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Home » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Published: March 27, 2018 Last Modified: August 5, 2019 By Sara 405 Comments

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken | Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken | Crock Pot Roasted Chicken | Crock Pot Whole Chicken

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!

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken | Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken | Crock Pot Roasted Chicken | Crock Pot Whole Chicken #chicken #slowcooker #crockpot #glutenfree #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Slow cooker whole chicken with broiled crispy skin, garnished with lemon and herbs.

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.

A whole chicken in a slow cooker ready to be cooked.

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!

A cooked whole chicken in a slow cooker.

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.

A platter of carved slow cooker whole chicken.

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 with broiled crispy skin, garnished with lemon and herbs.
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4.98 from 108 votes

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

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!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 347kcal
Author Sara Welch

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

  1. Nutritional facts assume calorie and fat counts for skin. If you're looking to cut calories, remove the skin before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 369mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 830IU | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Slow Cooker

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    Comments

    1. Kaye7 says

      August 28, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      Can I cook a regular hen in a crop pot

      Reply
      • Sara says

        August 28, 2021 at 6:59 pm

        What do you mean by regular hen?

        Reply
    2. Yardbird says

      August 8, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      I have a approx 4 pounds whole chicken. Would it be okay to cook it for 1 hour on high heat and then 6 hours on low?
      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        August 9, 2021 at 6:42 pm

        I believe that should work!

        Reply
    3. Shannon says

      July 27, 2021 at 1:59 pm

      I have an 8lb roasting chicken. If I cook it on high for a couple of hours before I leave for work and then on low while I’m at work for 8 hours it should be cooked I would think? I’ll temp it of course.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 28, 2021 at 10:24 am

        Yes that should work!

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      July 26, 2021 at 11:27 am

      Butter in cavity??

      Reply
      • Sara says

        July 28, 2021 at 10:25 am

        I do not use butter in this recipe!

        Reply
    5. Jane says

      July 23, 2021 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      We love this! Super easy, flavorful & moist.

      Used foil first few times but then purchased a silicone insert with handles for easy removal. Bought ours at BedBathandBeyond but have seen elsewhere.

      Have even gone out for an afternoon of golf & confidently had friends over for yummy dinner after! Also love leftovers for chicken salad plus use carcass to make broth for future meals.

      Reply
    6. Kevin says

      July 17, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      Juicy, tender, delicious! Someone in a previous comment I mentioned using small potatoes under the chicken instead of foil. The potatoes were also delicious. So glad I found this recipe. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    7. Caly says

      June 22, 2021 at 7:07 pm

      Would it require same amount of cooking time for a smaller chicken?
      or what time would you recommend for a chicken approx half that size (2.8lb)?
      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 22, 2021 at 7:45 pm

        You can cook it for an hour less time!

        Reply
    8. Gail says

      June 21, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      Got to try this !!!

      Reply
    9. Veronica says

      June 7, 2021 at 11:20 am

      I am excited to try this, but I was curious. I’m leery of using Aluminum foil as a rack. Could I possibly use lemon halves or something else to prop the chicken up?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 7, 2021 at 7:57 pm

        Yes that’s fine to do!

        Reply
      • Vicki says

        June 14, 2021 at 1:36 pm

        5 stars
        I used whole red potatoes instead of foil and it worked out great!!

        Reply
    10. Carla says

      May 25, 2021 at 5:05 am

      I am super excited to try this. My kiddo is IN LOVE with your BBQ rub that we use on your baked chicken wings recipe. Would that same BBQ spice rub work well on this chicken in the crock pot – or should we just leave that to wings that are baked?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        May 26, 2021 at 10:23 am

        Yes you can use the same rub for this recipe!

        Reply
    11. Trish says

      May 22, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      You should mention to people – don’t throw away the juices!! Use as chicken stock or turn into a gravy.

      Reply
    12. Hannah says

      May 20, 2021 at 9:22 am

      Can I make this in a Dutch oven?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        May 20, 2021 at 8:12 pm

        That should be ok, bake at 325 degrees F!

        Reply
    13. Toni says

      April 26, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight – so easy and was delicious!

      Reply
    14. Lindy says

      April 21, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      Could I cook this on low instead of high?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        April 21, 2021 at 8:29 pm

        You would need to cook it on high for at least one hour otherwise it could be a food safety issue where the chicken doesn’t come up to the proper temperature in the right amount of time.

        Reply
      • Diane says

        April 28, 2021 at 9:58 am

        You can cook a whole chicken on low for 6 to 8 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

        Reply
    15. Margarett Maglio says

      April 9, 2021 at 12:26 am

      Ditto. I hear you sista! I cannot keep track of what I have ordered and what I actually want. I have no money to buy anything but books and that’s annoying everyone.

      Reply
    16. trisha carlson says

      March 28, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      you dont put any liquid in the crock pot?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 28, 2021 at 9:22 pm

        No you do not!

        Reply
      • Cheryl L Hargett says

        April 13, 2021 at 7:44 pm

        No Trisha, you do not! The fat from the chicken will melt, and become the liquid, but it won’t be greasy.

        Reply
    17. Joyce Maggitti says

      March 7, 2021 at 10:58 am

      Just purchased a larger slow cooker, anxious to try this recipe

      Reply
      • Shelley sanders says

        April 26, 2021 at 4:49 am

        Trying for the first time today. Can’t wait

        Reply
    18. Carol Day Scollan says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:25 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe and I also add the veggies to make a robust dinner full of comfort and savory flavors!

      Reply
    19. James says

      February 12, 2021 at 7:52 pm

      Pour about 1/2 can of beer in the bottom of the pot to steam the chicken

      Reply
    20. Jen says

      February 1, 2021 at 11:04 am

      5 stars
      My new go to recipe! I toss in vegetables and potatoes half way cooking time and full dinner in the crock pot!

      Reply
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