This slow cooker whole chicken recipe is perfect for a Sunday roast or just for everyday meals with veggies and mashed potato. I’ll show you how to make an easy and delicious gravy with the leftover juices too!
It’s great to grab a whole chicken at the shops and have it on hand so you can cook it when you want it.
Whether that is for your Sunday roast dinner or to enjoy on a weeknight with roast vegetables and some crusty bread, or whatever you prefer, it can’t be easier to throw it in the slow cooker in the morning.
Such an easy and forgiving recipe, it suits all levels of home cooks.
Plus you get to use up the leftover chicken in something like a chicken noodle soup, and you can use the chicken carcass to make stock too.
Why make this recipe
✔️ so easy – prep it and forget it
✔️ uses less electricity than roasting in your main oven
✔️ adaptable for Sunday roasts with roast potatoes, veg and gravy or for everyday with mashed potato and peas
✔️ use the leftover chicken to make soup to stretch it for another day
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you will need. You’ll find the quantities together with the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- whole chicken – the main ingredient for this slow cooker whole chicken dish. We choose a medium size chicken (1.2 to 1.5 kg / approx. 3 pounds) normally, to serve 4 people. You’ll need to have an oval (not round) slow cooker to make roast chicken in your slow cooker, so that it fits in the pot.
If you have a 3.5 litre oval slow cooker then you should choose a small (1 kg / 2 pound) to medium (1.2 to 1.5 kg / 3 pound) chicken. A larger one may not fit.
If you have a larger oval slow cooker e.g. 5-6 litre, you should be able to fit a medium (1.2 to 1.5 kg / 3 pound), large (1.5 to 1.9 kg / approx. 4 pounds) or extra large (1.9 to 2.3 kg / approx. 5 pounds) chicken in! Just check your chicken will fit the pot first. - oil – I tend to use extra virgin olive oil as that is what I keep in my store cupboard. It adds flavour and with the herbs and spices creates the rub we put onto the chicken before cooking.
- salt and pepper – to season.
- parsley – I use a little dried parsley as part of the rub..
- seasoning – for a shortcut I will grab a ready-made all purpose seasoning or chicken seasoning, if I have some in the cupboard. When I am out of ready-made seasoning or want to make my own I combine a little smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and salt and pepper. Here you can change the recipe up to suit your preferences and what you have to hand.
- onions – you cut the onions in half and put the chicken on top of them to cook, this stops the chicken from sitting in the juices which come out of the chicken as it cooks. This would make the chicken very soft and fall apart, so using the onions raises it up out of the way. They also add flavour to the juices which is useful if you use it to make chicken gravy.
To make the gravy: if you want to use the cooking juices to make gravy you’ll also need: - plain flour – combined with the cooking juices (mainly fat), makes a roux which thickens the gravy.
- chicken stock – the third ingredient needed to make the gravy along with the roasting juices and flour. You can use your preferred stock cube with boiling water to make this up.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker whole chicken recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
- Remove the packaging from the chicken. Combine the oil, salt and pepper, herbs and seasoning in a small bowl.
- Spoon the seasoned oil over the chicken and rub it all over, evenly.
- Halve the onions and put them in the slow cooker pot.
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker pot, on top of the halved onions.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Check it is cooked through by piercing the meat with a knife or skewer and checking that the juices run clear, or by using a meat thermometer – check that it has reached at least 74°C / 165 °F. Don’t forget! Timings vary depending on the size of chicken you are cooking and the power of your slow cooker itself, so use these timings as a guide.
- If you’d like to brown and crisp up the skin this next step is for you. If you are happy with your chicken fully cooked without crisp skin, perhaps you are removing the skin anyway, then you can omit this step. Transfer the chicken carefully to a roasting tray. Put in a preheated oven (180°C / 350°F) for 12-14 minutes. Or put it in your air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes at the same temperature.
- If you’d like to make a simple chicken gravy using the juices from the slow cooker pot, here’s how. Take 3 tablespoons of the juices from the pot and put it in a small saucepan. Heat gently. Add 3 tablespoons of plain flour and mix to combine using a wooden spoon or whisk (here you have made the roux which is the base of the gravy).
- Make up approx 500 ml / 2 cups chicken stock using boiling water and a stock cube/stock pot. Add a little chicken stock to the pan and whisk well to fully combine, avoiding the formation of lumps. Gradually add the rest of the stock and continue to heat, stirring continuously. Bring the gravy to a simmer, continuing to stir, and it should start to thicken up.
- Simmer until the gravy has reached your preferred consistency. If there are any small lumps or pieces of meat/fat/skin remaining, sieve them out.
- Pour the gravy carefully into a jug or gravy boat and serve with your slow cooker roast chicken.
Variations
- Use different herbs and seasoning mixes – why not try garlic and oregano, cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning.
- Replace the oil with butter.
- Put a halved lemon in the cavity and add some fresh herbs like basil or thyme.
FAQ
Is it better to cook chicken on high or on low in the slow cooker?
I find it is best on low as chicken can go tough if overcooked, but it mainly depends on how much time you have available for cooking! If you cook on high you can have it ready for lunchtime after putting it on in the morning, or if you put it on at lunchtime it will be ready for dinner. If you are going to be out of the house all day cook it on low.
Do I need to add water or stock in the slow cooker?
No, plenty of liquid will come out of the chicken as it cooks, as you can see from my step by step photos. If you add water the slow cooker will get very full of liquid and the chicken will go very watery and soft.
Do you have to brown a chicken before cooking it in the slow cooker?
No, there is no need to brown the chicken first.
Will my chicken crisp up in the slow cooker?
No, the skin will remain soft. If you would like to crisp it up and brown the skin you will need to follow the directions I’ve given for the oven or air fryer above.
Storage
Cooked chicken can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.
If you’d like to freeze it, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat and freeze in freezer bags, in servings.
Pairings
To go with your slow cooker roast chicken my favourite sides are:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken medium
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp parsley
- 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
- 2 onions
For the gravy (optional)
- 3 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 500 ml boiling water
Equipment
Instructions
- Remove the packaging from the chicken (see Notes on chicken size). Combine the oil, salt and pepper, herbs and seasoning in a small bowl.1 whole chicken, 3 tbsp oil, 2 tsp parsley, 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
- Spoon the seasoned oil over the chicken and rub it all over, evenly.
- Halve the onions and put them in the slow cooker pot.2 onions
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker pot, on top of the halved onions.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Check it is cooked through by piercing the meat with a knife or skewer and checking that the juices run clear, or by using a meat thermometer – check that it has reached at least 74°C / 165 °F. Don't forget! Timings vary depending on the size of chicken you are cooking and the power of your slow cooker itself, so use these timings as a guide.
To brown the skin:
- If you'd like to brown and crisp up the skin this next step is for you. If you are happy with your chicken fully cooked without crisp skin, perhaps you are removing the skin anyway, then you can omit this step. Transfer the chicken carefully to a roasting tray. Put in a preheated oven (180°C / 350°F) for 12-14 minutes. Or put it in your air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes at the same temperature.
To make chicken gravy:
- If you'd like to make a simple chicken gravy using the juices from the slow cooker pot, here's how. Take 3 tablespoons of the juices from the pot and put it in a small saucepan. Heat gently. Add 3 tablespoons of plain flour and mix to combine using a wooden spoon or whisk (here you have made the roux which is the base of the gravy).3 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- Make up approx 500 ml / 2 cups chicken stock using boiling water and a stock cube/stock pot. Add a little chicken stock to the pan and whisk well to fully combine, avoiding the formation of lumps. Gradually add the rest of the stock and continue to heat, stirring continuously. Bring the gravy to a simmer, continuing to stir, and it should start to thicken up.1 chicken stock cube, 500 ml boiling water
- Simmer until the gravy has reached your preferred consistency. If there are any small lumps or pieces of meat/fat/skin remaining, sieve them out.
- Pour the gravy carefully into a jug or gravy boat and serve with your slow cooker roast chicken.
Notes
You’ll need to have an oval (not round) slow cooker to make roast chicken in your slow cooker, so that it fits in the pot.
If you have a 3.5 litre oval slow cooker then you should choose a small (1 kg / 2 pound) to medium (1.2 to 1.5 kg / 3 pound) chicken. A larger one may not fit.
If you have a larger oval slow cooker e.g. 5-6 litre, you should be able to fit a medium (1.2 to 1.5 kg / 3 pound), large (1.5 to 1.9 kg / approx. 4 pounds) or extra large (1.9 to 2.3 kg / approx. 5 pounds) chicken in! Just check your chicken will fit the pot first. Is it better to cook chicken on high or on low in the slow cooker? I find it is best on low as chicken can go tough if overcooked, but it mainly depends on how much time you have available for cooking! If you cook on high you can have it ready for lunchtime after putting it on in the morning, or if you put it on at lunchtime it will be ready for dinner. If you are going to be out of the house all day cook it on low. Do I need to add water or stock in the slow cooker? No, plenty of liquid will come out of the chicken as it cooks, as you can see from my step by step photos. If you add water the slow cooker will get very full of liquid and the chicken will go very watery and soft. Do you have to brown a chicken before cooking it in the slow cooker? No, there is no need to brown the chicken first. Will my chicken crisp up in the slow cooker? No, the skin will remain soft. If you would like to crisp it up and brown the skin you will need to follow the directions I’ve given for the oven or air fryer above. Storage Cooked chicken can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you’d like to freeze it, remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat and freeze in freezer bags, in servings.
Jayne says
Great recipe for melt in the mouth, but not mushy, chicken. I have never cooked a whole chicken but knew I could trust your recipe and I was right. I did brown in the oven as I love a crispy skin. Thank you.
bakingqueen74 says
Brilliant Jayne, that is great to hear! I love the crispy skin too.