Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (from frozen) is a flavour, juicy and tender whole chicken recipe. Quite possibly the best way to cook a roast chicken.
Juicy and tender Slow Cooker Whole Chicken is one of those saved by the slow cooker kind of recipe. The whole chicken is placed in the slow cooker after a big rub of seasoning is applied.
Walk away and in 3-4 hrs on high, or 7-8 hours on low, an entire chicken is done with about 5 minutes of prep time. So good and always a family favourite.
How long should you cook chicken in slow cooker?
It depends on the size of the chicken. If it’s a smaller chicken (closer to 2 lbs) the cooking time will be 3 hours on high and 6-7 hours on low.
A large whole chicken (closer to 3.5 lbs) will need 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low.
Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in crockpot?
I prefer low as I find the chicken retains more moisture this way.
The chicken can be placed in the slow cooker frozen! I know, gone are the days where you forget to take meat out of the freezer the night before. I did find that when cooked from frozen, the chicken wasn’t as juicy.
Can you cook chicken in slow cooker without liquid?
Not if you want your chicken juicy. Lots of liquids will work as well. Water, broth, beer, apple cider if you want to go in that direction.
The key is to place a foil ring or a trivet if your slow cooker has one, at the bottom so that the chicken is lifted out of the liquid. The chicken will become soggy if it sits in the liquid while cooking and will be hard to remove from the slow cooker.
Tips for a juicier slow cooker whole chicken:
The chicken should only be broiled for a few minutes, otherwise there’s potential for the chicken to start drying out. A short and sweet broiling is all it needs – 5 minutes at the absolute most.
Keep the chicken trussed for more even cooking and to lock in as many juicy parts as possible.
Variations for the chicken seasoning include:
* thyme and sea salt
* herbs de Provence and salt
* lemon pepper
* herbed garlic butter
What to eat with Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe:
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (from frozen) is a flavour, juicy and tender whole chicken recipe. The best way to cook a roast chicken.
- 3 lbs whole chicken, cavity emptied and patted dry with paper towel can be cooked directly from frozen*
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth or beer
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Place a piece of 1' foil long that is rolled into a cylinder and form into a circle shape (see post above for photo) or a trivet into the bottom of the slow cooker with water.
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Place salt, paprika, sugar, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl and mix together. Sprinkle and pat onto chicken.
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Place seasoned chicken into slow cooker and set for 3 hrs on high or 6 hours on low for a smaller (2-3.5 lbs) chicken. For a larger (3.5-5 lbs) chicken cook for 4 hrs on high and 8 hrs on low.
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Preheat oven to high broil with a rack placed in the middle, about 8" away from broil. Carefully lift chicken out of slow cooker and place on a baking tray. Broil chicken for 3-5 minutes (check after 3 minutes and continue to closely monitor).
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Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.
* while the chicken can be cooked directly from frozen, the seasoning won’t adhere to the chicken as well as when the chicken is thawed.
Easy Side Salad Recipe (Kid-Approved!)
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing whole chicken recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Such a nice recommendation – thank you!
I have never attempted a whole chicken in my crockpot before. I love the idea of it! I saved this recipe to give it a try the next time I have a whole chicken on hand!
So easy and so juicy! I hope you get a chance to try it.
The easiest and most delicious chicken recipe!
it truly is!
Thanks for this blog. It was exactly what I needed. I would like to add a few notes hoping it helps others:
1) The slow cooker method frees up the oven when there is competition for the limited real estate available in the oven.
2) I cooked a 7 lb chicken for 10 hours at low setting. The meat is moist but de-boning is a bit of a chore. Next time I will try 11 hours.
3) If the chicken is frozen, make sure that there isn’t organ meat (giblets, heart, liver) left in a plastic bag inside the cavity. Otherwise you are cooking plastic with your food.
4) If using the delay function on the slow cooker keep in mind the health-safe limits (2 hours at room temperature for fresh meat).
Again, thanks for the post. Best method and recipe!
Thanks for the notes! Glad the recipe worked well for you and agree with all your notes here 🙂
How do you make sure the cavity is empty if it frozen? I don’t understand that part.
It usually says on the packaging but you could run cold water through the bird and feel around to make sure the cavity is empty.
Recipe was very easy to follow but 4 hours on high was not close to enough for a still a bit frozen 4 lb chicken.
We’re finishing in the oven and hoping it won’t dry out too much.
If we do it again we’ll definitely be starting at 6 hours on high.
Interesting, I tested this recipe using both the low and the high timing and my chicken was basically frozen solid. I wonder if my slow cooker “cooks” at a higher watt than others?