Making a rotisserie-style whole chicken in the slow cooker has never been so easy! This lemon garlic chicken is cooked on low for 6-8 hrs and results in the most flavorful fall-off-the-bone chicken! And, the leftover meat can be used in a variety of different casseroles and soups!
Chicken is my typical "go-to" dinner meat of choice and I love to eat it no matter how it's cooked. You just can't go wrong with grilled chicken like this Greek marinated chicken or baked chicken, like my brown sugar chicken recipe, but I also love a good slow cooker roast chicken recipe.
I don't know anyone who would disagree when I say that slow cooker meals have to be the most convenient way to prepare dinner. Typically when making a slow cooker recipe, it involves a quick prep and then you set it and forget it. And that's exactly what this slow cooker whole chicken recipe entails. While it only takes minutes to prepare, the chicken turns out tender, juicy, and perfect for any weeknight dinner!
ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
There's a lot to love about this recipe but to sum it up:
- The taste is phenomenal. This is a garlic chicken recipe with a lemon citrus flavor.
- It's an EASY slow cooker recipe anyone can make,
- The ingredients are simple and quick to prepare,
- This slow cooker whole chicken is extra flavorful thanks to the garlic. I chop up 10 cloves and use it in my poultry wet rub.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Many people are surprised to learn that you can use a slow cooker to cook a whole chicken. You'll need a 6-quart slow cooker to cook a 4-5 lbs whole chicken. If you've never used a slow cooker to make a full chicken, you are going to really enjoy this cooking method. Slow cooking really does make life so much easier.
📖 How to Properly Thaw a Whole Chicken
Before making this recipe, the chicken needs to be completely thawed. If the whole chicken is frozen, place it in the refrigerator to thaw. I always place the chicken directly in a large 13x9 dish or aluminum pan when placing it in the fridge to catch the liquid that escapes during the thawing process.
You should avoid thawing chicken on the counter. This method of thawing can cause bad bacterial growth. While you can defrost chicken in the microwave, I don't recommend it because it can quickly bring the chicken to the danger zone where bad bacteria can multiply more rapidly. I always thaw chicken in the refrigerator so that it can thaw at a slow pace.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
This is a lemon garlic chicken flavored recipe and the flavor is superb! It's unique in taste because the whole chicken is slow cooked with lemon rinds. The oil from the rinds really enhances the flavor and when paired with all that garlic, this slow-cooked chicken turns out juicy and tender. I cut the lemon into 6 slices, squeeze out the juice for the wet rub, and then toss the lemon rinds into the slow cooker to cook with the chicken.
📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by making a wet rub that consists of finely chopped onions, chopped garlic, fresh rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Using a spoon, mix the ingredients until they are well combined. Set aside.
After washing the celery and carrots, chop them into quarters and place them at the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables.
Generously apply the wet rub onto the whole chicken, ensuring the rub gets under the wings and in all crevices. From there, place the whole chicken into the slow cooker so that it sits on top of the celery, carrots, and chicken broth. Add in the lemon rinds along with 2-3 sprigs of rosemary.
Now that the chicken is prepared, put on the lid and let the slow cooker roast the chicken, cook for 6-8 hours on low.
You'll know the chicken is done when it starts to pull away from the bone. While the chicken should be starting to fall apart at the touch, it's always a good idea to check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. To do this, insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast. When the thermometer reaches 165°F, it's done.
💭 FAQs and Expert Tips
- Before making this whole chicken in the slow cooker, make sure it is completely thawed. While you can slow cook a frozen whole chicken, it takes twice as long time-wise. And to me, the texture is off and it just doesn't taste the same. The best way to thaw a chicken is by letting it defrost slowly in the refrigerator.
- Don't overcook the chicken. If it is overcooked, it's going to be dry and no one likes dry chicken. I start checking the meat at hour 6 by inserting a digital thermometer into the deepest part of the breast. As soon as it registers 165°F in two different locations, it's done.
- When adding carrots to the slow cooker, don't peel them. All the nutrition is in the peeling. Plus, you'll never be able to tell if the carrots are peeled or not. It doesn't taste any different. You can use orange or multi-colored carrots. There is additional nutritional value in multi-colored carrots.
- I use an oval-size slow cooker for making this chicken because it has plenty of room for a 4-5lb chicken. When using a round slow cooker, you should use a smaller size whole chicken, around 2-3lb.
- If you slow cook the chicken on low, it will take around 6-8 hours. If cooking on high heat, it should be done in 3-4 hours.
Leftovers
You're going to have leftover chicken so let's talk about what you can do with it. You can freeze it for up to 3-4 months. Place the leftover meat in a Ziplock baggie and write the date on the outside of the bag. It's perfect to use when making casseroles, like this one. Slow-roasted chicken is also really good in soups, such as my Avgolemono soup.
To store leftovers in the refrigerator, place the meat in a container that has a lid. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
🍽️ More Healthy Crockpot Meals
While I do love whole chicken slow cooker recipes, I also make ribs, beef, brisket, and soup in my slow cooker. Make sure you check out my slow cooker beef brisket recipe. It has an amazing dry rub that amplifies the flavor of the brisket. And these slow cooker beef short ribs are out-of-this-world tender and delicious! I have a lot of amazingly delicious slow cooker recipes so definitely check them out!
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Lemon Garlic Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb whole chicken
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, quartered
- 2 cups carrots, quartered
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 10 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, dried
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
To Make The Wet Rub
- Finely chop the onions, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Place in a medium size bowl.
- Slice the lemon into 6 wedges and squeeze the lemon juice into bowl. Add the salt and pepper.
- Using a spoon, mix the ingredients until they are well combined. Set aside.
Preparing The Chicken
- After washing the celery and carrots, chop them into quarters and place them at the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables.
- Generously apply the wet rub onto the whole chicken, ensuring the rub gets under the wings and into all the crevices.
- From there, place the whole chicken into the slow cooker so that it sits on top of the celery, carrots, and chicken broth. Add in the lemon rinds along with 2-3 sprigs of rosemary.
- Now that the chicken is prepared, place on the lid and let the slow cooker roast chicken cook for 6-8 hours on low.
- You'll know the chicken is done when it starts to pull away from the bone. While the chicken should be starting to fall apart at the touch, it's always a good idea to check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. To do this, insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast. When the thermometer reaches 165°F, it's done.
Notes
- Before making this whole chicken in the slow cooker, make sure it is completely thawed. While you can slow cook a frozen whole chicken, it takes twice as long time wise. And to me, the texture is off and it just doesn't taste the same. The best way to thaw a chicken is by letting it defrost slowly in the refrigerator.
- Don't overcook the chicken. If it is overcooked, it's going to be dry and no one likes dry chicken. I start checking the meat at hour 6 by inserting a digital thermometer into the deepest part of the breast. As soon as it registers 165°F in two different locations, it's done.
- When adding carrots to the slow cooker, don't peel them. All the nutrition is in the peeling. Plus, you'll never be able to tell if the carrots are peeled or not. It doesn't taste any different. You can use orange or multi-colored carrots. There is additional nutritional value in multi-colored carrots.
- I use an oval size slow cooker for making this chicken because it has plenty of room for a 4-5lb chicken. When using a round slow cooker, you should use a smaller size whole chicken, around 2-3lb.
- If you slow cook the chicken on low, it will take around 6-8 hours. If cooking on high heat, it should be done in 3-4 hours.
- You're going to have leftover chicken so let's talk about what you can do with it. You can freeze it for up to 3-4 months. Place the leftover meat in a Ziplock baggie and write the date on the outside of the bag.
- To store leftovers in the refrigerator, place the meat in a container that has a lid. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
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