Using Your Slow Cooker to Roast a Chicken

Ronda L. Halpin

I love roasted chicken and I love the kind of flexibility that making it in my slow cooker gives me. What I don't love is dry chicken, which can be a problem when using a slow cooker. However, in recent years, I've taken a couple steps to help alleviate that problem. First, I always roast chickens in the slow cooker breast side down. This allows the dark meat on the other side to take the drier heat that tends to dry out white meat and the white meat gets to soak in any pan juices that form.

Second, I have become a fan of stuffing the cavity of a whole bird with ingredients that add moisture during cooking. My favorites include juicy fruits like apples or oranges, onions, and cloves of garlic. They help keep the chicken moist and impart a lot of flavor in the process as well. And who is going to complain about moist chicken that's also flavorful? It's a win-win situation!

I like roasting a whole chicken like this fairly often. Even though it's rare that I have enough people to eat an entire chicken, the leftovers are fantastic. I've used them in fried rice, chicken salad, and more. It's a meal that's easy to make and, in turn, it makes at least one other meal really easy to make, too. Again, what's to complain about? Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

  • 1 medium-sized whole chicken - cleaned and cavity emptied
  • 1 small onion - peeled and quartered
  • 1 medium orange - quartered
  • 1 T. paprika
  • 1 T. coarse salt
  • 1 tsp. red pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1/2 c. teriyaki sauce
After cleaning the chicken, carefully stuff the emptied cavity with the onion and orange quarters. Combine the paprika, salt, red pepper, and dried parsley in a small dish and rub evenly into the skin of the chicken. Place in a large slow cooker, breast side down. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the top and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until it's fully cooked.
  • Yields: 4-6 servings
  • Preparation Time: 7-8 hours

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