Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

A delicious way to cook a whole juicy tender chicken, no need to buy a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket any longer! All done in the slow cooker, I think you’ll love this easy recipe.

This recipe creates a lovely succulent chicken, with the look and taste of a roast chicken but cooked to perfection in the slow cooker. Briefly pop it under the grill for crispy skin if you wish before serving. 

I have been guilty of overcooking chicken in the past, it is so easy to do! Especially when cooking a whole chicken and you are concerned about the breast and thighs being fully cooked without one drying out first. 

This method removes those concerns as the entire chicken cooks beautifully and retains its lovely moisture. As with all slow cooking methods there are choices with how you cook it and how long. It is super forgiving, the longer it cooks all that will happen is it becomes more tender and falls apart!

I will also include pressure cooker instructions in the notes below if you are short on time! 

I have purposefully kept this process really simple, if you are wanting veggies or to make a gravy etc I will share another recipe in time with more steps, but this is for those that want to pop a chicken on quickly and come back to divine meal hours later. 

I have used a delicious rub here, using it in two ways, first I mix the rub with some softened butter to rub under the skin, and the rest of it is rubbed dry over the whole chicken. This helps with flavor into the breast and also a lovely colour and flavour to the whole bird.

The trick to cooking a chicken this way is to elevate it off the bottom of the slow cooker, this ensures that it does not cook in its own juices and becomes soggy. There are a few ways to do this. Some people have a small wire rack (often sold with pressure cookers) that can fit in the bottom of their slow cooker. 

Alternatively you can use balls or a ring of aluminum foil as you can see here. Or you could rest it on top of halved onions or lemon or a combination of all of these ideas! As long as the chicken is lifted up and does not cook in its juices it will be perfect.

Cooking times vary from 3 hours on HIGH or 5-8 hours on low. The reason the LOW cook time varies so much is that for some slow cookers you will find your chicken is done at 5 hours, however cooking for further time simply means it will be more “fall apart” and tender. I have also included pressure cooker or Instant Pot instructions in the notes below.

The best way to check if your whole chicken is cooked is to use a meat thermometer – these are very reasonably priced and I cannot recommend them enough – such a great gift! 

Whole chicken is cooked once the internal temperature, taken in the thickest part of the meat – both the breast and thigh – and reaches a temperature of 75 C (165 F). If you cook for longer on LOW in the slow cooker to achieve a more tender result that is totally fine. 

The other way to check is to pierce the chicken between the breast and the thigh and ensure the juices run clear (not pink or red) and give the drumstick a wiggle, it should move easily and feel loose. 

Once the chicken is cooked you may want to place it under the grill for 5-10 minutes at a high heat until the skin has crisped to your liking. You can leave it in the slow cooker dish if this is oven proof or carefully lift the chicken out of the slow cooker and place on a roasting dish.  

I find the best way to do this is with something like a large wooden spoon inserted into the centre cavity and a spatula underneath. 

Then serve! This is lovely as a meal, kept for sandwiches or used in pasta dishes over the coming days. As always follow good hygiene practices with chicken, allow the chicken to cool at room temperature for no longer than an hour before refrigerating in an airtight container in the cold or middle part of the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Ok, after all that info let’s get onto the recipe for my Slow Cooker Whole Chicken. 

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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Yield: 4-6 serves

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Delicious succulent, juicy, tender whole chicken, cooked in the slow cooker

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Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken (2kg)
• 1 teaspoon Paprika, ground
• 1 teaspoons Onion Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Thyme, dried
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper, black, ground
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Oil for Grilling

Instructions

1. Prepare a large 6L Slow Cooker, roll up a long piece of aluminium foil and scrunch it into a long log to create a circle to place in the bottom of the slow cooker (see photos above) and/or a small wire rack to lift the chicken off the base of the cooker
2. If desired, halve a lemon and place in the middle of the cooker also.
3. Wash your hands, remove your rings and roll up your sleeves! 😉
4. Prepare the chicken by removing giblets etc if there are any inside the chicken, and pat the outside dry with paper towels.
5. In a small bowl or ramekin, add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, thyme, salt and pepper and mix well.
6. In a second small ramekin soften the butter then add half the spice mixture to the butter and mix well to combine.
7. With the chicken breasts facing upwards, gently slide your fingers under the skin where there is already an opening to separate the skin and the breast, pressing down on the breast rather than pulling too hard on the skin. Work your way towards the thigh gently on one breast before moving across to the next breast, try not to tear the skin. It is totally ok if the skin tears a little though, just carry on around it.
8. Gently slide the butter spice mix under the skin and spread it as best you can, then from on top of the skin press this down to spread the butter mixture underneath the skin smoothly
9. With the remainder of the dry spices, rub this all over the top of the chicken and onto the thighs generously.
10. Lift the chicken onto the foil ring and cover with the lid
11. Cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 1 hour on HIGH then 5-7 hours on LOW until cooked through. (see notes for how to cook in a pressure cooker and cooking times) Chicken is cooked when it reaches 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part. Or alternatively when the juices run clear between the breast and the thigh and the drumstick is loose and wobbly.
12. To crisp up the skin, turn the oven onto grill and high, carefully lift the chicken out of the slow cooker (using the end of a long wooden spoon inserted into the chicken cavity and a metal spatula to lift under it) place it on an oven tray.
13. Drizzle oil over the chicken skin, grill it for 5-10 minutes until it is golden and crispy
14. Carve the chicken while still warm to serve, or allow it to cool at room temperature for no more than an hour, before covering well in an airtight container and placing in the refrigerator.
15. Chicken will keep for 3 days in the coldest part of the fridge.
16. Enjoy!

Notes

Reduce cooking time if the chicken is smaller

If you wish for the chicken to be more tender and falling apart - cook it longer on low.

How to cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker?

Prepare the instant pot as above with the foil and the rack.

Prepare the chicken as above.

Add a cup of water or chicken stock into the base of the pressure cooker and place the chicken into the cooker.

Pop on the lid and close the valve, cook for 24 minutes, then allow a natural release.

Then drizzle the chicken skin with oil as above and grill for 5-10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 5
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 33g

This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.

I look forward to hearing how you get on with this recipe, be sure to give me a star rating above and a comment below. If you want more slow cooker chicken dinners check them out here 

Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my latest recipe and others on my blog. If you are not already be sure to follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more Slow Cooker deliciousness, and you can register your email in the subscription box below to receive all my recipes as I publish them.

Happy Cooking!

Anna

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