Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
An easy and delicious recipe to cook a whole roast chicken using your slow cooker, which can be served as part of a roast dinner or with veggies and mashed potato for an easy midweek meal.
Servings 4
Calories 554kcal
Equipment
- whisk optional, for gravy
- small saucepan optional, for gravy
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
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
What size chicken to choose. 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. 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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg