I’m going to show you how to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker. This easy slow cooker chicken turns out juicy and flavorful every single time. It’s a great recipe for cooking a whole pastured chicken from the farmers market because it’s nearly impossible to mess up if you follow these instructions.

Easy Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (Pasture Raised) On a Platter

Awhile back I walked you through how to roast a whole pasture raised chicken in the oven. Today I’m sharing my crockpot whole chicken recipe.

Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker or crockpot is so easy! In fact, after you try, it might just become your new favorite way to cook a whole chicken.

And you know that incredible aroma that fills your kitchen when there’s a chicken roasting in the oven? Yeah, that one. You’ll still get the “OMG it smells so good in here!” reaction when you roast a pastured chicken in the slow cooker.

I buy pastured chicken from a local farmer at the farmers market. Though you might find free range chicken or organic chicken at some grocery stores, you’ll almost certainly need to get pasture raised chicken directly from a small farm.

Buying directly from farms is how I prefer to roll anyway. And seeing as you’re reading a recipe about how to cook a pasture raised chicken, I’m guessing you have one in your fridge or freezer right now. 🙂

The great part about cooking a whole chicken is that not only do you get 4 to 6 meals out of the chicken meat, you can then make a nutritious bone broth with the carcass.

I get about 16 cups of bone broth out of a single chicken (plus some chicken feet for additional collagen). That’s a lot of value considering that you’ll pay about $8 for just 2 cups of a quality bone broth at Whole Foods.

Why cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker versus the oven?

Both ways are delicious and I do sometimes roast a whole pastured chicken in the oven (here’s my recipe). That said, there are some benefits of cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

Set it and forget it – Once your pasture-raised whole chicken is in the slow cooker, just let it cook. No need to check it or baste it. Heck you can even run errands or go to work while you slow cook a chicken. On the other hand, it’s not advisable to leave the oven on when you go out.

Avoid overcooking your chicken – Because slow cookers operate at low temperatures, you’re less likely to overcook your chicken. A slow cooker is more forgiving than an oven if you leave the chicken in longer than needed.

Energy efficient – A slow cooker or crockpot is far more energy efficient than an oven. And a slow cooker won’t heat up your kitchen the way an oven will. This makes slow cookers especially convenient for summer cooking.

On the flip side, the biggest benefit of cooking a whole chicken in the oven is you can roast the chicken together with vegetables.

Vegetables don’t cook well in a slow cooker unless they’re covered with a sauce, or other liquid. So you’ll need to cook your sides separately when using a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Ingredients

Whole Pasture Raised Chicken – This recipe cooks a 3 to 4 pound chicken (thawed). That said, if your chicken is larger, you can still cook it in a slow cooker if it fits. Adjust the cooking time up or down depending on size.

You probably won’t find pasture raised chicken at the grocery store. Here are my suggestions on where to buy pasture raised chicken.

Fresh lemon – We’ll squeeze the juice from half a medium lemon over the entire chicken before cooking.

Seasoning – This whole chicken is seasoned with fresh minced garlic, sage, salt and either thyme or rosemary (your choice!).

Yellow onion – I always stuff a whole chicken with half an onion. As the onion cooks it releases its flavor into the chicken meat – so yummy! Cut the onion into four chunks.

Olive oil and butter – Rub olive oil over the entire chicken and stuff it with small pieces of butter for extra flavor and juicyness!

See the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities of each ingredient.

How to Roast a Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Easy Slow Cooker Whole Chicken. Pasture Raised chicken on a platter ready to serve.

I love how easy it is to roast a whole chicken in the slow cooker. Just season, set it and walk away.

Step 1: Season the Chicken

A little trick I have is putting the whole chicken on a large baking sheet to season it. This gives me a good surface to work on and makes cleanup a breeze.

Seasoning a whole chicken for the slow cooker

It’s also helpful to have all your ingredients measured out in small bowls so you can season the entire chicken without stopping to wash your hands. Have your slow cooker waiting with the lid off right beside the baking pan and you can lift the chicken into it once it’s seasoned.

Alright, we are ready to go with just a few minutes of prep time needed!

Start by squeezing half a lemon over the entire chicken. Then use your hands to rub the olive oil all over the skin.
Next, sprinkle the dried or fresh herbs, salt and garlic over the chicken, top and bottom. Rub them into the legs, wings and breast meat.
Finally, tuck the onion pieces and butter into the chicken.
Place the whole chicken, breast side up in the middle of your slow cooker.
Now wash your hands well after handling raw chicken. 🙂

A whole pasture raised chicken in the slow cooker ready to cook

Step 2: Roast in the Slow Cooker

Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook for 3-4 hours on high heat or 7-8 hours on low heat. See the FAQs for more details on cooking time and how to know when chicken is done cooking in the slow cooker.

Be sure not to lift the lid until you’re pretty sure the chicken is ready! When it is done cooking, turn off the heat and gently lift it out with a spatula and grippy tongs. (That part is tricky)

Pasture Raised Whole Chicken on the Table

Whole chicken presents beautifully on a platter garnished with lemon pieces, roasted vegetables and fresh herbs.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Roast chicken goes with so many things…cold potato salad and raw veggies in summer, roasted veggies and mashed potatoes in winter, the list is never-ending.

Here are some Fed by the Farm recipes I recommend serving with a whole chicken.

What to Make with Leftover Chicken

Here are some of my favorite things to make with leftover cooked chicken:

Chicken pot pie
Chicken and vegetable soup
Chicken salad sandwiches
Chicken nachos

And don’t throw out the chicken carcass. Those bones make a super healthy chicken stock for soup.

More Pasture-Raised Chicken Recipes

Here are a few more healthy recipes made with pasture raised chicken:

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken FAQ

Is it better to cook chicken on high or low in the crockpot?

I’ve cooked a whole chicken on both high and low heat multiple times in the crockpot and I haven’t noticed a difference. When I cook a whole chicken in the crockpot on high heat it’s still juicy and delicious. So whether I cook on high or low depends more on how much time I have.

For example, if I’m putting the chicken in before going out for the day, I’ll cook it on low. If I’m going to be home, I’ll start cooking it on high 3 or 4 hours before dinner time.

How long to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker?

On high heat it’ll take 3-4 hours to cook a 3-4 pound whole chicken in the slow cooker. A 3 pound whole chicken is ready at right about the 3 hour point when cooking on high heat. On low heat it’ll take 7-8 hours to cook the same size chicken.

If your chicken is heavier than 4 pounds you can still cook it in the slow cooker. It’ll just take longer. For example, a couple months ago I cooked a 5.5 pound whole chicken in the slow cooker on high, and it took almost 5 hours.

A whole chicken is done cooking when a meat thermometer plunged deep into the thigh (without touching bone) shows an internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees.

As a visual check for doneness, I look for the meat to start pulling back from the ankle bone. When that happens I know the chicken is done cooking. At this point I’ll lift the lid and check the temperature to be sure.

Can I cook vegetables in the slow cooker with the chicken?

I have cooked vegetables along with the chicken in the slow cooker and it doesn’t turn out. The vegetables need liquid to cook and the chicken doesn’t release its juices until later in the cooking process. It’s not enough time or heat to cook the vegetables.

Are you sure I don’t need to put liquid in the slow cooker?

You absolutely do not need to add liquid to the slow cooker in order to roast a whole chicken. I’ve repeatedly cooked whole chickens in my slow cooker without adding liquid, and they turn out very moist and juicy.

Can I cook a frozen whole chicken in the crockpot?

I do not recommend cooking a frozen whole chicken in your crock pot. You run the risk of it cooking unevenly as different parts of the chicken thaw at different speeds. And that could result in tough, dry chicken. That’s the last thing you want, not to mention the waste of ruining a beautiful pasture raised chicken.

How to get crispy skin when cooking chicken in the slow cooker?

If crispy skin is a necessity, like it is for my friend Karen, you might not like the slow cooker method as much. There’s nothing like an oven for providing the intense dry heat needed to crisp up chicken skin. I personally don’t mind that the skin isn’t crispy.

To get that crispy skin when cooking chicken in the crockpot or slow cooker, you’ll need to take another step. When the chicken is done, place it breast side up on a baking try. Place the tray and chicken under the broiler in your oven (preset to high) for a few minutes. Watch it carefully so it’s there just long enough to crisp up the skin without burning.

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