This Crockpot Whole Chicken is an easy dinner you have to try! With only a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker does all the work. It’s delicious! Naturally gluten free and made with only 7 ingredients.
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You MUST try this Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe. It’s loaded with flavor, extremely simple to make, and naturally healthy!
Requiring only 10 minutes of prep time, the slow cooker does all the work in this easy crockpot whole chicken recipe!
So many people stay away from making whole chickens because they think they are a lot of work to cook but really – it’s SO simple to cook a whole chicken. Especially when made in the slow cooker!
With this whole chicken recipe, you only need 7 ingredients, a crockpot, and 10 minutes of prep time – the slow cooker will do the rest of the work.
If you want another easy slow cooker meal, try our Chicken Stew Slow Cooker or Pot Roast Recipe!
Why we love a whole chicken:
There are so many benefits of cooking a whole chicken – here are a few of them!
- Affordable – Whole chickens are ridiculously cheap. In fact, the ones I bought were almost 75% less than the price of a package of chicken breasts. You guys know me, and you know I’m always looking for ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget. Let’s be real – meat is expensive, especially when you buy free range/organic. Whole chickens are extremely affordable. If you do have chicken breasts, try Crockpot Chicken Breasts.
- Easy to cook – In addition to being extremely cheap – it’s actually super easy to cook a whole chicken. Taking out the giblets and organs may seem really icky.. but I promise it’s not as bad as it seems and many chickens come without them! If you’re really grossed out by it, grab some disposable gloves, and just get it done.
- Great leftovers – In addition to being cheap and easy to make, crockpot whole chickens are SO versatile. I get 2 meals out of this.. because after we eat the meat that’s on the chicken (and the leftover chicken), I throw all of the bones back into the slow cooker, fill it with water and make the easy crockpot bone broth EVER
- Lower sodium- Most store bought rotisserie chickens have a TON of added salt. By making your own you control the sodium level and other ingredients!
Lemon + rosemary are a pretty epic flavor combo, and when they’re cooked low and slow with a whole chicken… it’s just too good.
If you wanted to have a whole chicken for dinner regularly, you would have to bake it for at least an hour (you can use this Whole Roasted Chicken recipe if you need something quicker)
Ingredients for slow cooker whole chicken:
To make slow cooker whole chicken you’ll need:
- olive oil
- rosemary
- lemons
- garlic powder, onion powder
- salt, pepper
- chicken broth
- whole chicken
You don’t need to add rosemary or lemon, but they do add flavor!
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded substitutions box.Â
There are substitutions listed below if you want to swap out any of these ingredients!
Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker only takes about 10 minutes of prep time. You’ll need 3-4 hours to cook it on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Can the chicken be frozen before putting in the crockpot? No. You can not put a frozen chicken in the slow cooker to cook. This is a major food safety issue! Defrost your chicken 24-48 hours ahead of time in the refrigerator and once thawed, cook per directions.
We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!
How to prep a whole chicken
I’m going to show you how to make crockpot whole chicken step by step
- Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel.Â
- Stuff your chicken with your lemons/herbs. There’s really no specific way to do this.. just fill up the center of the chicken.
- Step 3 is what your chicken should look like when it’s stuffed.
How to cook a Whole Chicken in the Crockpot
- Roll 4 small aluminum foil balls and place them in the base of the slow cooker.Â
- Place the chicken on top of the foil balls (with the wings facing towards you!) pour olive oil on top of the chicken and rub it into the skin of the chicken.
- Sprinkle with salt/pepper and add remaining herbs/lemons alongside the chicken in the slow cooker base.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours cook time and allow it to cook. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°.
When it’s done cooking, the chicken should look like this. You can enjoy it right away or enjoy the leftover chicken!
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken With Crispy Skin
Does the skin get crispy? No the skin on the chicken does not get crispy in the slow cooker!
How to make slow cooker roast chicken with crispy skin:
You can place the chicken in a glass baking dish and broil it in the oven for 5-6 minutes for crispy skin. You can also break it down and place the chicken on a sheet pan and broil it. You do not need to do this, the chicken will be ready to eat as is!
Substitutions for slow cooker whole chicken recipe:
There are a few substitutions for this recipe listed below
Whole Chicken: This will work with any size chicken. You could use a smaller chicken (3 or 4 lbs) and just reduce the amount of cook time to 1-2 hours. If you have chicken thighs, try our Baked Chicken Thighs. For chicken legs, try our Baked Chicken Legs.
Oil: You can use avocado oil or melted butter if you prefer
Herbs: If you don’t like rosemary feel free to substitute with dried thyme/oregano/sage. Any spices will be delicious. If using dried rosemary – only use 1.5 tablespoons. The onion powder and garlic powder add lots of flavor for the whole chicken.
Gravy: As the whole chicken cooks it will release juices. You can use these juices to make gravy. Here’s a great recipe for healthier gravy or follow the instructions listed below!
Can I add vegetables? Yes! Feel free to add chopped carrots, onions, or celery to the bottom of the slow cooker!
Other meat: Did you know you can also make Crockpot Turkey Breast ? It’s super tender, just like this whole chicken!
Tips for cooking a whole chicken
- Don’t be afraid. People seem to be so grossed out or nervous about cooking it… it’s really not that different than regular boring chicken breasts! If you’re really grossed out by it (I mean, I get it.. sticking your hand in a chicken is weird and unpleasant), you can wear disposable gloves.
- Make sure to clean out the inside of the chicken. Many chickens will come with the insides pre-cleaned. Sometimes they leave the organs inside in a little bag or pouch. You want to toss those (this is where those gloves come in handy.)
- Always pat your chicken dry before spraying, stuffing, and seasoning it. This allows the skin to get really crispy + fully absorb the flavors.
Do you need to use aluminum foil in this recipe?
No, if you prefer not to you don’t need to use aluminum foil. The bottom of your chicken might get a little over cooked and mushy, but it will still be fine to eat!
P.S. – If you love slow cooker recipes, check out these Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes or 45 Healthy Crockpot Chicken Recipes!
How to Store Crockpot Chicken
Storing: This cooked chicken will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It’s so perfect for leftover chicken!
Freezing:Â We have not tried freezing this chicken but I think it would work! It would be best to pull all the meat off of the whole chicken and then freeze it in containers.
Reheating:Â You can reheat this chicken in a pan, the toaster oven, or in the microwave.
How to make gravy for chicken:
You can easily make gravy from the drippings of this whole chicken recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 cup broth from the bottom of the slow cooker base
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- pinch of pepper
Take 1 cup of broth from the base of the slow cooker and add it to a small sauce pot.
Bring to a boil, whisking in flour and spices. Reduce heat and simmer. It should thicken almost immediately.
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken FAQ
Yes, you’ll need to add a tiny bit of water or chicken broth in the slow cooker with chicken. This helps basically steam the chicken. If you don’t add it, it will be ok but your chicken could be dry!
Yes! It’s totally ok to put raw chicken in the slow cooker. Make sure it is fully defrosted and let it cook completely.
It takes roughly 6-8 hours cook time for raw chicken to cook in the slow cooker. Chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees when measured at the thickest part of the chicken.
No, if you want crispy browned skin you’ll need to bake the chicken in the oven to get the brown color!
No. You should not put frozen chicken of any kind in the slow cooker. It will not cook correctly and can be a food safety issue.
You should cook chicken in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours. The best way to see if the chicken is cooked is to use an internal temperature thermometer at the thickest part of the chicken. Chicken is done when it’s cooked to 165 degrees.
You don’t need to flip chicken in the slow cooker. It will cook on its own without flipping it.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
This chicken goes well with pretty much any side dish, but here are someÂ
- Crispy Sheet Pan Roasted Potatoes
- Crispy Garlic Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Healthy Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Rosemary Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Healthy Green Beans Almondine
- Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Love chicken? Check out our favorite healthy chicken breast recipes!
Crockpot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole chicken
- 3 lemons halved
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 springs fresh rosemary
- Aluminum Foil
Instructions
- Roll 4 2-inch balls with aluminum foil and place in a square at the bottom of the crockpot (This is not necessary, but allows the chicken to be propped up so it doesn’t get mushy.)
- Remove filling (giblets, organs, etc) from inside chicken and fill chicken with halved lemons + 2 whole rosemary sprigs. You can tie the chicken legs together with cooking twine.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place chicken on top of aluminum foil balls.
- Pour olive oil on chicken + rub into the skin to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder. Place excess rosemary springs around the chicken.
- Add in 1 cup of chicken stock to bottom of crockpot and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Low is recommended for most tender chicken.
- You can transfer the chicken to a glass baking dish and broil to make the skin crispy, or serve directly from the crockpot!
- Tip: Save all of the bones, skin & other scraps in the crockpot so you can make Easy Crockpot Bone Broth
Video
Notes
- Don’t be afraid. People seem to be so grossed out or nervous about cooking it… it’s really not that different than regular boring chicken breasts! If you’re really grossed out by it (I mean, I get it.. sticking your hand in a chicken is weird and unpleasant), you can wear disposable gloves.
- Make sure to clean out the inside of the chicken. Many chickens will come with the insides pre-cleaned. Sometimes they leave the organs inside in a little bag or pouch. You want to toss those (this is where those gloves come in handy.)
- Always pat your chicken dry before spraying, stuffing and seasoning it. This allows the skin to get really crispy + full absorb the flavors.
Substitutions for this recipe:
- Oil– You can use refined coconut oil or avocadol oil if you prefer
- Herbs – If you don’t like rosemary feel free to substitute with thyme/oregano. Any spices will be delicious. If using dried rosemary – only use 1.5 tablespoons
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Nutrition Facts
How to make broth from chicken scraps:
AFTER YOU FINISH THE RECIPE: Remove all of the aluminum foil, lemon halves, and rosemary sprigs (it’s ok if some of the rosemary stays in the pot).
Add all of the bones, skin & scraps into the crockpot, and follow the instructions for this Easy Crockpot Bone Broth. 2 meals, made in the crockpot, with minimal effort?! Count me in!
Cyrena says
Cooking intimidates me, but I tried this recipe, and it was a MAJOR success! My husband and 3 kids raved about it- they are my toughest critics. Thank you for making this so user friendly to follow and delicious!
Carly says
This recipe alleviated all of my fears about making a whole chicken! The end result was delicious and we have chicken for days. The only change I made is that instead of foil balls at the bottom of the crockpot, I used potatoes. Thanks for another great recipe!