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:
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Other dried herbs – or use fresh instead;
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Add spices – or skip the herbs and use a rub instead;
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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)
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Add fresh herbs and a halved head of garlic inside the chicken (you need lots of garlic to be able to taste it)
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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
-
Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (seriously delish!)
-
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…. 😂😂😂
I love the sound of this and we have just had a butchers open near us that does great chickens – no added water!
With our instant pot we’ll be able to make the gravy without even needin a saucepan. Thanks Nagi!
Hi Jason and Nagi, I’m a newbie to the “Instant Pot” and would like to know what setting and how long would I need to make the sauce in my IP. Thank you.
I’m anxious to try this recipe of Nagi’s out as it sounds so delicious!
Yes! I forgot to add that tip when using an Instant Pot – thanks Jason! N x
Love your recipes and reading about Dozer. Will be making this Lemon Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken this week. Can’t wait. Yum
Hope you get a chance to try it Krisby!! N x
Hi Nagi. Definitely going to try this one. But I don’t have a grill (mine doesn’t work anymore) so is there something to use that “browns” the skin? Love all your recipes!
Hi Dianne! No problems, just crank up your oven as high as it will go 🙂 It takes a bit longer but works a treat. You just don’t want it in too long because we don’t want to cook it! N x
Hi Nagi. Happy New Year. Chicken looks great – very Greek!!! I’ll be trying the pressure cooker method. Looking forward to lots more delicious recipes in 2019.
That’s so true Louise!! I didn’t think about that 🙂 I might have to tag it Greek as well! N x
Hello Nagi, my grill is the small, would this be ok in a really hot oven for 5 min, or would this dry it out too much ? Love your recipes. Thankyou Mary
Hi Mary! A very hot oven will be just fine, it takes a wee bit longer. I used to use the oven! I’ve just updated the recipe 🙂 N x
Broiler is key for me on this one!! Great tip for a new mom who just went back to work full time and trying to figure out how to still feed everyone.
YES! If you have a big slow cooker like the oval one I have, you can even fit 2 medium ones in at the same time 🙂 Just squish them side by side! N x
Slow cooked and pressure cooked recipes are great and welcome in all kinds of climates, seasons, and weather! They simplify life no matter how hectic it can get, or can buy extra time to spend doing other things.
That recipe looks like a “winner, winner, chicken dinner” that we’ll enjoy.
“winner, winner, chicken dinner” <- That's soooooo Aussie!!!
Your recipes are the best! Looking forward to trying this one.
This went right on my “To Try” list! It looks and sounds about as perfect as chicken can get. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you get a chance to try it Vicki! N x
This recipe is a winner!
Happy New Year Nagi
Thank you Phyllis! Happy New Year to you too! N x
This looks delish. i’ll try it on sunday. love the new layout. still dont like the greyscale LOL.
Greyscale…???
Thanks for including both types of cooking methods. I’m going to make it in my slow cooker Sunday for visiting family. Yum!
Hope everyone loves it Anne! N x
Roast chicken is a favourite in our house. I’m going to try this method and compare to oven roasted.
Happy New Year, Nagi!
You’ll love it Joanna! It really is incredibly juicy 🙂 N x
Looks great! Can’t wait to try it!
Hope you get a chance Sarah! N x
Happy New year,this chicken is on for Sunday ,thanks.
Hope you love it Linda! N x
I noticed you put chicken on rack in slow cooker. Is this necessary? Love the new website…:)
Hi Ojailyn! It’s recommended because it keeps the chicken from sitting in its own juices as it cooks which makes the underside more tender than the upper side 🙂 But it’s not a deal breaker! N x
I love your new website and recipes.
Is there anything more versatile than chicken? I think I will use the oven for this recipe because I don’t have either of these appliances.
Hi Jen! This recipe works beautifully with the oven too 🙂 I’m so pleased you like my new website, thank you! N x
Delicious! I’ve never thought of lemon and chicken going together before!
It’s amazing!! Especially with garlic and a hint of herbs 🙂 N x
I love roast chicken. Thanks for including pressure cooker instructions too. Happy New Year!
You’re so welcome! It works so well with both, I make it using my pressure cooker quite regularly! N x
happy new year Nagi
Love your recipes .
Happy New Year to you too Margaret! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes! N x