This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe takes just a few minutes of prep and results in tender, juicy chicken.
You’ll also make flavorful veggies, potatoes and a silky gravy to go on top! Everything cooks in the crockpot with very little work on your part.
It’s a complete meal in one pot!
I’m a total convert to making this easy crockpot recipe for Sunday supper. I can just toss everything in the slow cooker, let it do it’s magic and then at the end of the day, have glorious, rotisserie style chicken with veggies, potatoes and gravy too.
It’s the perfect meal for my family. The chicken is juicy, flavorful and so extremely tender!
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe
Gone are the days of picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store. Did you know you can make a whole chicken in the slow cooker? It’s the perfect way to make it without any fuss!
You can even get that golden brown, crispy skin with a simple little trick at the end!
Which Slow Cooker To Use?
For this recipe I’m using my oval shaped 7 quart Slow Cooker.
You’ll want a slow cooker that’s large enough to fit your chicken and have the lid fit nice a snug. I find the oval shape to be best for this recipe as it fits the bird nicely.
Ingredients Needed For Crockpot Chicken
I’ve taken the seasoning blend from my Roasted Chicken Thighs and turned it into a seasoning paste to coat every inch of this whole chicken.
Here’s what you’ll need…
- 3lb. Whole Chicken (must be thawed and NOT frozen) – these are actually quite cheap. I picked up a whole bird for just $3!
- 3 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1.5 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Potato and Veggie Nest
We’re going to use cut up veggies, potatoes and herbs to make a nest for our chicken to rest on in the slow cooker. This keeps it up off the bottom and from boiling in it’s own juices.
Here’s what you’ll need for the bottom of the slow cooker –
- 6 ribs of celery
- 6 large carrots
- 1 large onion
- 24oz. baby potatoes – you can use any sort of baby potato
- Fresh Rosemary & Thyme
How To Make Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker
DO NOT RINSE RAW CHICKEN!!
Rinsing your chicken can spread dangerous bacteria around your kitchen, so it’s best to not rinse it in your sink.
Rather, remove any giblets from the inside of the chicken and use plenty of paper towels to pat the skin dry as well as inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Drying the skin of the chicken will help to adhere the seasonings and also create a crispier skin later on.
Combine the seasonings in a small dish and add in the olive oil to create a seasoning paste. Then gently rub this mixture all over the bird, including the inside cavity.
Place the seasoned bird on top of the “nest” of veggies and then cover tightly with the lid.
How Long To Slow Cook Whole Chicken?
When cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot, you can either use the LOW setting or the HIGH setting.
- LOW – 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F. in the breast
- HIGH – 4 to 5 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees F. in the breast
By cooking the chicken in the slow cooker, it slowly reaches the safe eating temperature, which creates a juicy, tender chicken!
You’ll have to be extra careful when removing it from the crockpot as it’ll want to start falling apart.
How To Get Crispy Skin on Chicken
If you really want to take this dish to the next level, all you need to do is carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker once it’s done cooking and place it on a lined baking sheet.
Brush a little olive oil on the top and pop it under the broiler (about 10 inches away from the heating element), until the skin gets nice and golden brown.
How To Make Gravy From Drippings?
One of my favorite things about making dishes like my Instant Pot Pot Roast, Roasted Turkey or this slow cooker chicken is turning the drippings into a nice, silky gravy.
All you need are two extra things… butter and flour!
- STRAIN the liquid from the bottom of the crockpot into a fat separator.
- MELT 2 tbsp of butter in a small pan until melted then whisk in 2 tbsp of all purpose flour.
- WHISK gradually add in about 1 1/4 cup of the drippings, whisking until smooth.
- SEASON with salt and pepper to taste.
PRO TIP – Add more drippings for a thinner consistency gravy.
What To Serve with Whole Chicken
We usually serve the veggies and potatoes that are cooked with the chicken alongside it. Here are some more of our favorite side dishes to serve with this whole chicken.
- The BEST Fluffy Mashed Potatoes – perfect covered in the gravy!
- Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Classic Stuffing Recipe
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Looking For More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes?
I love utilizing my slow cooker to make amazing chicken recipes. Here are a few more must-try recipes.
Not only can you serve this whole chicken recipe for a nice Sunday dinner (or any day of the week), but the chicken is also great for meal prep!
Use the slow cooker chicken shredded up in my creamy Chicken Salad, tossed in this Chicken Pot Pie Biscuit Skillet or stuffed in these Green Chicken Enchiladas. The options are endless!
I know you’re going to enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb. whole chicken, thawed
- 3 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 ribs celery, chopped
- 6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 24 oz baby potatoes, halved
- fresh herbs, such as rosemary & thyme
For Gravy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with plenty of paper towels, remove any giblets from inside the cavity of bird and pat dry inside with paper towels.
- Combine the Italian seasoning, salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl and stir in the olive oil to create a seasoning paste. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken skin, including the inside of the cavity. Set aside.
- Place all the vegetables and potatoes inside the bottom of the slow cooker, creating a nest to rest the bird on. Place the fresh herbs on top of the veggies. Place the whole bird, breast-side up, on top of the veggies and cover tightly with lid.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the breast.
(OPTIONAL - CRISPY SKIN)
- For a crispy chicken skin, carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and place about 10 inches under the top broiler of your oven. Cook until skin is golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
TO MAKE GRAVY
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the veggies, potatoes and herbs from the slow cooker and set aside on a platter. Strain the liquid left in the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer and into a fat separator.
- Heat a small pot with 2 tbsp of butter until melted, over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp of flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in 1 ¼ cup of de-fatted chicken drippings until gravy is nice and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE
Easy Sautéed Zucchini Recipe
JOE KUHN
WRONG,., ALWAYS, ALWAYS RINSE chicken off !!! 80 yrs, no one has ever gotten sick by spreading germs if you wash chicken off, Im a chef, had my own place a few yrs. back . Been cooking for 53 yrs. Now some so called celeb CHEF says DONT wash chicken so all of a sudden people think its a good idea, Pure BUNK, i worked in a meat packing place for yrs. Is a stinken ,dirty place, Chicken that some so- called said NOT to wash, bloody parts lay on the floor, get tramped on, kicked around, flies on meat, than thrown on the tables to be wrapped NOT EVEN CLEANED OFF., Please, WASH chicken, If your afraid of any contamination, just wash off counter, or sink with little bleach,, no big deal. Ever notice how a lot of really good ORIGINAL recipes have changed since these CHEFS started cooking on t.v ? Dont be swayed by everything you see, I KNOW my comment wont be used because i might be causing some waves that people dont want to read, but i think you should know the real TRUTH about rinsing chicken off. THANK YOU…..
Rose
Should all veggies be about the same size? Whenever I make a roast in the oven I have trouble getting root veggies like carrots and parsnips tender. Should more dense vegetables be cut smaller?
Melanie
I quarter an onion and put those at the bottom to set the chicken on. I also put butter on the chicken and then add the rub so it sticks and gives it great flavor. I added small potatoes and carrots in with it too. It’s absolutely delicious!
Jacquie
Made this today for dinner following the recipe. I cooked it on high for four and a half hours. It was absolutely delicious. The chicken was tasty and succulent. I thickened the juices with some cornflour and water at the end making a delicious sauce. Will definitely be making regularly.
Sydney
Made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Everyone loved it and my leftovers will turn into a beautifully seasoned chicken noodle soup! Thank you so much for the recipe! 10/10! Would definitely recommend!
Tamara
Hey Quick question, could I use apples in this recipe? Or rather, do you know how the taste would turn out?
Debbie H
I’m feeding at least 12 ppl so I obviously need more chicken and veggies. I’d like to try this in my roaster oven. Do you foresee any problems with that? I can’t think of one.
Debbie H
Love your recipes Shawn. I have many of your recipes already pinned.
I have 5 kids, all with significant others and 5 grands. LOL, I obviously need at least 3 maybe 4 chickens and a lot more veggies. I think they would all love this meal for one of our get togethers. I have a big roaster oven (I usually only use at Thanksgiving). I want to try this recipe in there. I don’t think there should be any problems but do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for you help and all your yummy recipes. Keep up the good work!
Suzanne
Made this delicious chicken last night! Oh my yumminess!! Hubby loved it too. Will definitely be making again!! Thank you Shawn from Suzanne in Australia.
Sue Arbez
Easy and delicious, including the gravy. I stuffed a quartered onion inside the bird for extra flavour. Will definitely make again.
Carol Simpson
Made this for tonight’s dinner. It was soooo delicious and easy! I didn’t have fresh herbs so I added 1 tsp ground thyme to the spice rub. Chicken was juicy, tender, and flavorful. Vegetables good, but we would have liked them more tender. (Cooked on high for 4 hours.) Best gravy I ever made! Looking forward to making it again soon!
Shawn
Sounds like some great substitutions! Glad you enjoyed it!
Linda B
Can use Turkey Sausage instead of chicken and use all the same ingredients in it except olive oil since l am allergic to olives
Linda B
Can use Turkey Sausage instead of chicken and use all the same ingredients in it
Amy
Is it correct that I don’t need to add any water or chicken stock, or did I miss that step? It seems like most crockpot recipes require at least a little bit of liquid. So I just wanted to make sure because I’m bringing us to a friend’s house for dinner.
Shawn
No need to add any extra liquid to the recipe. You would need the extra liquid for an instant pot, but not a slow cooker. 🙂
Cheryl
I used a 7lb chicken so I have chicken and veggies and plenty of juice left… how can I make a soup with everything still in crockpot????
Donna T
I made this recipe almost exactly as written. It turn out fabulous. The chicken (including the breast) was moist and juicy. I found that for just my husband and I that 12oz of potatoes was plenty. I did check the chicken temp after cooking it on LOW for 4 hours. It was at temp. So, I did remove it and carved the chicken and set aside. Made the gravy. The gravy turned out great. Will differently make again.
Vinnie
Easy recipe even I can do lol. Use put the lid on and set the timer on low for 6 hours. I will check it after 6 hours and if needed cook for another 2 hours. The spice rub is amazing. I also added a few dashes of soy sauce.
S.T.
Made this once before and it was soon good! Amazing flavour and super easy recipe doesn’t take long to put together..my boys love it!
Greg Rusnak
If you don’t want the veg &potato’s you just crumble so aluminum foil for both sides placechicken on top. Dripping for gravy will still be at bottom.
Liza Temple
Can you prep this the night before
nina watt43@yahoo.com
How would I convert cooking time to use an Insta-Pot? I really want to try this recipe.
Shawn
I haven’t tried making this in the instant pot yet, but I do have an Instant Pot Turkey Breast that might help give you some ideas here: Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipe