Crockpot Whole Chicken

4.91 from 30 votes

This Crockpot Whole Chicken is an easy, filling, paleo/Whole30 dinner! With only a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker does all the work! It's delicious! Naturally gluten free and made with only 7 ingredients.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time8 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crockpot whole chicken, slow cooker whole chicken, whole30 crockpot whole chicken

Servings: people

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Liz Marino

Ingredients

5 lb whole chicken
3 lemons halved
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
4 springs fresh rosemary
Aluminum Foil

Instructions

Roll 4 2-inch balls with aluminum foil and place in a square at the bottom of the crockpot (This is not necessary, but allows the chicken to be propped up so it doesn’t get mushy.)
Remove filling (giblets, organs, etc) from inside chicken and fill chicken with halved lemons + 2 whole rosemary sprigs. You can tie the chicken legs together with cooking twine.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place chicken on top of aluminum foil balls.
Pour olive oil on chicken + rub into the skin to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder. Place excess rosemary springs around the chicken.
Add in 1 cup of chicken stock to bottom of crockpot and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Low is recommended for most tender chicken.
You can transfer the chicken to a glass baking dish and broil to make the skin crispy, or serve directly from the crockpot!
Tip: Save all of the bones, skin & other scraps in the crockpot so you can make Easy Crockpot Bone Broth

Video

Notes

Tips for cooking a whole chicken

Don’t be afraid. People seem to be so grossed out or nervous about cooking it… it’s really not that different than regular boring chicken breasts! If you’re really grossed out by it (I mean, I get it.. sticking your hand in a chicken is weird and unpleasant), you can wear disposable gloves.
Make sure to clean out the inside of the chicken. Many chickens will come with the insides pre-cleaned. Sometimes they leave the organs inside in a little bag or pouch. You want to toss those (this is where those gloves come in handy.)
Always pat your chicken dry before spraying, stuffing and seasoning it. This allows the skin to get really crispy + full absorb the flavors.

Substitutions for this recipe:

Oil- You can use refined coconut oil or avocadol oil if you prefer
Herbs - If you don't like rosemary feel free to substitute with thyme/oregano. Any spices will be delicious. If using dried rosemary - only use 1.5 tablespoons

Nutrition