Whole Chicken Cooked in Slow Cooker Crockpot

Whole Chicken Cooked in Slow Cooker Crockpot

One of the easiest ways to cook a whole chicken is in a crockpot! The possibilities are endless, but I’m going to share two of my favorite recipes for cooking a whole chicken in a crockpot.

First let’s talk about whole chickens, I also call them roasters – because that’s typically how people cook them (read my tutorial on roasting two chickens at once here). They are a VERY frugal protein – often costing $0.88/lb to $0.99/lb on sale. I like to stock up when under a pound and they freeze beautifully. Not only can you get a substantial meal from the chicken – but the bones and “leftovers” makes amazing slow cooker chicken broth. It’s the meal that keeps on giving. 🙂

Here’s how to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker . . . 

INGREDIENTS

Whole roasting chicken – between 3-5 pounds
Fresh or thawed. Don’t try this with a frozen whole chicken.

2 medium onions, sliced in half

SEASONING

1 Tablespoon italian seasoning

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1.5 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika – I prefer smoked paprika, but any kind works.

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon minced garlic – dried or fresh

HOW TO PREPARE

1.) Clean out the giblets and other items in the chicken. Save for other recipe or discard.

2.) Clean up chicken – I like to cut off any large fat chunks. I like to rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Set chicken aside.

3.) Peel and slice onions in half. Place the four onion halves, flat side down in crockpot. I like to do this because it props up the chicken and keeps it off the main heat and out of the juices.

4.) Place chicken, breasts down, on top of the onions.

5.) In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and the seasonings.

6.) Poor seasoning on to chicken and rub it all around. Give the chicken a thick coating of seasonings.

7.) Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4-5 hours on high).

8.) Using a meat thermometer, confirm temperature is at least 165 degrees (per food safety standards)

9.) Pull chicken apart – watch for bones, the whole chicken should come apart easily – much easier than when roasting so it’s much more prone to little bones.

10.) Serve hot and enjoy.

I do not add any water or liquid – I find that it will shed plenty of it’s own juices and it will be plenty moist – especially if you cook on low for 8 hours.

TACO VARIATION – For a different variation, instead of the seasonings listed above, just rub a package of taco seasoning all over chicken. Cook as directed above. It will have a very light taco flavoring – great for salads or enchiladas. If you don’t want to use the pre-packaged stuff,  you can easily make your own taco seasoning.

I’d love to know what you think of this recipe! Leave a comment and let me know how it turns out for you. Do you have other Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe variations? I’d love to hear!