Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

I looooove making whole chicken and I really enjoy making it in the slow cooker. My home fills with the delicious smell of herbs and for dinner we have a perfectly tender chicken to cut into. Yeap, whole chicken in the slow cooker is easy and so worth the wait.

A crockpot just makes everything sooooo easy. Add your ingredients to the crockpot and it does all of the work and only makes one dish. It’s a great tool to have in your kitchen. When your crockpot whole chicken is finished cooking to temperature you can make a homemade chicken gravy with the drippings. The mini chefs love using the whisk to make the gravy.

The good thing about this recipe is it’s highly versatile. Season it how you’d like, remove the skin for a leaner meal, skip the browning step if you’re short on time – yeap, there are lots of ways to make this recipe your version of ‘perfection.’

Why You’ll Love It

• Frugal – Made with budget-friendly ingredients, little chicken goes a long way with this recipe.
• Feeds a Crowd – just the thing for potlucks, game day gatherings, parties, and family feasts.
• Meal prep friendly – you can use it for meal prep and eat it all week long.
• Dump and Start – Simply toss into the crockpot, start it, and walk away. Dinner will be ready when you are!

Tool Needed

Ready to make Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker? I’ll show you how….

How to Make Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

1. In a small bowl mix together the paprika, garlic, coriander, herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper and the olive oil into a paste.
2. Put the chicken in a bowl and rub the paste all over including in the cavity.
3. Place the chicken inside the slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5 – 4 hrs.
4. Remove the chicken from the Crockpot and set on a plate.
5. Scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot from frying with a silicon or wooden spoon.
6. Let the chicken rest for 10 mins before serving.
7. For crispy skin, brown your chicken under broiler grill for about 5 – 10 mins.

Chef’s Tip:It is important to make sure you check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. Guidelines state that the meat is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 74C / 165 F. Continue cooking if the internal temperature is less than 74C / 165F.

How to Make Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

If you’re short on time you can pull out your Instant Pot and have your whole chicken cooked to perfection in 45 mins. Check out my post ‘The Easiest Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe + Tutorial.’

Make It In The Oven

If you want to make this in the oven, check out my Nutmeg Orange Chicken recipe.

Make It on the Grill

For grilled whole chicken, check out my Grilled Pomegranate Harissa Chicken recipe post.

Recipe Tips

• Cook at a high temperature to ensure your chicken is cooked all the way through. You want your meat to reach an internal temperature of 74C (165F) in an instant read thermometer.
• If you want a crispy skin then crisp the chicken under your broiler once cooked for 5-10 minutes.
• If you want to make homemade gravy, check out the ‘How to Make Homemade Chicken Gravy’ section below with step by step instructions.

Storage

Refrigerate

Keep completely cooled chicken in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing

I did some research on how to go about freezing a whole slow cooked chicken. Some people do it all the time. Others don’t recommend it, as they say the process of freezing cooked bones can make the meat bitter and gritty.

If you do decide to freeze your Slow Cooker Whole Chicken in its entirety, it is very important to completely thaw it in the fridge (minimum of 4 hrs) before reheating and serving.

You can also freeze this by removing the meat from the bones and then freezing. Whatever method you choose, follow these steps below to make freezing and thawing super easy.

• Let the meat cool down completely.
• Carefully wrap the whole chicken in a layer plastic wrap and then cover completely with aluminum foil. Or, remove the meat from the bones and then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
• Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Thaw

• Remove the meat from the freezer the night before it is needed and let it fully thaw in the fridge.
• If meat has been removed from the bones, transfer the thawed chicken into a bowl and reheat in a microwave.
• Or, transfer the thawed whole chicken onto a baking sheet and reheat in the oven.

This recipe is so versatile and you can add any flavour profile to your crockpot whole chicken. For this recipe I have used paprika, minced garlic, ground coriander, Herbes de Provence, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper. Slow cooker whole chicken will work well with any flavours, like Mexican spices for chicken tacos or Indian spices for kabobs.

FAQs

Elevate Your Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker For The Best Results

The key to making Slow Cooker Whole Chicken turn out more like a traditional roasted chicken is to elevate it off the bottom of the cooker. This will provide continuous air flow to mimic a rotisserie-style cooking process, and will help your whole chicken stay in one piece.

There are a few different ways you can create a base to cook your meat on. Try using the trivet that came with your Instant Pot (if you have one) or another small wire rack. You can also make a stand out of 3-4 crumpled balls of aluminum foil, or simply cut large, 1-inch high chunks of onion or potato to use as a way to raise the chicken up so that it stays out of the liquid.

How Can I Get The Chicken Skin Crispy?

I loooooove crispy chicken skin as much as anybody but there’s an extra step. Once your meat is finished cooking, simply place it in your broiler for 5-10 minutes for crispy skin before serving.

Should I start With Frozen Chicken?

For food safety concerns, avoid cooking your meat from frozen. Start with fully thawed meat.

How To Make Homemade Chicken Gravy

Trust me, you’re going to want to make a delicious homemade gravy once your crockpot whole chicken is cooked through. It’s so easy to make homemade chicken gravy with your drippings and worth the little bit of effort with whisking.

1. Remove chicken from slow cooker and turn onto high. If required, add broth to create about 2 cups of liquid.
2. In a small bowl, combine 4 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp water to create a slurry.
3. Whisk about 2/3 of the cornstarch into the drippings/broth and let cook on high. Depending on the amount of liquid you may need to add more of the cornstarch slurry to reach desired consistency. Let cook at least 5 mins before serving.
4. Taste and season with salt & pepper.

Why Make Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Making Crockpot Whole Chicken is a great way to make a tender chicken in 4 hours. This method won’t heat up your home like the oven can and the spices you use to season your chicken will develop rich flavours with slow cooking. It’s perfectly safe to make as long as your meat reaches 74C(165F) which you can check using a meat thermometer.

Also, this is great to make for a party and you’re going to be low on oven space. Everyone is always fighting for their 40 minutes in the oven to get their dips and sides ready to be eaten and you’ll be able to just show up, plug in and go mingle with your friends.

Seasoning Ideas

• Italian Seasoning.
• Poultry Seasoning.
• Tuscan Seasoning.
• Creole Seasoning.
• Fajita Seasoning.
• Blackened Seasoning.

What Are The Benefits of Slow Cooking

I love every meal that has come out of my slow cooker. Using a crockpot isn’t beneficial to every cooking situation but it’s an incredibly useful kitchen tool to own. Here’s why:

• Tougher meats like chuck and less lean meats are tenderized during the longer cooking process.
• More oven space. If you can create a dish in your crockpot, you’ll free up much needed oven space during holiday parties. A slow cooker also travels well! No need to fight over oven space at your potluck if you use a slow cooker.
• Development of flavour. You’ll develop more flavours in your ingredients during the longer cooking time. Perfect for soups, stews and casseroles.
• Slow cookers use less energy and won’t heat up your home like an oven will. My slow cooker gets a lot of use in the summer when I just don’t want to turn the oven on.
• Less dishes. You know I have no desire to scrub a bunch of pots and pans. Most crockpot meals are set it and forget it till supper time.

Serving Suggestions

• Instant Pot Fluffy Mashed Potatoes.
• Instant Pot Quinoa.
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

• Slow Cooker Pasta
• Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas.
• Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Stew.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in each serving of this.

Recipe Video

Thank you for reading my Crock Pot Whole Chicken recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog

Originally publish Sept 2018.

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