This Slow Cooker Roast Chicken is the juiciest, most forgiving and easiest whole chicken recipe I know. It’s such a great way to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker that’s incredibly quick to prepare with beautiful flavours reminiscent of Greek food!
This roast chicken recipe can be slow cooked OR pressure cooked then popped under the grill/broiler for 5 minutes to crisp the skin. You can serve up a Sunday Roast Chicken dinner any day of the week!
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken – A Gold Nugget Recipe
If you’re new to making a whole chicken in a slow cooker, this is going to be life changing.
No false promises! This crock pot whole chicken recipe is truly one of my gold nugget recipes. That elusive combination of quick and easy, incredibly forgiving, but in no way a compromise of a great classic Roast Chicken. Here’s why:
✅ The flesh of this chicken (even the breast) is so juicy, you’d swear it’s been brined;
✅ Ultra forgiving – Even if you go 2 hours over the cook time, it’s still juicy. The magic of slow cookers!
✅ It looks and tastes like a traditional oven roasted chicken – albeit (I kid you not) the breast meat is more tender and juicier;
✅ Various cooking options with exactly the same outcome. Slow cook on low (5 hours), high (3 hours), or pressure cook for 24 minutes.
✅ It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare to get it in the slow cooker, and you can prep ahead. Plus, the Lemon Sauce is effortless – just add cornflour/cornstarch into the slow cooker juices.
Crock pot whole chicken recipe ingredients
This is all you need for this recipe:
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
This Lemon Garlic slow cooker whole chicken starts with an olive oil paste that’s made with lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and dried herbs of choice (I use thyme, oregano and parsley).
For maximum flavour, I put most of the paste under the skin of the chicken. This is not hard to do – and doesn’t need to be “perfect”!!! Watch the video. 🙂
Just loosen the skin using a dessert spoon (hugs the curves, avoids piercing skin), spoon the paste under, then spread it roughly using your hands or the spoon from the outside. Doesn’t need to be perfect, the paste will slide and naturally spread as it cooks.
Pop the used lemon inside the chicken, then place the chicken on a rack in the slow cooker (or use balls or a ring of scrunched up foil), and slow cook for 5 hours on low.
When the chicken comes out of the slow cooker, it will smell gorgeous but will look thoroughly unappetising – pale and colourless. Just a quick 5 to 10 minute broil/grill fixes that – you will be amazed how quickly the skin goes from bland to crispy golden brown!!!
How long does a whole chicken take in the slow cooker?
A 2kg/4lb whole chicken will take 5 hours on low, or 3 hours on high. This will be a juicy and carvable, chicken like a traditional oven Roast Chicken.
If you want one where the meat is more tender and can basically be pulled off the bone with little effort, slow cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.
Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Option!
This Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken can also be made in a pressure cooker. It comes out exactly the same – just a heck of a lot faster! 😂 Just add 1/2 cup of water and pressure cook for 24 minutes on high. Let it depressurise naturally for 10 minutes then release the valve.
Lemon Sauce
I used to call this a gravy, but it somehow seemed odd to have a lemon flavoured gravy. So I reverted to just Lemon Sauce!
You’ll love how straight forward this is compared to usual gravies. No messing around with oily pans and cooking flour and straining. Just add cornstarch / cornflour then simmer until thickened. That’s it!
Oh the possibilities!!!
The beauty of recipes like this is that it’s easy to adapt this cooking method to make it your own. I’ve kept it straightforward because it’s an everyday roast chicken recipe.
Here are some ideas for variations:
- Other dried herbs – or use fresh instead;
- Add spices – or skip the herbs and use a rub instead;
- Add a quartered onion and halved head of garlic (or smashed garlic cloves) under the chicken (it will make the gravy even tastier! Strain out of sauce)
- Add fresh herbs and a halved head of garlic inside the chicken (you need lots of garlic to be able to taste it)
- Use butter instead of oil (use more!)
OK, so that’s it from me! Longer than usual post, but I have a lot to say when it comes to this Slow Cooker Roast Chicken. 🙂 Hope you enjoy. And I’d really love to hear what you think if you try it – or how you make it your own! – Nagi x
More Whole Chicken Recipes
- Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken
- Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (seriously delish!)
- Thomas Kellers’ Brine for Chicken
- Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken
- Chicken Noodle Soup – from scratch!
Lemon Garlic Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Lemon Garlic Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb whole chicken , patted dry (Note 1)
Rub (Note 2):
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil (or melted butter), plus extra for drizzling
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 large lemon , all zest + all juice
Lemon Sauce:
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
- 1 extra lemon , just in case
Instructions
- Rub – Mix Rub ingredients. should be fairly thick and sludgy. Adjust with extra oil if too thick.
- Loosen Skin: Use upside spoon to loosen skin of chicken (see video). Spoon most of the Rub under the skin, leaving about 1 tbsp mostly oil for the skin. Use hands or spoon on skin to spread the paste - doesn't need to be perfect.
- Stuff used lemon inside the chicken.
- Put rack inside slow cooker (Note 3), place chicken on top. Spread with remaining sludge, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Slow cook 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high, or until juices run clear or internal temperature is 75C / 165F using a meat thermometer. (Note 4 for other cook methods)
- Brown skin: Remove chicken from slow cooker, drizzle with a bit of extra oil. Grill/broil on medium high for 5 to 10 minutes to brown the skin (~25cm /10" from heat source). Or oven 240C/450F for 10 min.
- Spoon over pan juices, then serve with Lemon Sauce! (No need to rest chicken)
Lemon Sauce:
- Pour all slow cooker liquid into a saucepan, add cornflour / water mixture. Mix.
- Bring to simmer over medium high and cook until liquid thickens to thin syrup (depends how much liquid you have, usually 3 min or so). Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add more lemon if desired (the extra lemon). Pour into jug.
Recipe Notes:
Pressure cook - Add ½ cup water and pressure cook for 24 minutes on high (depressure naturally 10 min before releasing valve).
Oven - Follow directions in this juicy Roast Chicken recipe. 5. Slow Cooker Cook Times:
1-1.5kg / 2-3 lb - 4.5 hrs on low
1.75-2.25kg / 3.5-4.5 lb - 5 hrs on low
2.5kg / 5lb - 6 hrs on low
For almost "all apart" meat, add 1 to 2 hours onto the cook times. Flesh is still juicy! Pressure Cooker: 6 minutes per 500g/1lb of chicken. 5. Prep Ahead / Storage: Prepare chicken with rub under and on skin. Refrigerate up to 48 hours then slow cook per recipe. Cooked chicken keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. 6. Nutrition per serving assumes all sauce is consumed.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2014. Updated January 2019 – recipe improved, everything completely rewritten, new photos, new video. Most importantly, Life of Dozer section added! 😂 Just in case anyone is after the original recipe, here it is.
Life of Dozer
He was captivated by the video for this slow cooker chicken…. 😂😂😂
Thanks for this awesome recipe.
Can I use chicken breasts ?
Thank you for this awesome dish
I have a question can I use chicken breast? I have about 1 kg of it in the fridge.
Another amazing recipe, Nagi! I cannot believe that the breast was actually tender! 😮 thank you so much.
10 out of 10. Absolutely delicious! Restaurant quality!
I would love to know what you typically serve with this. Sounds yum!
Hi Corrie, usually roast potatoes or roast veg but a side salad would also be great! N x
Omg amazing!!!!! This is a keeper . Delicious. Juicy. Easy. I followed the recipe exactly.
Wow!!! I am converted! Despite being a 38yr old, mum of two boys, fairly proficient cook (and having worked in a reputable roast chicken place in my teens), up until yesterday I had never roasted a chicken in my life! The fear of drying it out, the need for basting regularly, plus the “I stuff that lemon there?!” put me off…. but not anymore!
This was an incredibly easy recipe and the results were amazing!
My youngest declared it was the best meal I have ever made!! He also loved the sauce and he is not a gravy kid!
And hubby who doesn’t normally like roast chickens went back for seconds!
Thank you Nagi for all your delicious recipes, I’ve been using a few recently but was moved to thank you properly after this one… 🙂 You are so generous!
Made this dish on the weekend but with unexpected visitors arriving didn’t get to eat it. I used the cooked chook and sauce the next day in a pie. The taste was sensational.
Can you add vegetables- like potatoes and carrots to the bottom instead of a rack or foil? That way you can have a whole meal done in one dish. Would you need to adjust the time?
Im making this right now, its on its 4th hour in the slow cooker and I just cant wait for dinner it smells SO GOOD! Making some roasted potato and steamed bok choy on the side. Thankyou Nagi once again for making me look awesome in the kitchen! 🙂
Wahoo! That’s great Nag! N x
Nagi, this recipe is THE BEST! First time I’ve ever used the slow cooker for this type of recipe. My son in London (who has cooked many RecipeTin dishes) tried this first and kept telling me I had to give it a go. Hubby peeked at it about half an hour in and said I don’t think it’ll work…. imagine how much he enjoyed his chicken dinner that night! It was sensational…lots of ‘gravy’ and tender juicy meat. Followed recipe exactly and browned under the griller for 5 mins. My go to roast chicken recipe from now on. Thank you once more for another keeper!
Would this work if I spatchcocked a small chicken? I have an InstantPot Gem multicooker (no pressure cooking) and it has a rack.
Thanks
Yes 100%!! Enjoy! N x
Made this for my Dad whose the king of roasts-everyone loved it. So moist! Kids enjoyed it too and even my 3 year old loved the lemon sauce. Dad is excited to have discovered your website and is trying your butter chicken tomorrow…stay tuned!
WOOT!! That’s so good to hear Rachel! N x
This chicken is so good. Juicy and so moist. I have made a few times and it never disappoints.
Another winner so thanks Nagi.
That’s awesome Jackie, thanks so much for letting me know ❤️
The MOST moist chicken ever! I have never had such moist flavourful breast meat in my life. Sharing this recipe with everyone. Thank you Nagi!
If I brine a chicken using your brined chicken recipe, could I then use the rub from this recipe to roast it?
Hi Jo, you sure can, just cut back on the salt 🙂
Ooooh, this one was good! So easy to prep and then throw it in the slow cooker and forget about it. Delicious flavour and super tender meat. And it’s always nice to have something to cook in the slow cooker that isn’t a stew!