then placed in the slow cooker atop a ring of foil. The foil acts as a rack to keep the chicken from steaming in its own juices as it cooks.
Is it safe to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker?
It is safe to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker, but it’s typically recommended that you cook the chicken on high heat for at least one hour for food safety purposes. This recipe calls for cooking the chicken on high heat for the entire cook time.
How long will it take to cook a chicken in a slow cooker?
It typically takes 3-4 hours to cook a chicken on high heat in the slow cooker, and 8 hours to cook on low heat. As mentioned above, if you plan to cook your chicken on the lower heat setting, be sure to let it cook at high for one hour before you switch to low to make sure the chicken is at the correct temperature for food safety purposes.
At the end of your cook time, you’ll have a juicy and flavorful bird!
At this point, your slow cooker chicken is just missing one thing: that golden brown skin normally associated with rotisserie chicken. I transfer my chicken to a baking pan and broil it for about 5 minutes to get that beautiful golden brown skin that everybody loves.
When I cook a 5 pound chicken for my family, we typically end up with plenty of leftovers which I use to create dinner for the next night.
Once you try this slow cooker whole chicken, you’ll never want to go back to store bought rotisserie chicken again!
Ideas for your leftover chicken
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken Ranch Tacos
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip
- Chicken Taquitos
Slow cooker whole chicken video
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole chicken neck and giblets removed
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika.
- Coat a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Roll a piece heavy duty aluminum foil into a ring shape to fit into the slow cooker as a rack.
- Place the chicken on top of the foil ring. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers at 165 degrees or higher.
- Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan or baking dish and broil in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until chicken skin is brown and crispy. Serve.
Notes
- Nutritional facts assume calorie and fat counts for skin. If you're looking to cut calories, remove the skin before eating.
Can it be for a frozen chicken?
I do not recommend using a frozen chicken as it may not come up to a safe temperature quick enough in a slow cooker.
Very good and easy. Instead of putting chicken under broiler I rubbed Kitchen Bouguet browning sauce before the brown sugar rub.
I have three for broil Hi-500; M-450; L-400. Which do you suggest?
I use high!
The store substituted 2 – 3 lb chickens? Do I cook it for the same amount of time? Thanks!
Are you cooking them together in the same pot? If so I’d keep the time the same since there will be less air circulation.
What if you’re only cooking one ? Should we cook it for the same time – 3-4 hours? I think my chicken is just over 2 lbs.
A 2 pound chicken is a lot smaller than what the recipe calls for, I’d cook for 2-3 hours!
Do you need to add any water or broth? Or do you just stick it in dry?
No liquid needed!
So I have been on the hunt for ways to make whole chicken. This was the fourth one I made in 3 weeks. I loved the method and appreciate all the different ways this can be changed up. The chicken was moist and delicious. I can’t believe in all my years of adulting I stayed away from cooking whole chickens. And the bonus, I can now make broth with the carcass.
What is broil and when in the process do you do it
Thankyou
You broil in the oven at the end to crisp up the skin!
So easy! I never knew you could make a whole chicken in a crockpot! Very moist and fell off the bone. YUM!
Can I use regular paprika if I don’t have smoked?
Yes that will be fine!
so rad i can make this at home!! it smelled like a rotisserie in my apartment all day lol. i was missing some of the spices, will do it right next time, but the cook was perfect. thank you so much!!!
Could I add honey garlic bbq sauce to this?! Like add it to the seasoning mixture?!
I would add it towards the end so it doesn’t burn!
Any idea on cooking time for a 10lb chicken?
I’d add at least one more hour but it could take longer!
This tasted just like rotisserie chicken. I omitted the sugar, used half the salt and put an onion inside the chicken. The foil underneath worked great. Checked the chicken temp and it was right on. Thanks for sharing!
Can I use a wire rack instead of foil?
Yes that’s fine!
This is the best roast chicken recipe! It’s a great fall weather Sunday dinner!! Makes the house smell good and the chicken falls off the bone! I love it for it’s simplicity and outcome!!
Hi Sara!
I fixed this chicken recipe tonite for dinner (I used a bed of potatoes instead of the foil roll & also added chili powder, cumin & extra ground pepper). I mashed the potatoes & made homemade gravy from juices & droppings & finished it off with a fresh butter leaf lettuce salad with chopped fresh tomatoes & home-made balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I made green iced tea garnished with fresh mint to drink. (it s hot in AZ)
I have to say ,it was delicious, & my partner ,who is a huge food snob, actually gave it a 10.
From now on this will be my goto roasted chicken recipe, it was better than any store bought rotisserie chicken I’ve ever had.
I am so glad I clicked your link on GOOGLE!
Thank You!
Sincerest Regards,
Timothy from Phoenix AZ
I am actually making Thisbe on a bed of halved onions and sliced potatoes…Leftovers of vegetables will be for tomorrow’s breakfast home fries …Fry them up with some paprika add a little cheese…So good…That is, if there are leftovers….Lol…Just looking up…Checking to see how others may have put a twist on theirs…Apparently, great minds think alike!!!😜
Can you put on low for 6-8 hours?
I don’t recommend cooking it on low for food safety concerns, it takes longer for the chicken to reach the proper temperature.
What is the calorie count with skin removed?? Thanks!
I wouldn’t be able to exactly calculate that with the nutrition program I use. You’d get the best results by making the dish, removing the skin, weighing your portion and then calculating based on that, the spices add negligible calories.
Can you add vegetables in the crock pot
Yes that’s fine!
The chicken fell right off the bone, it was wonderful!