Crockpot whole chicken with a rotisserie-style rub, potatoes, vegetables, and a delicious gravy to drizzle over everything. Perfect for meal prep or for Sunday dinner!
Just like my favorite Instant Pot whole chicken, this crockpot whole chicken gets the job done easily! Not only do you get perfectly juicy rotisserie-style chicken, but potatoes, carrots, and a seriously delicious gravy.
With juicy chicken, gravy and veggies, this recipe is just like a traditional Sunday dinner, but is so easy thanks to the slow cooker (and no need to have your oven on all day!)
You can use this recipe for meal prep (check out this whole chicken meal prep for some ideas), or enjoy for dinner.
Why you'll ♡ this crockpot whole chicken
- you can get a Sunday-style dinner cooking and go about your day
- you can use it for meal prep
- it's gluten-free, free from typical unpronounceable rotisserie chicken additives, and delicious
Recipe Video
There are a few steps to get this chicken on and cooking, and the best way to make sure you get it right is to watch the 1-minute video below! It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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Let's talk ingredients!
- whole chicken- I recommend a 3-4 lb chicken as larger ones may not fit in a slow cooker. The one pictured in this post is 3.3 lbs.
- rub- we are making a simple rotisserie-style rub from scratch with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika
- olive oil- to make a paste with the rub that allows it to spread under and over the skin
- root vegetables- carrots and parsnips are pictured. I have also tested with squash (I don't recommend as it gets mushy), and sweet potatoes (were good!)
- potatoes- use whole baby potatoes. If you use larger potatoes you will need to cut into small chunks
- red onion- one for the chicken cavity and one for the slow cooker
- fresh herbs- thyme and rosemary add a subtle and delicious flavor to the gravy and the vegetables as they cook.
15 minutes prep for a Sunday-style dinner
We are transforming simple, fresh ingredients into a gourmet dinner! Here's how to get the chicken on and cooking:
- rub- first we mix together the rub ingredients and rub under and over the skin of the chicken.
- veggies- chop the veggies and arrange in the bottom of the slow cooker. Reserve some veggies for around the sides of the chicken.
- chicken- place on top of the veggies. Stuff the cavity with a red onion (quartered) and fresh herbs.
- more veggies- arrange reserved veggies around the sides of the chicken.
- cook- high for 4 hours- this time works great for a 3-4 lb whole chicken
How to get crispy skin
When your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, it is ready to come out of the slow cooker. You are welcome to serve it as is, but I like to take the extra step of crisping up the skin.
To crisp up your chicken skin
- transfer to a baking sheet (along with the potatoes)
- broil for 3-5 minutes
A few quick tips for crispy skin:
* You may want to cover the chicken breast with a bit of foil to prevent burning while the legs and lower parts of the chicken brown up.
* Broiling the potatoes helps them get a nice 'roasted potato' texture.
Do not skip the gravy!
Do not, I repeat: do not! Skip the gravy! The gravy adds so much flavor to this recipe!
To make the gravy, we will collect the drippings from the bottom of the slow cooker in a small-medium pot. Strain out the herbs and veggies.
Stir in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water and simmer for 5-10 minutes. That's it!
I highly recommend investing in a digital thermometer! Check the internal temperature of your chicken in several spots and make sure it has reached 165°F.
I do not recommend it, as I find the potatoes get extremely dry when cooking for long periods of time in the slow cooker.
You absolutely can, but it is important to keep your chicken out of the pan drippings (as it can become soggy). You can ball up some foil and place in the bottom of the slow cooker, or maybe even see if an Instant Pot trivet will fit!
No. Unlike the Instant Pot, where we were able to cook a whole frozen chicken, for food safety reasons, you cannot do this in the slow cooker.
You need a large, 6 quart slow cooker <--I love this one! I recommend an oval-shaped one as it fits the shape of the chicken.
Serve with extra veggies
While the chicken and potato portions were sufficient, we were fighting over the last carrot. I would recommend serving this with a side salad or 4 cups of extra veggies. Unfortunately size constraints of the slow cooker mean it's impossible to fit any extra veggies in there.
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- Apple, Fennel, Brussels Sprouts Slaw
- Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic Butter
- Our Staple Kale Salad
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crockpot Whole Chicken & Veggies
Ingredients
Rub
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Crockpot Whole Chicken
- 1 chicken (3-4 lbs)
- 4 carrots (peeled and coarsely chopped)
- 4 parsnips (peeled and coarsely chopped; see *)
- 2 red onions (cut into wedges)
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 1.5 lbs baby potatoes (left whole)
Gravy
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
Rub
- Stir together spices for the rub, then add in the olive oil and stir to make a paste.
- Pat dry a whole chicken.
- Use a spoon to loosen the skin from the breast meat. Spoon ⅓ of the rub under the breast skin and try to spread evenly.
- With your hands, spread the rub all over the chicken breast, legs, sides and wings.
Crockpot
- In the bottom of a large slow cooker, add the potatoes, half the carrots, half the parsnips, and half the onions. Add 5 sprigs of thyme and 3 sprigs of rosemary.
- Place the chicken on top of the veggies. Squeeze 1 of the onions into the cavity of the chicken along with the remaining thyme and rosemary.
- Arrange the remaining veggies around the sides of the chicken. Make sure that the chicken is deep enough in the slow cooker that the lid does not touch the chicken.
- Cook on high for 3 ½- 4 hours. Check internal temp at 3 ½ hours.
For Crispy Skin
- When chicken is ready, carefully remove from the slow cooker and transfer to a baking sheet along with the potatoes. See *note
- Broil for 3-5 minutes, keeping an eye on the chicken skin so it doesn't burn.
- Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Gravy
- While chicken is broiling and resting, strain off solids and transfer pan drippings to a small/medium pot.
- Stir together cornstarch + water and whisk into the pot. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes, until thickened.
- Serve chicken with a drizzle of gravy.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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MaryAnn says
Excellent. Very easy, good meal for a cold, busy day. We had a 6 lb chicken so I used my 8 qt slow cooker to make. Tasted good, but a little mild for us. Next time , I will increase the seasonings some add an extra onion or 2 , and a box of mushrooms. My slow cooker has the room for the extra vegetables.i’ve put this on my Tried and True Board for next time so I can find it easily.
JC says
What size crock pot do you use doe this recipe?
Denise Bustard says
Hi JC! I am using a 6 Quart Cook & Carry Crock Pot brand slow cooker.
Emily Kaminski says
How much of each seasoning do you use for the rub? It’s hard to tell from the video. Are those all 1/2 tsp except for the salt? Thanks!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Emily! The full recipe is in the card at the bottom of the post. You can click the 'jump to recipe' link at the top of the post and it will take you straight there. I hope you enjoy!
Brian says
Tonight I made the whole chicken in crock pot it was amazing
Denise Bustard says
Hi Brian! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂
Monica says
what about lemons? Would that make too much liquid?
Denise says
Hi Monica! While I haven't specifically tested this recipe with lemons, I think it would work well! I would add it to the cavity. Let me know how it goes for you!
Sharon says
Looks great...can you put it in oven to broil n get crispy.??
Denise says
Hi Sharon, yes, definitely broil after cooking through. You can cover the breast meat with a little piece of foil to help the legs etc brown up first, then remove the foil and keep cooking the breast skin until brown.