Crock Pot Whole Chicken & Vegetables

Cooking a whole chicken & vegetables in a crock pot is an easy, delicious and healthy meal that can feed an entire family. It is one of the most popular meals made in the Fall and Winter months and requires very little preparation.

Although you can easily buy a roasted chicken from the store, if you check the ingredients, it most often will contain some additives, lots of sodium and maybe even some other questionable ingredients.

In fact, if you look at the ingredient list closely you most likely will question whether or not you want to feed something as unhealthy as that to your family. Instead, it is much healthier to make your own roasted chicken. And it is easy when it is cooked in your slow cooker!

Just like my Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe, this recipe is so easy to make! With just a few simple, natural ingredients you can have a flavorful, juicy, freshly cooked rotisserie-style chicken that is both healthy and delicious!

However, before we start cooking, it is crucial to know the basics of cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker. This will help answer some initial questions before getting to the actual recipe.

Can You Cook A Whole Chicken In A Crock Pot?

Yes. However, it is important to note that slow cookers come in all different sizes. Therefore it is important to pick out a chicken that will fit inside your specific crock pot.

I have a Crock Pot 6 quart programmable Crock Pot and a standard, 4 pound roasting chicken fits inside without difficulty.

How Long Does It Take To Cook?

Making a roasted chicken in a crock pot usually takes around 4 to 5 hours if you are cooking the chicken on high heat. If you are cooking your chicken on a lower heat setting, it takes approximately 8 hours to fully cook.

However, I always check the internal temperature with an Instant Read Digital Food Thermometer before serving. This way I can guarantee that the chicken has cooked to the correct temperature that is safe for eating.

Cooking an entire chicken in a crock pot is pretty simple. With the right ingredients, you can make seasoned chicken and vegetables that is great to serve for a classic family dinner. And of course, if there are any leftovers, you can use the cooked chicken for easy recipes throughout the week!

Crock Pot Whole Chicken & Vegetables Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

Vegetables:

• 3 medium size Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 12 baby carrots

Dry Rub Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt

Chicken Ingredients:

• 1 whole roaster chicken
• 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 whole lemon
• 4-6 rosemary sprigs, or thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Gravy Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP. unsalted butter
• 2 TBSP. flour

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots

The most popular vegetables to cook with a whole chicken are potatoes, onions and carrots. However, instead of placing the vegetables alongside the chicken, place them at the bottom of your crock pot.

Then the chicken will be set on top of the veggies. This will help prevent your chicken from getting too soggy from sitting directly in the run off juices that will gather at the bottom of the slow cooker.

However, be sure to chop the vegetables into even size, 1-inch pieces for even cooking. And if you are trying to watch your carbohydrate intake, substitute diced turnips in place of the potatoes. I can tell you first hand that you won’t even taste the difference!

Chicken

Before you purchase a whole chicken, you must consider the size of your slow cooker. As mentioned above, you will need a whole chicken that fits completely inside your crock pot and can be covered with the lid.

As long as you have a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, and want to purchase a whole chicken without worry, pick out one that weighs about 4 pounds. This size is usually safe for any full size slow cooker.

And just a quick note about the chicken itself. Be sure that before you go to cook the chicken that it is completely thawed if it was purchased frozen.

This will take a little planning, so be sure to give it a day or two to thaw in the refrigerator. And remember to clear the cavity before placing it inside the crock pot.

Seasonings

To flavor the chicken, make a dry rub that consists of a mixture of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, pepper, and salt.

This will add a ton of flavor to not only the chicken, but the seasoning flavor will also flavor the vegetables placed below the chicken during the cooking process.

Lemon and Fresh Rosemary

Then place lemon and fresh herbs in the cavity of the chicken. This helps the chicken absorb additional flavors as it cooks.

If you are not a fan of rosemary, you can use fresh thyme sprigs in place of the rosemary.

Chicken Broth

Although the chicken will release natural juices as it cooks, a little extra liquid in the bottom of the crock pot will help prevent the vegetables from sticking and burning to the bottom surface.

I prefer to use chicken broth, however you also could use water or vegetable broth instead.

Butter and Flour (Optional)

What’s a roasted chicken without gravy? If you are considering making gravy for your roasted chicken, use the juices from the cooked chicken and whisk in butter and flour over a heat source.

However, be sure to use unsalted butter so that you can adjust the salt content once you serve the gravy.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• The first thing you need to do is to place the potatoes, onions, and carrots at the bottom of the slow cooker. Make sure to chop these 3 ingredients into 1-inch pieces and arrange them in a single layer if possible. 

• In a small bowl, place 2 teaspoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir until the dry rub is evenly incorporated. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.

• Be sure to remove any bag of innards inside the cavity of the chicken and drain out any liquid that may be present inside this area. Pat the whole internal and exterior surface of the chicken dry using paper towels. Rub the entire chicken with 1-2 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil, including the cavity.

• Now sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken and lightly pat the mixed seasonings on the skin. Be sure to also rub some of the spices under the skin of the chicken’s breast. 

• Cut the lemon in half, and gather 4 to 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme. Place these ingredients in the cavity of the chicken. 

• Now place the whole chicken on top of the vegetables inside the crock pot, breast side is up. Pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water down the side of the slow cooker.

Cook Time

• Cover the chicken and cook it on the high setting for about 4 to 5 hours or for 8 hours on the low setting.

• The chicken is cooked when a digital thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F. Turn off the heat, or allow it to go to the Keep Warm setting. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire cooking rack.

• Broil the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin begins to turn golden brown. Be sure to watch the chicken carefully so that it does not turn too dark. Remove the chicken from the oven and cover the pan with foil. Let the roasted chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

• Use a slotted spoon to scoop the vegetables into a serving dish. This will allow you to use the juices in the crock pot to make the gravy.

Optional Gravy Instructions:

• While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Do this by placing a saucepan over medium heat. Place and melt 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and let it cook for about 30 seconds. Then slowly pour the juices from the crockpot into the pan and whisk it constantly while it’s cooking for about 5 minutes. After it has thickened, add salt and pepper and serve this gravy along with your crock pot chicken and vegetables.

There you have it! An easy, delicious and healthy recipe to feed the family!

Enjoy! Mary

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