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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.
What liquid? Does the chicken produce it? I dont see it on the ingredients.
Hi Charlotte! Yes, the chicken produces the liquid. No extra liquid needs to be added.
You’re not supposed to rinse chicken. It does nothing but splash bacteria everywhere.
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.
I am trying your chicken and rice slow cooker recipe tonight. I’ll let you know how my family likes it!
Yes! Please let us know!
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 )
Your secret is safe with me! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!
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,!
That is great news, Heather! Thank you so much!
This whole Chicken was off the chart amazing. Will make again and again.
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
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.
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!
Yesssssss!! We would love to hear how it turns out! I wish I was coming over for dinner! 😉
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. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for the feedback Galina! So glad it was a hit with your family!
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.
Yahoo! So glad this was a hit in your house! It is one of our favorites!
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
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!