Crockpot whole chicken that anyone can make! This is the easiest way to enjoy a juicy, rotisserie like chicken by only using a crockpot.
This slow cooker whole chicken is dedicated to all of my favorite friends that claim that they can’t cook. I bet you a million dollars that this tender slow cooker whole chicken will turn out perfect for you.
This tender slow cooker whole chicken was so moist that I could not even lift it out of the crock. Can you see where I tried and the chicken totally fell apart? I’m serious, I finally lifted it out and all that was left was a pile of bones. The bones were no longer in the carcass shape either.
How Long Will Cooked Chicken Keep?
Chicken should be tightly wrapped or placed in an airtight container to store.
Properly stored, cooked chicken will keep for 3-4 days.
Tender Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
There’s nothing like cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot. It’s the easiest way to do it as there’s no tying of kitchen twine, no roasting pan, no watching the oven and the internal temperature. You just set it and forget it.
Is it Safe to Cook Chicken in a Slow Cooker?
Although it seems that cooking food at such a low temperature might be dangerous, slow cookers are, in fact safe, according to the USDA.
When you use a slow cooker, food stays at 170-280 degrees in a tightly covered container.
Are a Slow Cooker and Crockpot the Same Thing?
A crock pot is actually a type of slow cooker, so they are very similar, but not all slow cookers are also crock pots.
A crock pot is a type of slow cooker with a stoneware pot that sits inside a surrounding heating element.
A slow cooker is a usually metal pot that sits on top of a heating surface.
The chicken is delicious and you could add whatever spices or sauce suits your fancy. I reaaaaaaaally wanted a rotisserie, but this recipe is seriously just as good. Cross my heart.
How Long to Defrost a Whole Chicken
I only want to remind you of two things,
1. Defrost your whole chicken the day before. It will take at least all day in the fridge to defrost. You can buy a fresh one if you are too nervous that you wont defrost it all the way.
How to Pronounce Giblets
Just really quick can we correct one thing? It’s “JIB-LITS” not “GIB-LETS”. Sorry but we should all know how to pronounce giblets because it may not be what you would think.
What are Giblets
The giblets (now that we are all pronouncing it correctly) are the heart, neck, liver, and gizzards that are packaged and stored in the cavity of a chicken or turkey. So if you ever wondered, what are giblets, now you know, it’s the inside stuff.
Why Remove Giblets from Chicken
2. Remove the giblets. These are great for making a really fantastic gravy but you don’t need them otherwise. Don’t be scared. Just reach in there and pull it out. You don’t want those baked in there.
If you do not have fresh garlic or thyme, don’t run to the store, just use dry thyme and garlic powder. Probably 1 Teaspoon powder.
More CrockPot Recipes:
- CrockPot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken with Pineapple
- Crock Pot Cafe Rio Chicken
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beef
- Slow Cooker Corn Chowder with Bacon
- CrockPot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Beef
- Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken
- Easy Chicken Carnitas
- All our CROCKPOT and SLOW COOKER recipes here!
Tender Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Description
Ingredients
- 1 Whole 4-6 lb chicken, giblets removed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, or 1/2 tsp Dried
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Take the whole chicken and rinse it inside and out with water.
- Pat dry and set aside.
- Mix together all of the seasonings in a small dish.
- Using your fingers, gently lift the skin over the breasts by sliding your fingers up towards the neck to separate the skin and meat.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, over the skin and underneath right onto the breast meat.
- Place the chicken in a crock pot on low for 8 hours.
- Once the chicken is done, remove from the crock pot and serve with potatoes, and veggies.
- There is plenty of liquid if you wish to make a gravy.
- Just heat the liquid in a pot and mix a little cornstarch and cold water.
- Once the liquid is boiling add a little to the cornstarch so it heats it up a bit, and slowly add it to the liquid, whisking vigorously.
- Season as needed.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
G Miller
Sorry, but after a careful internet and dictionary search it has been confirmed that you are wrong. It is pronounced gib let, not gib lit. Pronounce it however you like but know that you are in the extreme minority.
Stacey
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it 4 or 5 times now and it’s the best way to make a whole chicken. I just wanted to note that there’s a small error in the ingredient list. It says “1/2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tbsp dried”. I think that should probably be reversed.
Sweet Basil
Hi Stacey! Thank you so much for letting me know about that typo! I’ll get that fixed right away. So glad you love this chicken as much as we do!
Cindy
I have my chicken in the crockpot right now. Super excited. Can I use the liquid to make bone broth?
Sweet Basil
Of course! Enjoy!
Janet
I make this every week so that we have dinner and chicken for chicken protein salad! My only problem is that the chicken breast always seems dry if the legs are cooked well. If the breast meat is moist the leg/drumstick don’t seem cooked enough to fall off the bone. I am trying breast side down for the first half of cooking time to see if that helps. 🤷🏻♀️
Sweet Basil
That’s exactly what I was going to suggest. Try breast side down for part of the cook time. We haven’t had a problem with dry breast meat but I think this should help. Thank you for your support!
Karen Threloff
Wonderful flavor and so tender! Can I save and freeze the juices for a later time?
Sweet Basil
Absolutely!!
Janelle
Made this for at least the 20th time today, and it is always a winner! The best tip is to put some of the rub beneath the skin, don’t neglect that part! I do put about half an inch of water in the slow cooker, and I use parsley instead of thyme just because it’s what I always have on hand. I do put the chicken under the broiler on a sheet pan for a quick minute (watching constantly!!) as my skin never gets crispy in the slow cooker. I always do this with a previously frozen chicken (I thaw for at least 24hrs in the fridge) and for some strange reason it always makes a different amount of liquid—so when I make gravy I sometimes have to stretch the amount by adding some chicken broth or sometimes even just plain water if the liquid is very strong. That inconsistency is likely due to purchasing the chicken from different places.
I also have switched up the rub a couple of times—I once added cumin & chilli powder, and once I used a wet rub that had some roasted red pepper & other things in it. I didn’t make gravy those times.
But I love this recipe! This recipe is the reason I always have a couple of whole chickens in the freezer! So easy, and always so juicy!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so so much Janelle! Thank you for sharing your tips and experience with the recipe. It helps our other readers so much! So glad you enjoy it!
Angela Herring
I call them all crockpots. It doesn’t matter what you call them. They all serve the same purpose.
Angela Herring
Angela Herring
Could I use a casserole crockpot and cook two smaller birds? Would it work?
Angela Herring
Sweet Basil
Hi Angela! Yes, that should work just fine!
Ami
They are all slow cookers, crockpot is a brand
Love cooking chicken this way! So tasty AND economical
Sweet Basil
Yes, you are correct. Thanks Ami!
Angela
It doesn’t matter what you call it as long as it works.
Lorin
I have always used this recipe as it never fails! I attempted to use another recipe to cook the whole chicken in my instant pot (high pressure for 27 mins with 20 min natural release) and it just did not come out the same. How would you convert this recipe to instant pot?
Sweet Basil
Hi Lorin! We have an Instant Pot BBQ Chicken on the blog (https://ohsweetbasil.com/bbq-instant-pot-whole-chicken-recipe/). Follow those instructions and it should be perfect…high pressure for 30 minutes and natural release for 5-10 minutes. Just keep the seasoning the same for this recipe and skip the bbq rub.
John McLean
You should not wash a chicken before cooking it
Maggie
THANK YOU!! From the newly intent Stay at Home Wife and four legged Mama!! I’m physically permanently disabled but I’m tired of CRAPPY Super processed Junk for us so I am trying to get simple recipes where I don’t have to be on my feet A Lot!! So thank you my wife, and for tonight our niece and her best friend will be dining with us!!
Sweet Basil
Enjoy! And let us know how it went!
Pat
Carrian, I cannot see the comments. Eve3ery time I sceroll down to them they are replaced by page after page of additional recipes after ony 1 or 2 seconds. I cannot even see this reply i am typing so please pardon the typos. My email is [email protected]
Sweet Basil
Hi Pat! I’m so sorry! I’m not sure what is happening. The comments all appear right under the “You May Also Like…” section. Is there a specific question that I can help you with?
Val Bale
In your recipe you do not mention how much water to put in the crockpot for the chicken in order to have any liquids left to make gravy.
So my question is, how much water is added to the crockpot after the chicken is placed in there?
I am planning on cooking the chicken today so it doesn’t spoil so I need an answer like quickly, please
Sweet Basil
No water is needed. Enough juice comes off the chicken to create the gravy. Enjoy!
Nadia Yafeh
Hi, I am making it for tonight. Quick question. Do you put it upward and the breast down??
Sweet Basil
Hi Nadia! Sorry I’m probably too late, but it should be breast side up. How did it turn out?
Lucy
Hi, I have a 3lb chicken and was wondering how long I should cook on low? I don’t want to overcook it and make it dry. This recipe sounds yummy! 🙂
Sweet Basil
Hi Lucy! I would start with 6 hours and then check the internal temperature. You want an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Enjoy!!
Charlotte
What liquid? Does the chicken produce it? I dont see it on the ingredients.
Sweet Basil
Hi Charlotte! Yes, the chicken produces the liquid. No extra liquid needs to be added.
Amanda
You’re not supposed to rinse chicken. It does nothing but splash bacteria everywhere.
Sweet Basil
A deep sink, Clorox wipes and keeping the water pressure low does the trick! It’s important to rinse it because most of the time they haven’t been cleaned so that gets all the little extra things off the chicken that you don’t want on it.
Sharon Richmond
I am trying your chicken and rice slow cooker recipe tonight. I’ll let you know how my family likes it!
Sweet Basil
Yes! Please let us know!
Lindsey
OMG Amazing, Made this yesterday, 3 hrs on high and 2 1/2 hours on low. deboned the chicken for chicken pastry. Used all the juices plus a can of chicken broth ( so much better taste than boiled chicken), made the pasty. Don’t tell my Grandmother, but was so much better. ( shhh )
Sweet Basil
Your secret is safe with me! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
Heather
Amazing! My kids loved it! I did 7 hours on medium and cooked 2 3lbs birds. We ate the first one and will save the other for chicken wraps this week. I’ve tried lots of these types of recipes but loved the seasoning on this one. Thanks,!
Sweet Basil
That is great news, Heather! Thank you so much!
Karen Healy
This whole Chicken was off the chart amazing. Will make again and again.
Karyn
This did not work. It was pale and slightly overlooked. I followed the recipe exactly but cut the cooking time a half hour since it was a smaller chicken
Sweet Basil
It doesn’t get crispy in the slow cooker but you can always throw it in the broiler to get the top golden and crispy.
Galina
Thaw out my home grown chicken last night and heading to the kitchen right now to cook it in the crockpot using your recipe. So excited!
Sweet Basil
Yesssssss!! We would love to hear how it turns out! I wish I was coming over for dinner! 😉
Galina Dimov
This recipe is a keeper! It turned out SO amazing I can’t be more happier. I did 3 hrs on hi and 2.5 hrs on low even though it was set for 3 hrs on low, but 2.5 hrs later it was falling apart so what’s the point to keep it going? My children usually never finish a rotisserie chicken from Costco, not the case with this one. It was gone completely!!! It’s totally awesome and you know exactly how it was prepared without preservatives and other unhealthy stuff. Today I am using this recipe on the turkey instead. Will share opinion later. ❤️❤️❤️
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the feedback Galina! So glad it was a hit with your family!
Mike
Did this meal for dinner. Large chicken, about five to six hours cooking. First three hours on high, last three on low. So much juices, that it almost covered the bird. Came out perfect and tender. Deboned itself. Family loved this meal. Mash potatoes and gravy, green beans, and rolls.
Sweet Basil
Yahoo! So glad this was a hit in your house! It is one of our favorites!
Rena Spensley
will this work with a bigger chicken, mine is 3.90kg which works out to be over 8lbs and would a bbq chicken seasoning be just as tasty as I don’t have fresh or dried thyme on hand at the moment
Sweet Basil
Yes it will work great! It may just need to cook a little longer. And bbq is great. We have a BBQ version scheduled to share in a few weeks! Enjoy!
Kathie Kauffman
How long. and. what temperature. to cook in oven?
Mike
SWEET BASIL — JANUARY 18, 2018 @ 4:14 PM REPLY
If you’re cooking it in the oven it’s generally 190-200 degrees, but make sure you cover the chicken as it cooks like you would in a slow cooker.
Time depends on size of bird, about 4 to 8 hours.
Sweet Basil
Yes…what Mike said! 🙂
Sarah King
Would it have a cook time of 4-5 hours on high in a crockpot?
Mike
I read about 5 hours on high, from a earlier post.
Paige Brazell
Hi Carrian,
I got started on this recipe a bit late. I wanted to know if cooking the chicken on high for the first 3 hours and then turned it down to low for 2 hours would work? I want it to be done but not dry either. What are your thoughts?
Thank you! 🙂
Anette worth
Made this recipe and it turned out AMAZING! However, I made a few additions— I added a pack of Souza seasoning, some garlic & herb seasoning, & some chicken seasoning. I sprinkled seasoning under the breast skin and stuffed a small lemon wedge & a pat of butter. & inside, and stuffed 2 lemons inside with a little butter. I ( cut in quarters)
Sweet Basil
That sounds amazinG!
Maria
Hi,
Do you add water to the pot to cook the chicken?
Sweet Basil
Hi, no we don’t add any water
Megan
Have you tried this in the InsantPot?
Sweet Basil
We haven’t but we definitely plan to!
Cori Nichols
Holy moly! When you said juicy, you weren’t lying! It literally fell off the bone in my crockpot. All that was left was a pile of bones in juice (and like you said, not in the form of a carcass)! So good and so easy! Thank you!
Sweet Basil
Yes, it really does fall apart! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a great review!
Riri
I went through all the comments and reread the recipe and did not see what the suggested cooking temperature should be, I just saw cook on low. What is the suggested temp to bake this on?
Sweet Basil
Hi Riri,
If you’re cooking it in the oven it’s generally 190-200 degrees, but make sure you cover the chicken as it cooks like you would in a slow cooker.
Riri
Ok great thanks.
mustofa
Wow, perfect timing! I just came into a giant box of frozen cornish game hens that need to be cooked up. I’m definitely going to use this recipe. Your pictures are fantastic!Thank you so much…
Sweet Basil
Oh lucky!! Those will be so good!
mustofa
Wow, perfect timing! I just came into a giant box of frozen cornish game hens that need to be cooked up. I’m definitely going to use this recipe. Your pictures are fantastic!Thank you so much…
Taquana
Thank you for your wonderful recipe …
Melissa Kiely
Can I add pineapple slices on the sides?
Gina
I love cooking with my crockpot too! I have not broken down and tried an instant pot yet, though.
Does the skin on the chicken actually brown in the Crock-Pot? If there is not much juice in the bottom of the Crock-Pot when it’s done cooking, it seems like the skin maybe halfway down would be soggy.
My crock pot came with a little rack that goes in the bottom. Should I use the rack if the chicken will fit in the pot with the rack in the bottom?
Sweet Basil
You could definitely use the rack. The skin does not get crispy but you can always put it under the broiler. There will be a lot of juice in the slow cooker.
Linda Thomasson
Can I add potatoes, carrots and celery in with the chicken?
Sweet Basil
Oh definitely!
Sara Derdiger
Super late to this thread, but for serving size, it just reads “1”… 1 what?
Sweet Basil
Oh dear! Fixing that now! A serving size would be 6 ounces of meat
Tiffany
Thank you so much for a great recipe! Simple enough that my toddler helped put it together and so yummy!
Sweet Basil
So happy to hear that you did it together! Thanks Tiffany
Krystal Resendiz
Can i leave the giblets in the crock pot?
Sweet Basil
Hi, we definitely think it’s best to remove the giblets.
Heather
This was good but breast meat was soooo dry. Maybe my bird was too small and should have only done 4 hours?
Sweet Basil
Hi Heather,
That definitely could have been the case. As you can see in the video the bird ends up with a lot of juices and is incredibly tender. It was probably just too small of a bird.
nikita
If you have a pot with a temp sensor, stick it in the thickest part of the breast before starting to cook. If not, cook the bird upside down so all the juices drain to the breast, and just use a cooking thermometer to check the breast and thigh every now and then. I had a smaller bird and it cooked in just under 4 hours — delicious recipe! 🙂
Christilyn
Am I use a Cornish hen ? If so how many hours on low?
Lisa
Can you do this with just chicken breast?
Sweet Basil
Hi lisa,
You definitely can, but they will only need 3-4 hours in the slow cooker. 🙂
Rebecca
I made this on Sunday and it was delicious. I never made a whole chicken in the crock pot before but this was a HUGE success. Even my 5 and 8 year old who almost never have seconds of meat had thirds. Thanks for this wonderful recipe. It’s a keeper.
Sweet Basil
Oh don’t you just love when even the kids devour something? We are so thrilled everyone liked it. Thank you!
Debbie
Can I put the potatoes and carrots on the bottom while cooking this chicken?
Sweet Basil
I would put them around the sides as quite a bit of juice will collect and you wont want to boil the veggies. Nestling them around the sides will help them to roast versus boil. 🙂
Charlottes
Yes wrap your sweet ? potatoes in Reynolds wrap or white potatoes wrapped and place the chicken on top. Awesome!
Sweet Basil
Great idea!
D
Can I cook this on high…. if so, what is the cooking time?
Sweet Basil
Hi D,
We don’t recommend cooking it on high as it wont be as tender and juicy, but if you do it’s usually about 5 hours.
Sue
Looks delish,is it OK if I season the chicken with the rub and leave it overnight before cooking
Sweet Basil
Hi Sue,
Absolutely. In fact, it flavors the chicken more. 🙂 Just make sure you leave it in the fridge.
tally tips and tricks
This looks amazing.
Suzanne
How spicy is this? I love spicy but one child can’t tolerate anything too spicy
Sweet Basil
Hi Suzanne,
I am secretly a big whimp with spicy so I can tell you this definitely is not at all. It tastes more like a well seasoned rotisserie chicken than actually tasting the spices. It’s flavorful but not any spice to it. 🙂 You could definitely add a little chiptole and make it spicy though!
christine
Going to try this today. Just put the bird in the crockpot. Can’t wait. I added lemon wedges to the bottom of the crockpot 🙂
NiNi
I will NEVER buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery ever again! This was amazing. Really amazing. I sure wish I found this recipe years ago. SO tender, juicy and tasty. With the leftover juice from the chicken you can make soup or save it for chicken stock.
Sweet Basil
Ahhhh!!! I’m so, so glad!!
Crystal
Do you have to add water?
Sweet Basil
Nope! No water needed. 🙂
Ali
I am going to give this a go today but using my simmering oven of my AGA as I don’t have a slow cooker / crock pot anymore! I’ll let you know what happens.
Sweet Basil
Oh I hope it turns out!
Amber
I just made this! My husband who is a self proclaimed “crockpot food hater” gobbled it up! I followed the instructions exactly and it was perfect!!
candy
Do you put a cover on it while it cooking?
Amber
Yup!
Sweet Basil
Yes, you just pud the lid on like normal.
linda perry
I have put my chicken in frozen and has come out fine. I lift mine out and put it under the broiler for a bit to brown. So moist.
Tori
Place a long piece of foil in your crockpot to make a sling that you can use to lift out the tender chicken and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Then place in a low broil oven to brown. Works every time for me!
Janet Olson
I want to do this but I have a round crockpot, it doesn’t look like a chicken would fit. 🙁
Sweet Basil
Oh, shoot. Hmmm, would it fit standing up? My mom used to do that.
Greg
I just put a 5 lb chicken in my round crock and it came out great.
Sweet Basil
Great to hear! Thanks Greg!
Catherine
I like the looks of this recipe! I’ve never done a whole chicken in the crock pot before — has anyone encountered issues with cooking whole birds in their crock pots? I read it’s not recommended, but everyone seems to have positive feedback here (?)
Deb
This recipe looks delicious! I’m going to thaw my turkey today!
Patty Kasiewicz
My husband has made this and it is yummy. He did not add any liquid at all but he did roll up aluminum foil about the size of 1 inch meatballs on the bottom of the slow cooker
beth
Did you pour any liquid in?
Randah
T usually means Tablespoon, t usually means teaspoon 🙂
Sweet Basil
haha, yes I know. It was posted a while ago before I realized not everyone grew up saying Ts and Tb for teaspoon and tablespoon. Seems to ridiculous to say out loud now. aghh, the shame
jeninga75
Was looking for a crockpot recipe like this and found yours. Heading to the kitchen right now to get started! Also looking foward to looking over the rest of the blog.
Linda
Another online recipe for crockpot roasted chicken says to place the finished bird under the broiler for a few minutes because the “flabby white skin” is otherwise unappetizing. Do you find this is true? The finished product in your photo looks pretty appetizing . . . . Thanks!
Sweet Basil
Linda, nope! I mean, I can totally see how that could happen to some birds depending on cooking time, temp and ingredients, but because it cooks for so long on low and the salt in the rub helps dry out the skin ours was crispy perfection. If all else fails, stick it under the broiler but we truly didn’t need to at all. Thanks for stopping by!!!
Santo Vonruden
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Cami
I can't wait to try this! Is that teaspoons or tablespoons of the spices? Trying your honey roasted chicken tomorrow!
Bailey
I tried this recipe- it was delicious! Even though I warned my boyfriend that it would be tender, he used tongs to lift the breast and the whole body separated itself from the legs. Great flavor, easy to prepare and the right amount of spiciness- can't wait to try more of your recipes!
Atlanta Foodie
This sounds great! I like roasting my chicken but this is def a good substitute to get a moist chicken! Thanks!
pink queen
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Tourism & Life Style
Carrie
I do a similar crock pot roasted chicken. My family LOVES it. I <3 my crock pot!
Jenni
This looks delicious! I bet it was super moist, too! Crock pots are so awesome.
Kalyn
Looks delicious! And what an easy idea for dinner.