Whole Chicken in Crock Pot

For an easy, hands-off, and versatile dinner, cook a crispy, seasoned whole chicken in the slow cooker!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword crock pot whole chicken, slow cooker whole chicken, whole chicken crock pot, whole chicken in crock pot

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Resting Time 10

Total Time 4 25

Servings people

Calories 751kcal

Arrange the carrots, celery, and onion in the bottom of a large slow cooker. These vegetables will serve as a “rack” to elevate the chicken for even cooking and will also infuse the meat with extra flavor.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath the bird. Place the chicken (breast-side up) on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Rub the seasoning blend all over the skin on the outside of the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 170°F when a thermometer is inserted between a leg and thigh (not touching the bone). Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the chicken until the skin becomes browned and crisp, about 4-5 minutes, rotating as necessary. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

- In my experience, a smaller (4 - 4½ lb.) whole chicken works best in the slow cooker. Larger roasters are often too big and will prevent the Crock Pot lid from fitting properly. These smaller chickens are sometimes labeled as "young whole chickens."

- I've provided a fairly classic "rotisserie chicken seasoning" for this recipe. Feel free to sub with other seasonings of your choice, such as a bbq rub, our favorite all-purpose seasoning, or even a store-bought rotisserie seasoning.
- Make a gravy using strained drippings from the bottom of your slow cooker. To do so, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. While continually whisking, gradually add 1 – 1 ½ cups of strained juices/drippings from the pot until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. If you don't have enough drippings from the pot, just add chicken broth. Continue whisking while the gravy bubbles and cooks for 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.