Can I slow cook a whole chicken?
You sure can!
And many will tell you once they tried slow cooking their chickens they will never do it another way ever again 🙂
Here’s some tips to keep in mind:
~ You don’t need any liquid. You will be really surprised by just how much liquid a whole chicken will release during cooking! That along with the condensation that drips down on a chicken from the lid due to slow cooking condensation will mean you don’t need to add any more liquids to the slow cooker with your chicken.
~ Cook your chicken breast down. This keeps the breast meat sitting in the liquid that’s produced during cooking so it won’t dry out like breast sometimes can.
~ If you are concerned there is too much liquid, or if you have a spice rub etc on your chicken that you don’t want to get too immersed in liquid you may choose to elevate it up from the bottom of your slow cooker by sitting it on some scrunched up tin foil balls, egg rings or even an inverted dish.
~ When it comes to seasoning your chicken your imagination is your only limit. Whatever spice, marinade or herbs you may use when you cook a chicken in the oven you can do just as well in your slow cooker (see recipes below for ideas)
~ When your chicken is cooked it will be fall apart tender! I like to get mine out by using two lifter/egg flips at the same time and slide them underneath both ends to lift it up and out quickly onto a dish. An alternative method is to create a foil or baking paper sling under your chicken prior to beginning cooking. This can then be used to grasp and lift chicken out with at the end of cooking. This can be in a large sling design or a large cross of two strips which forms a basket of sorts to lift it at the end. Whatever works for you 🙂
We are always adding new recipes to our CHICKEN category for whole chickens. But here is a selection of some of our current whole chicken recipes to get you started:
Have you got a different version of slow cooker chicken you love?
Why not SUBMIT yours today! 🙂
Many thanks for chicken info Pauline .What a great service , Pat
Hope it’s useful 🙂
Looking forward to trying this for dinner tonight.
Great 🙂 Which one are you doing?
Hi Paulene….Just wondering how long for a 2.5kg chicken on high or low. Omitted from above details.
Thanking you in anticipation Ivy
Ivy every recipe above has the full times and instructions on it 🙂
I just find that the chicken is just to soft, I like to carve mine with a browned crisp skin.
So does this mean that when we cook a chicken, not to put anything in there as in like no water just the chicken and let it cook on high or low and how long for please!!
Hi Jemma!!
Just click on any of the actual recipes for exact details for every recipe, it will have exact cooking times 🙂
But generally speaking no liquid needed … your chicken will release 1-2 cups of liquid during cooking I find
Each recipe stats time and on high or low but again, generally speaking around 6-8hrs on low depending on the size of your chicken, and recipe used
Thank you so much, this is awesome and will definitely be trying this out
I was just wondering, are these all fresh chickens or are they frozen?
Then can be fresh or frozen, so long as all are cooked ONLY from fully thawed 🙂
Thanks for the tip
You mentioned to place chicken breast side down, but I noticed that your photos show the bird breast side up. Are they all already done just to show how they look when ready? I’ve never done a chicken roast in a slow cooker and hope to get more help there please. Thanks Paulene.
Yes it’s breast side down 🙂 No need to flip during cooking as it will be so tender it will often fall apart if you tried to do so 🙂
I sprinkle a gravy mix over the breast, and use 1/2 a cup of water over it otherwise the gravy will not go to the bottom..when I take it out my gravy has the chicken flavour enhanced
I’m hoping to do chicken and gravy rolls while using a whole chicken that will get shredded… I have tried looking however must be blind all recipes I see say breast. Thanks
Whole chicken will release a lot of liquids, and of course all the bones to remove don’t lend itself the best to be shredded. BUT that’s not to say you can’t Kate. Just slow cook it in a gravy mix then strain everything, shred meat and return just the shredded meat to the gravy to thicken 🙂
We like crispy skin… can I pop it in a high oven briefly after it’s cooked or will that dry it out?
You could do so Nic, oven or air fryer, but yes keep it brief as possible 🙂
Hiya. Still can’t see if it’s ok to cook it upright. Neck down or bum down, please?
I don’t cook chickens upright
However if you were going to I’d think meaty area down would be more effective
Easy as…rubbed some morrocan spice paste over, breast down, cooked on low 6 hours…. So succulent.