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A delicious, slow cooker whole chicken, that is fall-apart tender and juicy. Just season the chicken, set it in the crockpot, and serve later!
Get a rotisserie-style chicken with very low effort. Skip the grocery store chickens and make your own, with your own spin on flavor! This chicken in the crock pot recipe is super easy!
Step by step photos and instructions below!
While roasted chicken is always a favorite around here, I don’t want to heat the house up with a stove or oven cooked meal. Instead, we eat salads, cereal, or use the barbecue to cook. Although that is fun, it doesn’t always cut it for what I feel like eating.
I love recipes that are super hands off. My Cowboy Casserole is a huge favorite, as is my Chicken Tater Tot Casserole!
I often use the slow cooker to make dinner on weekends. Since a lot of crockpot recipes require a cook time of less than the time I will be gone, using it on the weekends while I’m around is better. I can keep an eye on things, and make sue nothing will dry out or burn.
I cook this for 3 hours on high (my crockpot runs hot – yours might take the full 4 hours). The result is fall off the bone tender and juicy. Crisp up the skin with a quick broil after cooking, and dinner is served!
This is a super easy recipe! Just prep, season, cook and devour. See below for step by step instructions, and the recipe card!
HOT TIP: Cook this Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken overnight and let it cool in the fridge, ready for reheating later.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses basic ingredients found in most pantries, and can be adapted to your tastes.
- Hands off. No need to keep too close of an eye on this one, it does all the work for you right in the crockpot.
- Delicious. Seriously, it falls off the bone. Yum!
I have included step by step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Do you need to add water to the crockpot when cooking a whole chicken?
No! Chickens sold in most stores these days have water added. The chicken will release plenty of liquid as it cooks.
Kylee’s Notes
Chicken is cooked when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F.
For crispy skin, broil the chicken after removing from the crock pot.
Roll up some balls of aluminum foil and put in the bottom of the slow cooker to keep your chicken from getting soggy from the juices below.
What to do with leftovers
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Substitutions/Additions
Use Italian seasoning instead of Herbs de Provence if that is what you have. Even better, use my Homemade Tuscan Seasoning!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken – I use a whole chicken from the grocery store, that fits in my slow cooker. Using an oval cooker is best for fitting it all in, but use a smaller bird for a smaller cooker. You don’t want the chicken to touch the lid!
- Garlic. This is going to be stuffed into the cavity of the chicken, no need to mince it up – or even peel it!
- Onion. Cut it up into quarters – it’s joining the garlic in the cavity. Quite the party.
- Lemon Juice (optional). You don’t have to do this, but I like to squeeze it over the top of the chicken skin before cooking.
- Spices. Choose your favorite blends. Try my Italian Seasoning, Tuscan Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning or Poultry Seasoning!
How to make this recipe:
Scroll for Recipe
The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Rinse the chicken and remove the “bits” from the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, herbs de Provence).
Season and flavor the chicken
Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, and sprinkle some into the cavity.
Pack the onion and garlic into the cavity.
Optional – squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.
Cook
Roll up some balls of aluminum foil and put in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the chicken on top of the foil balls, breast side down.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 7-8.
Chicken is cooked when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken from slow cooker, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Slice and Devour.
Looking for more crockpot recipes?
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Sweet, spicy, juicy and cooked low and slow until the meat falls off the bone in tender juicy deliciousness.
- Chunky Crockpot Chili Recipe. A rich, tasty crockpot chili that is easy to prepare and slow cooked all day. No long list of ingredients, you probably have them all in your pantry already!
- Crock Pot Pork Loin. Comfort food that cooks all day, ready to eat when you get home!
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken. A rich, deeply flavored, sweet, chicken dinner – that you fix, and forget! Make ahead and come home to a fabulous dinner to share with the family.
- Chicken Tikka Masala. Delicious Indian inspired chicken tikka masala in the crockpot is a winner! Set and forget, except for the delicious smells coming from your kitchen!
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on Kylee Cooks, leave a comment and rating – I truly love to hear from you!
Find me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp herbs de provence ( )
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves whole garlic
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 2 Tbs lemon juice ((optional))
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken and remove the "bits" from the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, herbs de Provence)
- Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, and sprinkle some into the cavity
- Pack the onion and garlic into the cavity.
- Optional – squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.
- Roll up some balls of aluminum foil and put in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place the chicken on top of the foil balls, breast side down.
- Chicken is cooked when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 7-8.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker, and slice.
- Devour.
Notes
- Chicken is cooked when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F.
- For crispy skin, broil the chicken after removing from the crock pot.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Lyn says
looks great! Why the foil on the bottom of crockpot?
Kylee says
It’s to keep the chicken from essentially boiling in its own juices, and becoming soggy 🙂
Paula @ Mummy Vs Work says
I am a fan of slow cooker chicken but tend not to add any spices, I will give your spice mix a go next time I make it 🙂 Thanks for linking up to Foodie Friday 🙂
Debbie says
Do you have to add any liquid to the crockpot while its cooking??
Kylee says
Hi Debbie – no you don’t. The chicken goes in raw, and releases plenty of liquid of its own!
Courtney says
Z I am a semi-retired sous chef I cook everything in the Crock-Pot I’ve deep-fried a turkey I like use butter and grease a whole chicken with it I put about an eighth of a cup of water in the bottom with garlic paprika lemon juice onions and I like to throw in a little bit of Curry and mrs. Dash turn on high to get all day or low if you don’t but I like to go high because it’s more juicy I also like to add a little bit of mrs. Dash and a teaspoon of curry powder I also stuff the rotisserie with the sausage and Sage stuffing
Hilda says
Easy and Mouth Watering chicken crock pot Recipe, Will try soon 🙂 Thank You!
Jess says
This recipe supercedes all others. We have tried several but none have compared to yours! It’s so much better than store bought too. Thank you for sharing!
Kylee says
Thanks, Jess! I really love to hear that from someone who’s tried my recipes and likes it. It makes my day!
Jeanine says
Does this come out juicy/ I was wondering if I needed to add liquid to the bottom of the cooker or if it will have enough moisture from the chicken alone.
Jeanine says
Never mind, I answered my own question. It comes out totally juicy! Talk about fall of the bone! My bird was such a beauty we could hardly keep our hands off long enough to cut it up! Thanks for this keeper recipe!
Kylee says
Hi Jeanine!
Sorry – yes, the temp should be 6 low/3 high. doh!
Athena McGrath says
I made this tonight for dinner and OMG it is delicious! I used Italian seasoning in place of the Herbs de Provence (because my hubby & I have an organic spice company and we make our own blend 😉 ). I doubles the rub recipe because our chicken was from a local Hutterite farm and it was HUGE (like turkey sized haha). It was so tender that it was falling apart…we had to slide it out of the crockpot! The whole family gobbled it up! Thanks for this awesome recipe <3
Kylee says
I’m SO glad you enjoyed it, Athena. Warms my heart to hear from happy cooks!
Molly Kumar says
Such a flavorful nad easy recipe. I love when you can cook chicken or any meat with less efforts and this would have so many possibilities! Adding this to my must try recipe list.