An easy slow cooker whole chicken recipe with lemon and garlic!
Cook your roast chicken in the slow cooker for the most juicy, succulent chicken you have ever tasted! Serve with boulangère potatoes for a maximum taste Sunday lunch!
This is an easy slow cooker chicken recipe for busy days, when you don't have much time to cook!
Simply rub the spice mix over the chicken, pop it in your slow cooker or crock pot, and cook on high for 3-4 hours!
👩🍳 Try my easy slow cooker roast beef next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- An easy slow cooker chicken recipe.
- Juicy, moist, and succulent meat.
- More economical than oven cooking.
- Vary the spice rub to suit your tastes.
- Perfect for Sunday roast.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - a 1.6kg whole chicken. For larger and smaller chickens, adjust the cooking times accordingly.
- Onion - for flavour and acts as a trivet on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Carrot - chopped and placed in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Lemon - cut in half and placed in the cavity of the bird.
- Rub - olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried mixed herbs.
🔪 How long to cook a 1.6kg chicken in slow cooker
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Place the chopped onion and carrot in the bottom of the slow cooker basin.
Two: In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried mixed herbs. Rub it all over the chicken (don't forget the bottom!).
Three: Place the lemon in the cavity of the bird and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5 hours. Place a sharp knife between the leg and breast and the chicken is cooked when the juices run clear, or the internal temperature reaches 75C / 165F using a meat thermometer.
💭 Expert tips
- For crispy skin, place the chicken under the grill (broiler) for 5 minutes at the end of cooking.
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This will ensure the meat is tender, juicy, and moist.
- There is no need to add water to the slow cooker basin.
- Make sure your chicken fits inside your slow cooker basin.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the slow cooker chicken with air fryer roast potatoes, roasted Tenderstem broccoli, apricot stuffing, and cauliflower cheese for an easy Sunday roast.
It's also a great recipe to enjoy midweek with salad (beetroot and goat's cheese salad is a good option) and crusty bread. You'll never need (or want) to buy another rotisserie chicken from the supermarket again!
📖 Variations
- Change the seasoning rub. Onion powder and chili powder add lots of flavour. You could also try using finely chopped woody herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
- Swap the carrots for different root vegetables. Parsnips work well.
- Use melted butter instead of olive oil for a richer flavour.
- Try this spicy harissa roast chicken in the slow cooker!
🥡 Storage
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use the leftover chicken in salads, pasta dishes, or risotto, or just make a chicken sandwich!
Reheat: The chicken can be eaten cold from the fridge. It can also be reheated in the microwave.
Freeze: The cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using in your recipe.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can! Slow cookers are designed to cook raw meats. The direct heat from the basin, lengthy cooking time and steam created from the tightly covered container destroys bacteria, making slow cooking safe.
You don't need to add any liquid to the slow cooker when cooking a whole chicken. It's useful to place the chicken on a bed of vegetables which acts as a trivet, or some balls of foil, to stop the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker though.
😋 More slow cooker recipes
- Slow Cooker Corn on the Cob
- Slow Cooker Tortellini
- Slow Cooker Diet Coke Chicken
- Slow Cooker Macaroni Cheese
- Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chasseur
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Mixing Bowl
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken approx 1.6kg
- 1 Onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 Carrot peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 Lemon halved
For the rub
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Place the chopped onion and carrot in the bottom of the slow cooker basin.1 Onion, 1 Carrot
- In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried mixed herbs. Rub it all over the chicken (don't forget the bottom!).1 Whole Chicken, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 2 teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Place the lemon in the cavity of the bird and place the bird in your slow cooker on top of the chopped onions and carrots.1 Lemon
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5 hours. Place a sharp knife between the leg and breast and the chicken is cooked when the juices run clear, or the internal temperature reaches 75C / 165F using a meat thermometer.
Notes
- For crispy skin, place the chicken under the grill (broiler) for 5 minutes at the end of cooking.
- Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This will ensure the meat is tender, juicy, and moist.
- There is no need to add water to the slow cooker basin.
- Make sure your chicken fits inside your slow cooker basin.
- Change the seasoning rub. Onion powder and chili powder add lots of flavour. You could also try using finely chopped woody herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
- Swap the carrots for different root vegetables. Parsnips work well.
- Use melted butter instead of olive oil for a richer flavour.
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