Slow cooker chicken recipes are always wonderful to have on hand for those busy weeknights, especially this slow cooker roast chicken. An ideal one pot chicken dinner that’s versatile, quick and easy are cooking whole chickens in the slow cooker. What you’re not able to finish in one meal, this whole chicken recipe leaves you plenty of leftover chicken for chicken sandwiches and chicken salads for lunch the next day. It’s another one of the dishes that keeps on feeding.
{Video} How to cook a Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
An classic oven roast whole chicken will give you a delicious crispy skin, but cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot ( or slow cooker) doesn’t mean you have the compromise a crisp skin. After a few hours in the slow cooker, broil the whole chicken in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. Not only will you have the moistness from slow cooking a whole chicken, but a quick oven finish will give you a crispy skin. This technique can give you the best of both worlds. Though there are many basic slow cooker chicken recipes, this particular recipe is very versatile. You can use fresh herbs, dry herbs and your choice of vegetables. And though this recipe uses olive oil to rub on the outside of the chicken, you can use soft or melted butter. What ever you decide to use, this chicken recipe is sure to be a standard favorite.
All you need is some gravy and it’s a wonderful dinner for everyone to enjoy. Make sure to add some extra vegetables in there when you roast it so that it becomes a complete meal! Best of all, the house will be warm and delicious smelling which is super welcoming on cold winter days.
Our Favorite Cookers:
Whether you prefer a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or a multi-cooker, these kitchen counter appliances help make dinner a little easier for the busy household:
The Crockpot 6qt. Slow Cooker – The original slow cooker. On this on the lid locks down which is great for transporting to potlucks and such. Simple, inexpensive and reliable.
Instant Pot Multi-use Pressure Cooker – It has cult-like following for a reason. It’s a pressure cooker and so much more. Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, & Yogurt Maker. It’s awesome! If you want a pressure cooker that has a few more bells and whistles (like hands free steam release), this Breville Pressure Cooker is also great.
Cuisinart Multi-Cooker – If pressure cooking is a not your thing but want a bit more than just a slow cooker, this multi-cooker is perfect for you. It can Sauté, Steam, and Slow Cook. Perfect to create those one pot meals.
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and re-published in 2016 with updated video and photos.
Video: Make sure to save to bones to make a chicken stock. Delicious and makes great use of the leftover chicken bones!
More Whole Roast Chicken Recipes and Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes .
Basic Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe
Yield: 1 Whole Cooked Chicken
Total Time: 6 hours
See post for more recipe information. Use whatever vegetables you'd like for the aromatics. We used carrots, onions and fresh herbs, but you could add celery, bay leaves, turnips, etc...
Ingredients:
- 1 four-pound Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
- fresh cracked Black Pepper
- 1 medium Onion, peeled & quartered
- 2-3 medium Carrots, cut into large pieces
- several sprigs Italian Parsley
- several sprigs fresh Thyme
Directions:
- Rub olive oil over whole chicken, then season it liberally with salt and pepper.
- Place vegetables and herbs in the bottom of a 4-6qt. slow cooker. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Place the lid on, and cook the chicken for about 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. To determine if the chicken is fully cooked, check that the meat is 165°F in the meat's thickest part and the juices should run clean when you poke into the chicken.
- After the chicken is cooked, the skin will not be crispy yet. To crisp the skin, heat your oven's broiler to 550°F and place the rack on the second to lowest placement.
- Put the cooked whole chicken in a baking dish and place it under the oven's broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is crispy.
- Carve and use the chicken as desired. Save the bones to make a chicken stock.
I love this idea of making a chicken in the slow cooker! Sometimes I’ll get a rotisserie chicken to use in other recipes when I’m short on time – but this seems to be just as easy and probably a lot healthier!
I wonder if that would work with a small turkey breast I pick up a 5 pound breast today for less than five bucks..
We haven’t tried it, but it should work.