Looking for an easy way to enjoy a roasted whole chicken? If so, this extra juicy, tender and flavorful Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe is definitely the easy way to go!
An Easy Crockpot Whole Chicken Recipe
Today we are cooking a whole chicken, folks! Don’t be nervous because, with a crockpot, the whole process is a breeze. With the help of a few seasonings and some chopped veggies, you can dig into a juicy, tender chicken for dinner tonight with minimal effort!
I love making this meal because there are only a couple minutes of prep work involved, and then I just have to wait for the whole thing to finish cooking. If I have a busy day ahead, getting dinner out of the way 6-8 hours ahead of time is a huge help!
I highly recommend trying this easy crockpot chicken for a fun and delicious an easy weeknight dinner idea. The chicken is extra juicy, packed with flavor and can quickly be crisped up in the oven using the broiler for crispy chicken skin!
Ingredients
So, other than chicken of course, what do you need for this recipe? Gather up the following ingredients:
For the Chicken:
- Whole Chicken: 4-5 pounds, neck and giblets removed, washed and patted dry.
- Olive Oil
- Celery: use 4-5 stalks, roughly chopped.
- Carrots: also roughly chopped.
- Red Onion: peeled and roughly chopped.
- Garlic Cloves: peeled and smashed.
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Rosemary
For the Seasoning Mix:
- Kosher and Seasoned Salt
- Paprika: I like to use smoked paprika, but either will work!
- Minced Fresh Thyme: this can be replaced with dried thyme, but less should be used in that case.
- Minced Fresh Rosemary: same as above.
- Black Pepper
- Dried Parsley
- Onion Powder
How to Make Crockpot Whole Chicken
Cooking a whole chicken may seem scary, but you can actually do it in 5 easy steps with the assistance of your crockpot. Once you chop the vegetables and season the chicken, it’s smooth sailing until dinnertime!
Mix Seasoning Together: In a small bowl, combine seasoning mix. Set aside.
Put Vegetables in Crockpot: Spray crockpot insert with non-stick cooking spray. Add vegetables and fresh herbs to bottom of crockpot.
Season the Chicken: Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub into skin. Sprinkle whole chicken evenly with seasoning mixture. Place chicken on top of vegetables.
** This is a key tip! Not only do the vegetables help with flavor, but the veggies will help keep the chicken from sitting in the juice all day long!
Cook Chicken: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until internal temperature is 165°F.
Crisp The Skin: This is an optional step, but a very important one to me since I love crispy golden chicken skin! Place the cooked chicken in a baking dish and broil in the oven for just 4 to 5 minutes or until skin is golden brown!
Let Chicken Rest: Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Tips for the Most Tender Chicken
How do you get the best results and the most tender chicken? Here are some tips to guide you:
- Use Olive Oil: before rubbing on the seasoning, brush the chicken with olive oil to ensure that it comes out nice and juicy.
- Don’t Add Water: the chicken will create a kind of broth that the vegetables will absorb; adding water could make the chicken bland and make the bottom of your chicken boil in the water.
- Defrost Your Chicken: if your chicken has been in the freezer, be sure to defrost it in the fridge overnight so that it will cook all the way through evenly.
- Cooking the Skin: for crisp skin, place chicken in a baking dish and broil cooked chicken in oven for 4-5 minutes or until skin is golden brown. This step is key to a good crispy skin!
- Herb Substitutions: you may substitute the fresh herbs with dried herbs, using half the amount as listed in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve almost anything with a whole chicken! Here are some of my favorites:
- Potatoes: these Oven Roasted Potatoes are a family favorite!
- Soup: something like this hearty Butternut Squash Soup.
- Salad: green leaf salads are awesome, and so is this Greek Salad.
- Other Vegetable Sides: this Mashed Cauliflower is always a favorite of mine. Or these two low carb options are super popular recipes around here: Creamy Baked Brussel Sprouts and the Best Creamed Spinach!
How to Store and Reheat the Chicken
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
To reheat the chicken, wrap it in aluminum foil and put in the oven for a few minutes. Other methods work too, just make sure whatever method you use allows the moisture to stay in the chicken.
What to do with leftover chicken?
I have so many great ways to use up any leftover chicken! Just shred that chicken and freeze it for another night. These are my top favorite ways to use already cooked and shredded chicken to create an easy and fast dinner:
- Chicken Mexican Casserole
- Best Chicken and Dumplings
- Southern Chicken and Biscuits
- Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
This Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe is a family favorite around here. I have been working on this recipe for years and am excited to say I finally nailed it.
Extra juicy, tender and flavorful chicken is slow cooked all day and then quickly crisped up with the broiler in your oven to be perfectly golden! If you try this recipe, please leave a photo and a review below!
Crockpot Whole Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 4-5 pound whole chicken, neck and giblets removed, washed and patted dry
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
For the Seasoning Mix:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine seasoning mix. Set aside
- Spray crockpot insert with non-stick cooking spray. Add vegetables and fresh herbs to bottom of crockpot.
- Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub into skin. Sprinkle whole chicken evenly with seasoning mixture. Place chicken on top of vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until internal temperature is 165°F.
- Remove to cutting board and let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
- To crisp up the skin and brown chicken: Place chicken in a baking dish and broil cooked chicken in oven for 4-5 minutes or until skin is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Fresh Herbs – you may substitute with dried herbs, using half the amount.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Must Make Crockpot Recipes
- Crockpot Ham
- Crockpot Pot Roast
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crock Pot Green Beans
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Crockpot French Onion Soup
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Was delicious so moist! Will always make my whole chicken this way. Thank you for sharing!
What do you do with the veggies in the bottom?
You can eat them or discard them, totally up to you.