Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (2024)

April 24, 2022 by Tori Avey 184 Comments

Lisa Leake’s Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe from the
100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

As my regular readers know, I strive to cook natural, nutritious foods for my family. The vast majority of my recipes are “from scratch” with ingredients my great grandmother would recognize (not sure if she was familiar with Middle Eastern za’atar, but that’s a subject for another blog…). I’m blessed that I am able to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, but not everybody has that luxury. For the average American family cutting out processed foods can be quite difficult, especially with the time restraints of a 40-hour work week, school and extra curricular commitments, etc. My friend Lisa Leake, the powerhouse blogger behind the site 100 Days of Real Food, challenged herself to live unprocessed for… you guessed it… 100 days! Her new cookbook,100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love, is the result of her journey. The book is perfect for anyone hoping to leave processed foods behind. Between tips on how to get your family involved, how to shop at farmer’s markets, meal plans, and how to determine what unprocessed really means, Lisa covers it all.

I enjoyed Lisa’s book and learned a lot from it. I especially love her tips for eating out, how to avoid ordering unhealthy foods when dining out, travel snacks, etc. Her simple recipe forcooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker was a revelation. My family loves chicken and slow cooker recipes are always welcome– I love the ease of “set it and forget it.” This recipe is almost completely hands off. Just spice rub the chicken, place it over a bed of onions in the slow cooker, and by the time dinner rolls around your main course is already taken care of. I changed things up from the original recipe ever so slightly, adding some smoked paprika and stuffing the chicken with garlic cloves, lemon wedges and some fresh rosemary I had on hand. I also added a couple of bay leaves to the slow cooker. It’s a really flexible method, you can add fresh herbs and your favorite spices to enhance the flavor of the chicken. The key is not adding liquid to the cooker– as the chicken cooks the fat renders, creating its own cooking liquid. I served this chickenwith my Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes for a truly warm and comforting meal, perfect for serving on a cold fall night. This cooking method is definitely going into our regular rotation. Enjoy!

And don’t forget to check out the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook. It makes a terrific holiday gift for families who want to start the path to an unprocessed life.

Recommended Products:

Slow Cooker

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Lisa Leake's Slow Cooker Chicken - Cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. Simple and delicious recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook.

PRINT RECIPEEmail Me Recipes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole onion peeled and cut into large pieces
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 lemon wedges
4 cloves garlic
l large whole chicken about 4 pounds

NOTES

Adapted from100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake

You will also need:slow cooker

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, dried thyme, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper. Set aside.
See Also
23 Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
Place the onion pieces in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Remove any giblets from the chicken and stuff it with rosemary, garlic and lemon wedges (or whatever herbs and aromatics you like).
Rub the outside of the chicken with the spice mixture. If you like you can also rub some of the spices on the inside of the cavity and beneath the skin covering the breasts.
Place the spice rubbed chicken, breast side down, on top of the onion pieces and cover the slow cooker. You won't need to add any extra liquid.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours, or until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
Remove from the slow cooker and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 248Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 80mg27%

Sodium 464mg20%

Potassium 276mg8%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 535IU11%

Vitamin C 21.5mg26%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!

Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions. Read more here. Please note that the recipe above is published using a recipe card plugin, with preexisting software which can auto-calculate metric measurements, as well as change the number of servings. Metric conversions and changes to the number of servings (resulting in different ingredient amounts) will only appear in the ingredient list, and are not changed within the step-by-step directions of the recipe.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (2024)