Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Section: Satisfying Main Dishes for Every Occasion

This slow cooker roast chicken is the ideal way to enjoy tender, juicy meat with minimal effort. Infused with a lemon and herb butter, it delivers incredible flavor while freeing up your oven for other dishes. Whether you're serving a family meal or prepping for the week ahead, this method offers convenience, energy efficiency, and fantastic results. Simply cook on low for five hours and finish under the grill for golden, crispy skin. The leftover meat stores well and is perfect for sandwiches, salads, or other dishes.

A woman wearing a chef's hat and apron.
Recipe Author Maria
Updated as of Tue, 24 Jun 2025 17:52:21 GMT
A roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. Bookmark
A roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. | foodbymary.com

Whether you fancy a traditional family Sunday lunch or want to make the most of a versatile and cost-effective whole bird, this Slow Cooker Roast Chicken is the way to cook your meat. So convenient, very little faff, just succulent and flavour-filled results.

If you’re someone who regularly buys a whole chicken to either make a roast dinner or/and use up the leftovers, THIS is the recipe for you.

My Slow Cooker Roast Chicken is made with a delicious and quick lemon and herb butter for maximum flavour, while – as always – we’re keeping to a minimum on effort.

Technically this isn’t ‘roasting’ a chicken at all as we’re not using the oven, but trust me when I say the benefits and results of making this a slow cooker chicken recipe are worth it!

Now it doesn’t come out looking like the prettiest of whole chickens because the skin doesn’t get seared in a slow cooker as it does in an oven, but this is an easy hurdle to overcome.

Either remove the skin before serving, or pop it all under the grill for about 15 minutes to get that golden finish.

Just like my Slow Cooker Beef Joint, my Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder, Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb and my Slow Cooker Ham, making a joint like this has lots of benefits, AND you can even do it on a busy day and strip the bird once it’s cool, leaving you with loads of tender meat to use in other meals throughout the week. Winner all round!

Why use a slow cooker to cook a whole chicken?

Saves electricity: These devices are so energy efficient compared to ovens or hobs, using only about 1.3kWh for 8 hours cooking time. The Energy Saving Trust say they use about the same amount of electricity as a standard light bulb.

Depth of flavour: Cooking a joint of meat long and slow creates a delicious depth of flavour, and that applies to whole chicken too.

Convenience: There is just something so lifesaving about being able to put everything in and know a meal is going to be ready later, when time might be tighter. Yes it requires a bit of thinking ahead, but the rewards are great.

More room in the oven: If you are making this as part of a bigger roast dinner, using a slow cooker means you’ve got plenty of room left in the oven for everything else!

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken Ingredients Notes

  • Whole chicken: 1.5 kg free range
  • Added flavour: Onion and lemons
  • Herb butter: Butter (salted) and herbs (fresh if possible)

How to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker

Mix herb butter:
Combine softened butter with fresh herbs.
Prepare base:
Place onion chunks into the slow cooker.
Position chicken:
Set chicken on top of onions and spread herb butter over skin.
Add lemon and water:
Slice half a lemon around the bird edges and add 100 ml boiling water.
Cook:
Cook on LOW for 5 hours until tender.
Finish:
Remove skin or grill for 15 minutes until golden.
A roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. Bookmark
A roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. | foodbymary.com

Storing

In the fridge You can keep the cooked chicken in the fridge for 3 days and enjoy it cold in sandwiches, salads or any of the above recipes.

In the freezer Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reusing and be very careful if reheating (it must be piping hot).

Top tips

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken with crispy skin The chicken won’t get that crispy or golden skin we associate with a roast, but simply cutting it off after cooking is fine – it’s still delicious. However, if you DO want a crispy skin, just pop it under the grill for about 10-15 minutes until it crisps up and turns colour. This gives us the best of both worlds – tender meat and crispy skin!

Making gravy

If you want to serve gravy with your roast chicken, once you remove the chicken from the cooker, blend the onions into the liquid (if you have a blender. If not, leave them in whole or remove with a slotted spoon if you prefer your gravy smooth). Put 2 tbsp of cornflour (corn starch if you’re in the US) into a small mug and add enough of the chicken juices to make a smooth paste. Put the chicken juices over a medium heat on the hob (in the slow cooker pan if it’s heatproof and suitable for use on the hob, or in a small saucepan if not). Add in enough of the cornflour mixture, a little at a time, whisking as you go to thicken the liquid. You may not need to use all of the flour mixture, depending on how much liquid your chicken has released as it cooked.

Herbs

When making up butter spread, you can use dried herbs if you prefer and/or it’s all you have, BUT in this case I do feel like fresh herbs do work best as they have a more aromatic, softer quality.

Butter

I use salted butter but if you only had unsalted butter, you could add extra salt. The butter should be soft, but not melted. If it’s hard, just pop into the microwave for a few seconds.

A close up of a roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. Bookmark
A close up of a roasted chicken with lemon and herb butter. | foodbymary.com

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh for the butter?

Yes, dried herbs can be used, but fresh herbs offer a more aromatic and delicate flavor that enhances the dish.

→ How do I get crispy skin on the chicken?

After slow cooking, place the chicken under the grill for 10–15 minutes to achieve a golden, crispy skin.

→ Can I cook a larger chicken in the slow cooker?

Yes, as long as the bird fits in your slow cooker. Adjust cooking time slightly for larger weights.

→ What can I do with the leftover meat?

Leftover chicken can be used in salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, or soups for easy meal planning.

→ How long does cooked chicken last in the fridge?

Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

→ Can I make gravy from the slow cooker juices?

Yes, use the cooking juices and blend with cornflour to make a rich, flavorful gravy.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Tender slow cooked chicken with lemon and herbs. Minimal effort, maximum flavor.

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
300 minutes
Overall Time
315 minutes
Recipe Author: Maria

Dish Category: Main Dishes

Recipe Difficulty: Beginner-Friendly

Cuisine: British

Serves: 4 Serving Size (1 whole chicken)

Dietary Options: Low-Carb, Gluten-Free

What You’ll Need to Cook

→ For the chicken

Ingredient 01 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb), free range
Ingredient 02 1 onion, roughly chopped
Ingredient 03 1/2 lemon, sliced
Ingredient 04 100 ml boiling water

→ For the herb butter

Ingredient 05 50 g salted butter, softened
Ingredient 06 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, or rosemary)

→ Optional for gravy

Ingredient 07 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

Steps to Prepare

Step 01

Mix softened butter with chopped fresh herbs until well combined.

Step 02

Place chopped onion into the bottom of the slow cooker to form a base for the chicken.

Step 03

Position the chicken on top of the onions and spread the herb butter generously over the skin.

Step 04

Place lemon slices around the chicken and pour in boiling water.

Step 05

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours until fully cooked and tender.

Step 06

For crispy skin, transfer chicken to a baking tray and grill for 10–15 minutes until golden.

Step 07

Blend onions into the cooking juices, mix cornflour with some juices to make a paste, heat remaining juices and add paste gradually to thicken.

Extra Cooking Tips

  1. For enhanced flavor, use fresh herbs in the butter. Dried herbs can be substituted if necessary.
  2. Chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
  3. Ensure chicken is piping hot when reheating from chilled or frozen.
  4. Removing the skin after cooking is a quick way to skip grilling while still enjoying tender meat.

Must-Have Tools

  • Slow cooker
  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Grill or broiler (optional)
  • Small saucepan (for gravy, optional)

Allergen Information

Always check ingredient labels for allergens and seek expert advice if uncertain.
  • Contains dairy (butter)

Nutrition Info (Per Serving)

These details are for guidance and aren’t a replacement for professional advice.
  • Calories Count: 410
  • Fats: 28 grams
  • Carbs: 2 grams
  • Proteins: 38 grams