Crockpot Whole Chicken Recipe

5 from 3 votes

This all-in-one slow cooker meal features a seasoned whole chicken steamed over a bed of aromatic vegetables. It’s the ultimate set it and forget it dinner that delivers fall-apart tender meat and golden, crispy skin with minimal effort.

Prep Time5

Cook Time6

Total Time6 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

6-Qt Crockpot
9x13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) whole chicken thawed if frozen; giblets removed
1 sweet onion roughly chopped*
1 bell pepper any color, roughly chopped
1 rib celery roughly chopped
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning **

Instructions

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.
Take some kitchen foil and create a ring on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery to the bottom of the pot.
1 sweet onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 rib celery
Create two strips of foil (by folding over and over) and let them hang over the sides.
Mix together the seasonings.
½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Pat dry the chicken, then rub the seasoning all over the bird.
1 (4-pound) whole chicken
Place the chicken inside the slow cooker, on top of the foil strips (and the ring). The foil strips are there to use as handles to lift the bird out once cooked – they do tend to be fall apart tender.
Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours, or LOW for 6-8 hours. This timing will vary depending on the size of the bird and your slow cooker.
When the chicken is ready, and a thermometer used inside the thigh joint should read 165°F, remove the chicken and put into an oven safe dish.
Broil for 5 minutes until you get a nice crispy, browned look.
Serve hot with your choice of sides.

Video

Notes

*Feel free to switch up the veggies. Carrot, shallot, potatoes, parsnips, squash, and garlic are all great.

**This amount depends on the size of the bird and your seasoning preference. If you like it milder don’t use as much.

Tips:

I like to use 3.5 to 4.5-pound whole chickens in my slow cooker. These sizes seem to fit just perfectly with the veggies.
A crockpot rack works well in place of the foil ring and sling.
The vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker are there to add flavor and steam the chicken so it stays moist.
Toss some of the veggies inside the chicken cavity. This perfumes the meat from the inside out.
Instead of tossing the onion, bell pepper, and celery from the bottom of the pot, blend them into a quick gravy or sauce. It’s a flavor-packed base you don’t get from just broth and cornstarch, and it saves food waste.
Just like roasting, letting your slow-cooked chicken rest (10-15 minutes loosely covered with foil) before carving allows the juices to redistribute. It prevents the meat from drying out the second you slice in.
Save the bones! Once you carve the meat, throw the carcass back into the crockpot with the leftover juices, fill it with water, and cook on low overnight. You’ll have the best homemade bone broth by morning with zero extra effort.
Leftover slow cooker whole chicken is so yummy in a number of recipes. I think it tastes great in crockpot chicken noodle soup or my favorite crack chicken tacos.

Storage: Store crockpot whole chicken (carved) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition