Slow Cooker Whole Roasted Chicken
Want to know one of my all time, most favorite, best things ever to make in the slow cooker? I suppose you probably guessed it, a whole roasted chicken. Who can’t find at least a gazillion uses for roasted chicken? From eating the chicken itself as a meal with sides (and maybe some gravy?) to shredded up leftovers for tacos, or wraps or stir fry, making a whole chicken is a great way not only to cook up a delicious meal but to cook up several meals at once.
I’ll walk you through how simple it is to get a bird that looks (and I promise, also tastes!) this delicious. The only truly challenging part is getting it out of the slow cooker because it’s so tender and juicy it just wants to fall right off the bone.
Later this week I’m going to talk about the essential seasonings I think you should keep on hand, and one of them will be Beer Can Chicken Seasoning
. It combines tons of delicious flavors and make meals like this really simple to put together. With this seasoning I created a 4 ingredients rub for the chicken. Then I made use of my favorite kitchen tool, my multi-cooker
, to brown this up in one step but remember you can also use a skillet and then transfer to the slow cooker.
I let the chicken cook all day and then when it was done I removed it to “rest” for a bit while I stirred some minute rice into all the delicious broth and juices left behind in the slow cooker. This is a great way to add a side dish without making any extra mess!
Add your favorite veggie (I always keep some frozen ones on hand for those days when I’m in a time crunch!) and you have a simple but delicious dinner and most likely some leftovers to make even more dinners later.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Homemade Garlic and Herb Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups premium instant rice
Instructions
- Wash and pat chicken dry with a paper towel
- Whisk together olive oil, orange juice, Garlic and Herb Seasoning, and paprika, and brush all over the bird
- Heat a skillet or multi-cooker over medium-high heat (about 400 ℉)
- Add chicken breast side down in the pan or multi-cooker and let it brown for about 4-6 minutes
- Flip it over and transfer to slow cooker, or switch the multi-cooker to slow cook setting
- Add broth and then cover and cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 8 hours or until chicken is fully cooked (165 ℉)
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and stir in the instant rice with remaining liquid in the pot
- Cover and return to high for 10-20 minutes or until rice is cooked and tender
Notes
- Debone the chicken, then store leftover meat in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat with your preferred method.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165 ℉ in the middle or the most dense portion of the meat.
- Remove any packets or seasoning from the cavity prior to cooking.
- Optional: Slice an orange and place it on top of the chicken before cooking for even more citrus flavor.
Nutrition
Want to make part of this recipe up ahead of time to save time during the morning rush?
- Wash the chicken and brush with the seasoning blend
- Skip the browning and add the chicken to a large freezer bag
- Keep in fridge for 2 days or freezer for 2-3 months
- Thaw completely before cooking
- You can now brown it if desired or skip this step for even faster prep
What to make with the leftovers? How about these Southwest Chicken Quesadillas!!
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The skin turned out mushy. how do i make it crispier? The chicken was seared, but cooking for hours in the crockpot made it soft.
It just won’t get as crispy when you slow cook it, it’s unfortunately one of the trade offs. One option, however, would be to place under the broiler for a few minutes after it’s done cooking.
I don’t like using instant rice. Can I use brown rice if I put it in with the chicken?
Hi Barbara, in this particular recipe, it may be a little too difficult to control the liquid to rice ratio for regular rice. I’d probably suggest waiting until the end, draining the juice to use as part of your liquid and then cooking the rice on the stovetop. Hope that helps!!
What’s beer can chicken seasoning?
Hi Jen! It’s just a seasoning blend you can buy in the spice section. I’ve seen several options, including one by Weber and one by McCormick’s. I got mine at Wal-Mart.
Thanks!! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it so I can make this ASAP.