I’ve tried a ridiculous amount of crock pot chicken recipes, and this is by far the best (and easiest) slow cooker whole chicken recipe that keeps the meat super moist and falling-off-the-bone delicious—plus it's a great way to switch things up if you usually only make chicken breasts!
Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
Place chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, breast side down, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
Cook for 4 to 5 hours on high or 7 hours on low (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don't forget to make your chicken stock!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 589mg26%
Potassium 379mg11%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 680IU14%
Vitamin C 4.5mg5%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Some helpful tips from readers:
If you use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, you'll need to add some water to the dish before cooking, otherwise, they may come out dry.
You could also cook a small turkey with this recipe; place it breast side down.
You can cook this on low (for example, if you're going to be at work all day and you want it to cook while you're gone) for longer, 7 hours.