Crockpot Whole Chicken

This is how to cook a whole chicken in Crockpot with potatoes and carrots. Fresh is always best but cooking a slow cooker frozen whole chicken turns out super moist and flavorful too!

Have you tried this yet? You just throw the whole bird and vegetables inside with a bit of broth and it’s done in about six hours. Ready to pair with some rolls or rice, and there you have yourself a healthy crockpot recipes your whole family will love.

We eat a lot of chicken in this house! Some nights I don’t have an hour or an hour and a half to Bake a Whole Chicken at 350 in the oven. In that case I like to use my slow cooker instead first thing in the morning. You can add potatoes, carrots and onions all at the same time for a one pot meal.

You can certainly serve it cut up into pieces but typically shredded is the way to go. Since it is so tender the meat will just fall off of the bone, no doubt about it. Steamed fresh or frozen the cook time is no different either way.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

How Long to Cook Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker

There is a bit of a range depending on how large your bird is but the fastest I find with an organic (less fat) bird it is closer to 6 hours with larger ones taking closer to 8. The longer it cooks the more it will just fall apart and you won’t be able to slice it, it will just fall off the bone.

Ingredient Notes

You literally only need a whole chicken, seasoning, and 4 potatoes or a roll of aluminum foil for this easy chicken recipe. I like to use Russet or red potatoes but if I don’t have a few on hand and I’m not in the mood to go to the store, aluminum foil will work as well. This is how you make a whole chicken in the crockpot.

I almost always use russets but you could use red too if you preferred. If left whole I use as trivets under the bird but you could cut into large bite size pieces instead of you preferred. Throw in a bag of baby carrots and sliced onions and you’re set.

Can you overcook chicken in a Crock pot?

I mean if you left it in there a really really long time beyond the cook time listed in your recipe yes everything would get dry. Within 30 minutes of the timing would be just fine. That is why I like the programmable models that turn to warm after you set the # of hours on the pot.

Tips for Success

Just wash and poke all 4 potatoes with a fork all the way around so they can get nice and tender.  Try to get them to be somewhat the same size because these will be the trivet for your roasted chicken.

If you don’t want to have Crockpot baked potatoes when done, or don’t have any, just wad up balls of aluminum foil large enough to have the chicken lifted off the bottom of your slow cooker, or cut into 6ths with other veggies underneath to sit on. You don’t want it to sit in the juices the whole time and get mushy.

I’m personally very picky when it comes to buying poultry. Whether I am slow cooking or making our beer can chicken recipe, organic is always the way to go. Less fat, more meat, and a healthier bird overall.. I’ve purchased cheaper or store brand birds and have regretted it big time. I feel like there is a BIG difference when it comes to the quality of chickens.

Frozen Chicken in Slow Cooker

I have a link at the top of this post with those directions but believe it or not the timing doesn’t really change!! I only add potatoes to the bottom of that one typically. Difference is that the meat will literally fall apart, you won’t be able to slice it so we use it for chicken tacos!

How to Make Gravy with Drippings

If you insist on not wasting anything, I get it. There will be plenty of drippings in the bottom of the pot when done so why not turn it into a thick sauce right? With a bit of added cornstarch whisked into a pot on the stove you can make Gravy From Chicken Drippings with it.

This is a hands-off approach that yields juicy and tender results. The low and slow cooking process ensures a flavorful and satisfying meal.

How do you know when a whole chicken is done?

Of course first you will want to ensure the meat is done on the inside. The best way is to check the internal meat temperature. It needs to reach 165 degrees with the thermometer inserted into the middle of the chicken breast or thigh. If you don’t have this, look at the legs as the meat should be pulling away from the bone and juices need to run clear with no pink.

How do you crisp up chicken skin after slow cooking?

To make skin more like rotisserie chicken, put into a baking dish, under the broiler for 4-6 minutes. OR like we do with our other air fryer recipes, just spray the top with olive oil and set inside the basket at 400 degrees F for 5-8 min. until crispy. You can put into your hot air machine for a few minutes to crisp up the top like our air fryer whole chicken

What to do with leftovers

If you are making chicken noodle soup with whole chicken then you can just use as is and follow these directions. No need to broil since you’re going to remove the skin anyway for this meal. use the drippings in the bottom + packaged broth to add into the mix. What if you want to crispy chicken skin on your slow cooker whole chicken?

Other easy dinner recipes you’ll love

After you try this easy slow cooker recipe, try these others using a whole chicken?

If it’s done early just move it to warm. It can sit for a good hour or two until you’re ready! That’s how easy cooking a whole chicken in your crockpot really is. If you love easy crockpot recipes try my 5 ingredient crockpot chili and a few others below like;

• Instant Pot whole chicken and potatoes is another low saturated fat meal
• Dutch oven whole chicken comes out fall off the bone moist with veggies.

In my opinion it is much more tender and never has that stringy texture you sometimes encounter after it’s been cooked. They are a bit smaller for the most part but it is mostly due to the fact that they aren’t stuffed with fillers to make them appear larger.