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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
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken, 4-6 lb, 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.1 Whole Chicken
- Pat dry and set aside.
- Mix together all of the seasonings in a small dish.1/2 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper, 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, 1 Clove Garlic, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, 2 teaspoon Paprika, 2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 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.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Oh don’t you just love when even the kids devour something? We are so thrilled everyone liked it. Thank you!
Can I put the potatoes and carrots on the bottom while cooking this chicken?
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. 🙂
Yes wrap your sweet ? potatoes in Reynolds wrap or white potatoes wrapped and place the chicken on top. Awesome!
Great idea!
Can I cook this on high…. if so, what is the cooking time?
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.
Looks delish,is it OK if I season the chicken with the rub and leave it overnight before cooking
Hi Sue,
Absolutely. In fact, it flavors the chicken more. 🙂 Just make sure you leave it in the fridge.
This looks amazing.
How spicy is this? I love spicy but one child can’t tolerate anything too spicy
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!
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 🙂
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.
Ahhhh!!! I’m so, so glad!!
Do you have to add water?
Nope! No water needed. 🙂
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.
Oh I hope it turns out!