Cook an entire chicken in your slow cooker and have delicious and moist chicken waiting for you at the end of the day. Choose from Italian, Spanish, Asian, and Ranch seasonings!
Baseball season is in full force over here. But unlike last season with all games on the weekends, now we’ve got weeknight games…making dinner time hard! Do we eat beforehand at 3:30? Or after at 8pm? Or get hotdogs at the ballpark 3x a week? Ugh. All bad options!
I’ve been relying on this slow cooker whole chicken quite a bit. We’ll probably be tired of it in another few weeks, but I’m playing with different seasonings to stretch the interest. If I serve it with vegetables, it goes farther, and usually provides left overs for soups, sandwiches, and enchiladas.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
This slow cooker whole chicken provides delicious and moist chicken for a great dinner at the end of the day. Set it and forget it! Choose from Italian, Spanish, Asian, and Ranch seasonings!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole fryer chicken , insides removed and cleaned
- seasonings of your choice (see below)
- sliced onions or vegetables of your choice , or aluminum foil
ITALIAN
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
SPANISH
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
ASIAN
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
RANCH
- 2 tablespoons Ranch seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken and pat very dry with paper towels. Mix the desired seasonings together and season the outside of the chicken generously and the inside cavity.
- Scatter the vegetables (or balls of aluminum foil) in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker, then place the seasoned chicken on top, so they act as a shelf for the chicken.
- Cook on low for 10 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the stock that has been rendered; let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with vegetables. Or if you want shredded chicken, placed on a cutting board and shred with two forks.
Notes
Slow cooking the chicken won’t produce that beloved golden crispy skin, but you can carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet or roasting pan and place under the broiler for 5 minutes to achieve that. The broth can be saved in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for 2 months. Shredded chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Other Notes
With all those different seasoning combos, I’m sure it feels like you’re eating something different every week!
This is brilliant – I’m going to have to try this!
This is the PERFECT simple weeknight meal. And even the kiddos love chicken! I’m so excited about all the seasoning options you posted!
I’m loving this idea! Never considered making a chicken in my slow cooker, but why not??
This is a brilliant idea and a great post. Srsly.
Thank you, Melissa!!
Hi Amy,
How did you know I was googling slow cooker whole chicken for Sunday dinner with friends!!
This recipe looks delicious and easy! My question is for the picture did you do the broiler trick,because the color looks perfect. Thanks.
Hi Joan! Yes, as per my notes, I absolutely stuck it under the broiler. Carefully remove it from the crockpot the best way you can without it falling apart (it helps to use twine and tie the front and back legs together before cooking) – and then broil for 5-7 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn’t burn. The color is going to vary depending on the spices you use.
Thanks! I’ll try the broiler trick!