This crockpot whole chicken recipe is an incredibly easy way to cook up a rotisserie-style chicken dinner in the comfort of your home! All you have to do is chop potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, season the chicken, then the slow cooker takes over! Once you see how easy it is to make this crockpot chicken, you'll never want to buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken again!
Easy Crockpot Whole Chicken
Chicken is a staple protein for dinnertime, and when it comes to easy and impressive chicken dinners, this one is at the top of the list! Plus, you can use the leftovers in countless other chicken recipes too.
A perfectly seasoned whole chicken is cooked low and slow with a mixture of delicious vegetables, then browned to perfection in the oven! Trust me, you'll have yourself a new family-favorite chicken recipe because the results are truly amazing!
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🥘 Crockpot Whole Chicken Ingredients
All you need is a handful of ingredients to make an incredibly delicious and flavorful chicken dinner! These ingredients can be easily found at the grocery store if you don't already have them.
- Yellow Onion - 1 cup of yellow onion (chopped, or use white onion).
- Carrots - 2 cups of carrots (chopped).
- Celery - 1 cup of celery (chopped).
- Red Potatoes - 1 pound of red potatoes (chopped, or use russet or Yukon gold potatoes).
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon of garlic (minced).
- Poultry Seasoning - 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning.
- Paprika - 2 teaspoons of paprika.
- Garlic Powder - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Dried Oregano - ½ teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Onion Powder - ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon of each, salt & pepper (to taste).
- Whole Chicken - 4-pound whole chicken.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Cook Crockpot Whole Chicken
After you chop the vegetables and prep the chicken, this recipe is practically hands-off! For crispy and golden brown skin and caramelized vegetables, follow the optional steps to brown your chicken after cooking.
A 4-pound whole chicken will be approximately 8 servings. Plus, you can have the vegetables as the side dish so there is no extra work required!
Prepare Chicken & Cook
- Add vegetables. Add 1 cup of onion, 2 cups of carrots, 1 cup of celery, 1 pound of potatoes, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic in a single layer at the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Mix spices. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the seasoning blend of 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
- Prep chicken. If applicable, remove the bag of organs from the cavity of the whole chicken and discard. Drain any juice that is inside the cavity. Rinse the 4-pound chicken and place it onto a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish. Pat dry using paper towels.
- Season. Season the chicken generously with the seasoning blend on all sides. *As an optional step, you can tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine if you'd like.
- Cook. Place the whole chicken (breast side up) on top of the vegetables and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or on low for 5-7 hours (*see notes). The internal temperature must reach at least 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of the leg. *Make sure that you are not touching the bone when reading the temperature.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from your crock pot and cover it with a square of aluminum foil to rest for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken and vegetables as-is or follow the optional steps below to brown them.
Brown Chicken & Vegetables (Optional)
- Prep. Turn on your oven to the broiling setting, and rearrange the racks so that you have a rack in the center of the oven.
- Transfer. Place your whole chicken (breast side up) into the center of a broiler-safe pan or rimmed metal baking sheet. Using a slotted spoon, place the vegetables around the chicken.
- Broil. Broil the chicken and vegetables for 4-5 minutes or until the skin of the chicken browns and the vegetables brown on the edges.
- Rest. Take the pan out of the oven and cover it loosely with a tented sheet of foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
There is no need to make any sides for this hearty chicken dinner. However, you can serve it with some onion rolls or a wedge salad if you'd like. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Check the chicken's internal temperature at 3.5 hours to see if it's at 165°F (74°C), if not continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Avoid opening the lid of the slower cooker during cooking time so that you don't release too much heat or it could take longer to cook.
- Place the meat thermometer in the largest part of a leg when you're reading the temperature, just make sure that you are not touching the bone. Checking the temperature in more than one location is best.
- If you'd like to serve your chicken with gravy chicken gravy, try my chicken gravy without drippings.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store your leftover chicken in a sealable storage container and place it in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days. You can freeze your leftover chicken in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Reheating Crockpot Whole Chicken
Reheat the chicken on a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second intervals after removing all of the chicken from the bones.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
No, it is not recommended for large pieces of chicken or whole birds to be cooked in a crockpot from frozen. Roasting or baking are the only ways to safely cook a whole chicken quickly enough to ensure that dangerous bacteria growth is prevented. Thaw your chicken overnight before you are ready to cook.
I would not recommend cooking a skinless chicken in a crockpot because the meat will dry out. The skin holds a large amount of the chicken's fat. As the chicken cooks the fat in the skin renders out and bastes the flesh. If you don't want to eat the skin, I would recommend cutting it off right before serving.
By cooking the chicken with a low and slow method, you don't have to put liquid into the crockpot. The whole chicken will retain moisture, but if you're really worried about the chicken drying out, you can add a splash of water or broth. Too much liquid can make your chicken soggy, so be careful if you decide to add any.
😋 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Salad With Grapes - This chicken salad recipe features celery, grapes, dried cranberries, pecans, mayo, and pecans!
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders - Make your own crispy chicken tenders at home in 30 minutes with your air fryer!
- Ritz Chicken Casserole - This incredibly quick and easy dish is perfect to make on your busy weeknights!
- Boneless Chicken Wings - These boneless wings are double-coated to get an extra crispy crust!
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breasts - Enjoy these easy and delicious baked chicken breasts by themselves or use them in your favorite recipes!
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast - Get perfectly cooked and juicy chicken breasts every time!
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📖 Recipe Card
Crockpot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow onion (chopped, or use white onion)
- 2 cups carrots (chopped)
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 1 lb red potatoes (chopped, or use russet or Yukon gold potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 4 lbs whole chicken
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and minced garlic in a single layer at the bottom of your slow cooker.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the seasoning blend of paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- If applicable, remove the bag of organs from the cavity of the whole chicken and discard. Drain any juice that is inside the cavity. Rinse the chicken and place onto a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish. Pat dry using paper towels.
- Season the chicken generously with the seasoning blend on all sides. *As an optional step, you can tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine if you'd like.
- Place the whole chicken (breast side up) on top of the vegetables and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or on low for 5-7 hours (*see notes). The internal temperature needs to reach at least 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of the leg. *Make sure that you are not touching the bone when reading the temperature.
- Remove the chicken from your crock pot and cover it with a square of aluminum foil to rest for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken and vegetables as-is or follow the optional steps below to brown them.
Brown Chicken & Vegetables (Optional)
- Turn on your oven to the broiling setting, and rearrange the racks so that you have a rack in the center of the oven.
- Place your whole chicken (breast side up) into the center of a broiler-safe pan or rimmed metal baking sheet. Using a slotted spoon, place the vegetables around the chicken.
- Broil the chicken and vegetables for 4-5 minutes or until the skin of the chicken browns and the vegetables brown on the edges.
- Take the pan out of the oven and cover it loosely with a tented sheet of foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Check the chicken's internal temperature at 3.5 hours to see if it's at 165°F (74°C), if not continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Avoid opening the lid of the slower cooker during cooking time so that you don't release too much heat or it could take longer to cook.
- Place the meat thermometer in the largest part of a leg when you're reading the temperature, just make sure that you are not touching the bone. Checking the temperature in more than one location is best.
- If you'd like to serve your chicken with gravy chicken gravy, try my chicken gravy without drippings.
- To store: Store your leftover chicken in a sealable storage container and place it in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
- To freeze.: You can freeze your leftover chicken in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 6 months.
- To reheat: Reheat the chicken on a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second intervals after removing all of the chicken from the bones.
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