Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

Yay! Another installment in my Slow-Cooker recipe series. And I know you’ll love it. Ready for one of the easiest meals ever? Seriously. It’s almost as easy as picking up a rotisserie chicken from the store.

A good rotisserie chicken is probably our favorite quick dinner — just grab a baguette, some fruit and cheese, and maybe a few fun drinks, and you’ve got yourself an easy meal. Bonus: it’s also one you can take on the road for a picnic or to eat while you watch your child’s soccer game from the sidelines. And it’s so much better than hitting up the drive-thru.

Something about this meal always feels festive — casual + sophisticated at the same time. And it pleases everyone in the family!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

The great thing about slow cooking a chicken this way is that it ends up very juicy and flavorful. True, you don’t get the golden brown skin, but you get just as much flavor as you would with traditional roasting methods. The parchment paper is a little trick that will help keep the chicken from drying out. This same trick can be used for cooking pot roast or pork loin in the slow cooker too, so file that away for later!

No liquid is added to the slow cooker because we don’t want the chicken to get mushy. It will release a lot of liquid as it cooks, and the slow cooker is lined with a sliced onion, which will also provide liquid as it cooks. This is a much shorter cooking time, but makes for a really juicy chicken that isn’t under — or over — cooked. No one likes over-cooked chicken!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

The juices are really good, so be sure not to throw those away. Just like with Thanksgiving turkey, you can make a brilliant broth after all the meat has been removed. Just pop it back into the slow cooker and fill it up with water and you’ll have some amazing stock for soup or gravy.

Hungry yet? Let’s get started.

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

Slow Cooker Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, between 3-5 lbs, giblets removed
1 extra large onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

Instructions:
1. Have a slow cooker, a large piece of parchment paper, and a piece of kitchen twine ready.
2. Combine the salt and spices together in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
3. Pat chicken dry outside and inside. Season well inside the cavity and evenly over the entire chicken. Use the twine to tie the legs together. Place the onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker and put the chicken on top. Press the parchment paper against the chicken and tuck it down against the sides. Put lid on slow cooker and set to LOW for 4 hours, or HIGH for 2 hours. Don’t take off the lid!
4. After the end of cooking time remove the parchment paper and transfer to a serving platter. Slice and serve. Reserve the juices in the slow cooker for another use or turn into gravy.

Yields about 6-8 servings.

Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpotSlow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpotSlow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Chicken  |  Design Mom  #crockpot

TIPS AND NOTES
– You don’t need to add water to the slow cooker. The chicken will release plenty of juices as will the onion on the bottom of the slow cooker.
– The parchment paper helps keep the chicken from drying out.
– Tying the legs with twine helps ensure even cooking.
– For a lower fat version, remove the skin from the entire chicken and proceed with the recipe directions.
– After most of the chicken has been removed from the bones, you can put everything back into the slow cooker with the juices and onion. Fill up the slow cooker with water and place on LOW for 8-10 hours to make a flavorful homemade stock.
– Substitute any spice blend for the spices listed. Ready-made poultry seasoning is a great substitute, as is Cajun seasoning, for a spicier chicken.
– This can be modified for slow cooking in a traditional oven by placing the chicken in a Dutch oven with the parchment paper and cooking at 300 degrees F for 2-3 hours.

P.S. — More slow cooker recipes that my family loves.


Created by Lindsey Rose Johnson. for Design Mom.

25 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken”

  1. Yes, I”m crazy, I have 3 kids and no slow cooker! That’s all gonna change. I gotta get one now. This recipe looks super! I’ll have to check out the rest of the slower cooker recipes in the series. I need some easy dinner recipes. Thank you for sharing!

  2. Sarah R in WI

    This looks delicious! I love slow cooker recipes, and I’ve always wanted to make my own stock as I’ve heard it’s much better than the store bought kind. Thanks! PS – I’m loving this series!

  3. This chicken looks so good! I’m definitely going to have to try it – although I do love the crispy skin that comes on a rotisserie chicken. Is it wrong that I eat almost all the skin myself? ;)
    I tend to grab a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket on nights that I don’t have much time for cooking, like when the kids have swimming lessons. Such an easy dinner and because my kids don’t eat much it lasts us for at least three meals: chicken with salad or veggies the first night, chicken sandwiches for lunch the next day followed by chicken quesadillas for dinner. Sometimes we get another lunch out of it too.

    1. We do the same thing! We are a family of 4 and that chicken lasts us a surprisingly long time! Love throwing in spinach into that quesadilla for some added greens!

      1. You have twice as many people in your family as I do!
        By the way, when I make your chili recipe (which I am still absolutely loving!) I halve the quantities but still end up with enough to feed the family for three meals!

    1. The funny thing is, I actually prefer to make most of these recipes on the stove top in a heavy pot. Since I work from home, it’s easy for me to check on, and there’s something satisfying about using a big, heavy cast iron pot to cook with. : )

  4. Thank you! Crock pot chicken is amazing, but I’ve never done one that had yummy stock (too salty, too lemon-rindy, etc.). I’m excited to get great chicken AND great stock out of this.

  5. I do this all the time! My favorite way to make chicken. I have even gotten great results with just regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts with some seasonings, no water and in the end super juicy, low-maintenance chicken. As far as the whole chicken goes I’ve never tied the legs or covered it with parchment and still turns out nice and juicy. I will be adding onions for a better stock flavor.

  6. LOVE that I just bought a whole chicken tonight! Was going to pop it in the oven but I think I’m trying this instead tomorrow night. I really love the idea about making stock in the slow cooker afterwards!

  7. Looks good! Can I ask, what kind of cheese is that? Also, where do you buy your baguettes? Local bakery? Or do you manage to find good ones at supermarkets?
    Thanks!

  8. Pingback: Slow Cooker Recipe: Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken | Camano Community

  9. I had to come back and comment on this. I finally had the chance to cook my whole chicken this way the other week, and it was AMAZING! I have been throwing a whole chicken in the crockpot for years, but it never was quite right and often a bit dry. This recipe was exactly what I needed, and so easy!

  10. Pingback: 8 Make-Ahead Recipes that Will Change Your Menu Planning - Clean Mama

  11. I just made this last night for the first time. I’ve made countless chickens in the crockpot and my husband always complains they are dry or flavorless. But not this recipe!!! It was so moist, had so much flavor. I think the parchment paper is true genius! Love the slow cooker series and LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. Adding it to my weekly rotation!

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