Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Additional Time
20 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 35 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
544 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
British
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Description
The recipe begins by bringing the chicken to room temperature for even cooking. It is seasoned thoroughly with a spice rub including brown sugar and savory powders, then stuffed with lemon and rosemary. Vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes are arranged in the bottom of the slow cooker to support the chicken, preventing it from sitting in fat and allowing even heat circulation.
Cooking on the HIGH setting for 4 to 5 hours gently roasts the whole bird until the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F), ensuring safe doneness while preserving moisture. The slow cooker juices can be used to make a simple gravy by adding chicken stock, corn starch, and Worcestershire sauce for thickening.
This method lends itself to hands-off cooking for a homestyle roasted chicken with tender meat and roasted vegetables that naturally absorb aromatics from lemon, garlic, and herbs. Checking doneness with a thermometer ensures the chicken is fully cooked but not overdone.
Handling chicken without rinsing avoids bacterial spread, relying instead on thorough cooking for safety. Allowing the chicken to rest briefly before serving helps retain juices. The recipe highlights seasoning balance and straightforward preparation using common pantry spices.
Ingredients
- 2 kg whole chicken without giblets, 4.5 pounds
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or Sukrin Gold Sweetener
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt to season
- black pepper to season
- 16 baby potato skin on, scrubbed clean
- 4 carrot cut into large pieces
- 3 onion halved
- 2 celery sliced, stalks
- 1 garlic cut in half, whole bulb
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 rosemary sprig
- olive oil spray
For the gravy
- 120 ml chicken stock add more if preferred, hot, ½ cup
- 1 tbsp corn starch diluted in 1 tbsp cold water, aka cornflour
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 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
- Do not wash raw chicken to avoid spreading bacteria; proper cooking to 75°C (165°F) kills pathogens.
- Bring chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking for even heat penetration.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the thickest part reaches the safe internal temperature of 75°C (165°F).
- Vegetables under the chicken act as a rack and soak up flavorful drippings during cooking.
- Gravy can be made from slow cooker juices by thickening with corn starch and seasoning with Worcestershire sauce.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 544 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 544kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 44g | 15% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 121mg | 40% |
| Sodium | 194mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 1382mg | 29% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 7406IU | 148% |
| Vitamin C | 54mg | 60% |
| Calcium | 67mg | 7% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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