Slow Cooker Whole Chicken is a game changer! Follow my recipe for incredibly tender, juicy and succulent chicken with minimal prep.
Fancy making an entire Sunday roast all in one pot? Cook a whole chicken on a bed of root vegetables in your crock pot and a few hours later you will have tender chicken, flavour-packed vegetables and the base for the most incredible gravy.
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How to pick the right (size) chicken
A large free range chicken, preferably organic, will produce the best results. I always pick a large one, even if it is slightly bigger than I need for our family of four – leftover chicken can be used in so many other recipes throughout the week.
As a general guideline…
- SMALL CHICKEN approx. 1.2kg (2.6 pounds) enough 2-3
- MEDIUM CHICKEN approx. 1.75kg (3.7 pounds) feeds 3-4
- LARGE CHICKEN approx. 2kg+ (4.4 pounds) serves 4-6 and is best suited for the slow cooker treatment but check it fits into your crockpot!
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN
I know you are asking this… Why cook chicken in a slow cooker when it is so easy to roast in the oven?
A HANDS-OFF ROAST You can leave your chicken to cook slowly while you get on with other things… Is it just me, or are weekends always hectic when you have kids?
ONE POT WONDER You can cook your potatoes and carrots at the same time so one less thing to worry about. Not to mention less washing up!
THE BEST GRAVY As the chicken cooks slowly it will release juices which also soak up flavour from the vegetables. Use any liquid from the pot to make a rich gravy.
A SLIMMING RECIPE The chicken is rubbed with spices, herbs, salt and pepper to create a rotisserie-style chicken which melts in the mouth. Simply remove any skin if you are on a weight loss mission and make sure to use a gravy separator for the drippings.
WHAT ABOUT CRISPY SKIN?
The only drawback about making a slow cooker roast chicken is that the skin will look a little bit sad after cooking in moist heat.
If you want the perfect crispy skin simply place your chicken on a roasting tray and brown under the grill (a.k.a broiler) for a few minutes. Keep an eye on the chicken as it can go from crispy to burned quickly!
Let’s make Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Prep the chicken. If you can, take out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking – a cold chicken will take longer to cook and possibly cook unevenly. Not a deal breaker in the slow cooker though.
TOP TIP
Do not rinse raw chicken – it contains campylobacter bacteria which may spread when you are rinsing it. Always wash your hands and any utensils well after handling raw meat and use a separate cutting board. The bacteria is killed if the chicken is cooked properly – when it reaches internal temperature of 75C /165F.
Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Trim any large bits of fat and remove giblets, if any. Rub the chicken with mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder and brown sugar (or sweetener). Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place half a lemon and a rosemary sprig in the cavity.
Create a “trivet” Line a 6.5L slow cooker with chopped onions, celery, carrots and small potatoes. The vegetables create a sort of trivet for the chicken.
TOP TIP: If you don’t want to cook vegetables in the crockpot then place the chicken on a silicone rack or scrunch some foil for a makeshift rack. This allows for any fat to drip away from the chicken.
Add the chicken, cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours (depending on how large your chicken is). If you are cooking a small chicken then check after 2 hours. For best results check with a meat thermometer.
Remove the chicken from the cooker, tipping it forward so any juices collected in the cavity drip out. Place on a roasting pan ( together with the potatoes, if you like), mist with cooking spray and blast under a hot grill until the skin is lovely and crisp. Set the chicken aside for 20 minutes before carving.
Reserve the carrots and potatoes to serve with the roast. Strain the remaining juices into a gravy separator and discard the onions, celery etc. Discard most of the fat and transfer remaining juices into a saucepan.
Make the gravy. Bring the juices to a simmer, topping up with extra hot chicken stock if needed. Add 1 tbsp of cornflour diluted in cold water to thicken the gravy. Cook until the gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Carve the chicken and serve with the carrots, potatoes and gravy on the side. Add a green salad or some steamed vegetables and enjoy!
Testing for doneness
I prefer to cook my chicken on the HIGH setting for a shorter time in a slow cooker. I recommend using a digital thermometer to be 100% safe – checking the internal temperature at the thickest part is 75C/165 F.
You can also check by slicing into the thickest part of the meat and checking it is cooked through, or piercing the bird to see if the juices run clear. If they are still a bit pink you should continue cooking for a further 15-20 minutes before checking again.
IDEAS FOR CHICKEN LEFTOVERS
Leftover roast chicken can be used in so many ways! I love adding it to soups like my Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup, using it in slimming salads like this Light Chicken Satay Salad or in quick pasta dishes. You can also use it in curries or simply in sandwiches.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4.5 pounds) whole chicken without giblets
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or Sukrin Gold Sweetener
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to season
- 16 baby potatoes skin on, scrubbed clean
- 4 carrots cut into large pieces
- 3 onions halved
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 1 whole garlic bulb cut in half
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 rosemary sprig
- olive oil cooking spray
For the gravy
- 120 ml (½ cup) hot chicken stock add more if preferred
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 1 tbsp cold water
- 2 tsp Worcestershire suace
- salt to taste
- the juices from the slow cooker
Instructions
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking – a cold chicken will take longer to cook and possibly cook unevenly.
- Pat the chicken dry – do not rinse. Trim any large bits of fat and remove giblets, if any. Put the mustard powder, paprika, garlic powder and brown sugar (or sweetener) in a small bowl and mix together. Rub the chicken with the spices and season well with salt and pepper. Place half a lemon and the rosemary in the cavity.
- Put the onions, celery, carrots potatoes, lemon and garlic in the slow cooker. The vegetables create a sort of trivet for the chicken. If you don’t want to cook vegetables in the crockpot then place the chicken on a silicone rack or scrunch some foil for a makeshift rack. This allows for any fat to drip away from the chicken.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours (check after 4). Use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature at the thickest part is 75C/165F. You can also check by slicing into the thickest part of the meat and checking it is cooked through, or piercing the bird to see if the juices run clear. If the are still a bit pink you should continue cooking for a futrher 15-20 minutes before checking again.
- Remove the chicken from the cooker, tipping it forward so any juices collected in the cavity drip out. Place on a roasting pan ( together with the potatoes, if you like), mist with cooking spray and blast under a hot grill (broiler) until the skin is lovely and crisp. Set the chicken aside for 20 minutes before carving.
- Reserve the carrots and potatoes to serve with the roast. Keep warm (you can add back into the slow cooker).
Make the gravy
- Strain the remaining juices into a gravy separator and discard the onions, celery etc. Discard most of the fat and transfer remaining juices into a saucepan.
- Bring the juices to a simmer, topping up with the extra hot chicken stock (add up to 1 cup depending on how much juices have collected in cooker). Add the Worcestershire sauce and cornflour slurry. Simmer over low heat until the gravy thickens, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the carrots, potatoes and gravy on the side.
Notes
Nutritional Info
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