Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe

Julia Pacheco

4 weeks ago

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Have a perfectly delicious and juicy chicken dinner recipe made with simple pantry ingredients with this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe.

If you are looking for easy slow cooker recipes, this crockpot whole chicken recipe is a super simple dinner recipe to make and is bursting with flavor. A great recipe to make for those busy days.

I love that you can combine a few ingredients for a dry rub, add it to the chicken, and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work for this easy meal.

This is surely the best way to make a whole rotisserie style chicken like you can get at the grocery store, but now you can have it any time you want it.

Perfect for an easy Sunday dinner needing only a few minutes of prep time with the whole family and a few easy side dishes.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe:

Protein: you will need to have a whole raw whole chicken with the giblets and neck removed from the cavity of the chicken
Sugar: a little bit of brown sugar will add a nice depth of flavor and help carmelize the chicken to get crispy skin
Seasoning: combine together simple seasonings such as paprika, kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning

How to make Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe:

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.

Spray the bottom of a large slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Roll a sheet of aluminum foil into a ring shape and place it at the bottom of the slow cooker (this acts as a rack to help the chicken cook evenly).

Place the whole chicken on top of the foil ring.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high heat for 5 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

How to store leftover slow cooker roast chicken:

Fridge: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, break it into smaller pieces, or shred the chicken from the bones completely, and place any leftover chicken into an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Tips and tricks for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:

Chicken to use:

When making this recipe it is designed for a whole raw chicken. Be sure to thaw a frozen chicken ahead of time so that the chicken will cook through all the way, or more sure to add more cooking time to what is listed in the recipe.

Use an instant read thermometer or meat thermometer to check for doneness. The thickest part of the chicken should read at least 165 degrees F.

What if I have a smaller chicken?

You will want to lower the cooking time to be sure not to dry out the chicken by overcooking it. So depending on how big your chicken is, adjust the time accordingly. 2-3 lb chickens may take only 4-5 hours to cook. Just be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken before eating.

Is it better to cook the chicken in high or low temperatures?

Overall it is best to cook the chicken at a lower temperature to give the seasonings more time to absorb into the meat of the chicken and will still leave you with a juicy chicken. But, either way will work!

Side dishes to serve with this easy recipe: