Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

This Slow Cooker Roast Chicken is ridiculously easy to make, incredibly juicy, and delicious. Just 10 minutes of prep time and then let your crockpot do all the work! Tender chicken, slow-cooked with aromatic herbs and seasonings. It’s the start of a perfect family dinner!

Ever notice how the best meals are the ones you can smell cooking? Think about that moment you step into a pizzeria, enter a bakery, or walk into your grandma’s house on Thanksgiving. Your nose tells you right away that something wonderful is about to happen.

Crockpot whole chicken has that same effect.  Everyone in your house knows that tonight’s dinner will be amazing…and the waiting will be the hardest part.

My recipe for slow cooker roast chicken is about as foolproof as it gets – but allows for lots of customization. There’s almost nothing in your spice collection that won’t work in terms of seasoning the chicken. Follow the recipe below – or create your own spice blend. From garlic to curry to cinnamon to cocoa powder – have some fun and let me know how it turns out.

Because this is a crockpot meal, you needn’t worry about basting, turning, testing, or fussing of any kind. Just set it and forget it. Or, as the great chefs of the world like to say: Easy-peasy.

INGREDIENTS

Just a few ingredients and you’re in business! It begins with a whole chicken, seasoned with olive oil, oregano, basil, sage, parsley, nutmeg, and cardamom, and, of course, your favorite salt and pepper. Check out the photo below of the ingredients you’ll need.

HOW TO MAKE WHOLE SLOW COOKER ROAST CHICKEN

Instructions

Remove the chicken from its bag (best to do it at the sink, so the liquid can drain away). 

Rinse chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. 

 In a small bowl combine oregano, basil, salt, sage, parsley, celery salt,  nutmeg, cardamom, paprika, and pepper. Stir to combine.  

Using your hands, rub the whole chicken completely in olive oil. Then sprinkle herb mixture evenly over chicken, coating all sides.

Transfer the chicken into your crockpot.

All that’s left is to close the lid and slow cook on low 9-10 hours or high 6-8 hours. Your goal is a temperature of 165 degrees (F).

When it’s done…open up the lid, and turn off the heat. Transfer chicken from crockpot to a large plate, platter, or cutting board. Carve the meat from the bone and serve.

SHOULD I PREHEAT MY SLOW COOKER?

Yes! This is one of my favorite cooking hacks. A preheated crockpot can shave 15-20 minutes off the total cooking time. All you need to do is turn on your slow cooker for 5 minutes before loading in your ingredients. I like to add a half-cup of water to keep ingredients from scorching.

Some other great slow cooker recipes include these Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops and Easy to Make Beef Stew.

WHAT OTHER SEASONINGS SHOULD I USE?

The spice and seasoning combinations are infinite, but here are a few of my favorite blends:

Herb & Garden Blend – 1 tablespoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 white onion (quartered) in the pot and 1 stalk of celery cut into four pieces in the pot.

Western Blend – 1 tablespoon hickory salt, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder

Spice Trader Blend – 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 3 cloves garlic in the pot (whole with skin removed)

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH SLOW COOKER ROAST CHICKEN?

This meal is all about being simple yet delicious. I recommend rice pilaf or mashed potatoes, plus a side of steamed carrots or broccoli.

WHAT’S THE BEST TEMPERATURE FOR A SLOW COOKER?

Slow-cooking is the name of the game. If you’ve got the time, then most meats will benefit from lower temps and longer cooking times. Think of all the great meals like Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey, Hawaiian Kalua Pig, and Barbeque Brisket. Slow, low, and good to go!

CAN YOU FREEZE SLOW COOKER ROAST CHICKEN?

Yes, you can! Remove the skin and bones and slice the leftover chicken. Portion the meat into freezer storage bags for individual meals or one big family dinner. Save the skin and bones to make tasty homemade chicken stock. Don’t forget to label and date your bags. Freeze up to 6 months.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHICKEN IS DONE?

A decent-quality thermometer is an invaluable tool for mistake-free meat. For a whole chicken in a crockpot, poke the thermometer in-between the thigh and the breast (or what some call the “leg armpit”). The magic number for chicken is 165 degrees (F). Once the food reaches that temperature, turn off the heat.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

When rinsing the chicken before cooking, use a colander. This prevents your chicken from touching the sink (which might not be completely clean and sanitized). Get a colander big enough to fit your chicken and sturdy enough that it won’t bend or break. If you don’t already own one, you will love how handy they are for washing fruit & veggies and draining pasta. A solid investment for your kitchen. 5 quarts is a good size to get.

Knowing your crockpot will help you customize your cooking times. Two different brands of slow cookers set on “low” can vary as much as 20 degrees (F). The crockpot I use burns pretty hot, so I often cut back on recommended cooking times by an hour or two.

Sorry to sound like your mother, but this recipe requires lots of hand-washing. Without diving into the science of it all, raw chicken can have cooties (That’s a technical term). Every time you handle the bird the cooties get on your hands. And if you turn on the water faucet or grab a salt shaker or use a dish towel, you transfer the cooties to these other surfaces. Yuck! Just be diligent about washing those hands – and clean any surface you touch.

If you want darker chicken skin, put it under the broiler for a few minutes after it is done in the slow cooker.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU MAKE IN A SLOW COOKER?

• Create this easy Corned Beef and Cabbage.
• Make this scrumptious Easy Crock Pot Sausage Gumbo.
• Prepare this Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken.
• Make this Darn Good Chili Recipe.
• Prepare these Slow Cooker Boneless Pork Ribs.

When you make this tasty Slow Cooker Roast Chicken Recipe, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

This recipe was first posted on January 10th, 2011 but has been updated with new photos and better-detailed instructions on September 9th, 2021.