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    Home > Main Courses > Main Dishes Chicken > Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

    Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

    Published: Jan 4, 2022 · Modified: Sep 8, 2022 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    How To Make Rotisserie Chicken at Home.

    Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken will become a regular on your weeknight dinner plan. Tender, so juicy, and so easy. Made at home in your slow cooker, you can serve this one as a hearty main course. Or use the meat for countless easy dinner options. So join the fun and learn how to make rotisserie chicken at home.

    Rotisserie chicken with onions and green beans
    Jump to:
    • Why Do We Love Rotisserie Style Chicken?
    • About This Recipe and Why It Works
    • Ingredients You’ll Need = Lots of Spices
    • Step by Step Instructions – It’s Easy
    • Leftovers, What to Do With Rotisserie Chicken
    • Rotisserie Chicken in the Crockpot
    • Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

    Why Do We Love Rotisserie Style Chicken?

    I swear I can smell rotisserie chicken cooking from a mile away. Running a morning errand at a store that’s even anywhere near a grocery store and I’m a gonner.

    They fire up those rotisserie cookers early in the morning, so that the aromas wafting through the air will magically lure us into the store. And they do!

    They’re incredibly flavorful, incredibly addictive, and an incredibly easy dinner option.

    But what if you arrived home to that same tempting aroma, wafting from your very own kitchen. And you didn’t even have to go through self checkout on your way home. Or purchase a rotisserie machine.

    So let’s talk about how to make crockpot rotisserie chicken.

    About This Recipe and Why It Works

    I read about this crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe on Saturday and it was in my crockpot on Monday. It’s delicious! And isn’t it always a treat to come home from work to a house smelling like savory comfort.

    The spices in this recipe are an incredible combination. And it’s almost as easy as grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. And of course tastier.

    After seasoning, the chicken is placed in the crockpot on a bed of sliced onions. The onions not only flavor, but act as a barrier to keep the chicken slightly elevated.

    Once cooked, I suggest that you take a bite of onion before serving. They’re so good they’ll end up as a side dish for this slow cooker chicken.

    This chicken will be a frequent visitor to our dinner table.

    Ingredients You’ll Need = Lots of Spices

    Ingredients to make crock pot rotisserie chicken.
    • 3-5 pound fryer chicken. Fryers or broilers are smaller chickens than roasting chickens. Roasters have a thicker layer of fat which helps baste the bird as it roasts. You can use either if your crockpot is large enough. The roaster will take longer to cook.
    • 2 large white, yellow or sweet onion. Sliced into rings.
    • 1 large lemon, quartered.
    • Spices: Starting from top, left to right in the photo. Paprika, Old Bay Seasoning, black pepper, chili seasoning, thyme, rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder.

    About whole chickens. Some chickens are injected with a water solution for “plumping” reasons. If you have purchased one of these chickens you will find it swimming in liquid once it’s cooked. Purchase a high quality chicken (recommended) for this recipe. You’ll find whole chickens at Whole Foods or reputable quality butcher shops that are natural without injected liquids. The end result will be a chicken cooking in natural juices.

    Step by Step Instructions – It’s Easy

    Spice mix for crock pot rotisserie chicken.
    Step 1
    • Step 1: Combine all of the spices except for the Old Bay, Paprika and salt. Using a whisk or fork stir to combine.
    Preparing chicken for crock-pot rotisserie chicken.
    Step 2
    • Step 2: Using your hands, carefully separate the skin from the meat and push as much of the spice mix under the skin. This is easy to do on the breast, and around the legs. Just get as much as you can in as many places as you can.
    Placing onions and lemons in the bottom of the crockpot.
    Step 3
    • Step 3: Place the quartered lemons and onion slices on the bottom of the crock pot.
    Rotisserie Chicken In the crock pot ready to cook.
    Step 4
    • Step 4: Place the seasoned chicken breast side down so it’s resting on the lemons and onions. The onions and lemons will keep the chicken slightly elevated so it won’t get soggy and will also flavor the chicken. Sprinkle the paprika, salt and Old Bay Seasoning over the chicken. These final steps will help the chicken get a crispy skin. Cook 5 hours on ‘high’ setting. Or until a meat thermometer inserted into the area between the thigh and breast reaches 165 degrees.
    Can I Cook Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken All Day?

    No. It’s very important to follow the cooking times for this recipe. It may be tempting to prepare this recipe in the morning and let it cook all day on low while you’re at work. Don’t try it, you’ll come home to chicken that has fallen off the bone in a mushy, mealy stringy mess. Using the high heat setting for a shorter period of time will properly cook a whole chicken and keep it at a safe temperature.

    Can I Start With A Frozen Chicken?

    Absolutely not. Unless you want to risk salmonella poisoning. Only used thawed chicken for any roasted chicken in the crockpot recipe. Why? Frozen chicken will not likely reach the temperature of 165 within the “safe window” of time in a crockpot. Its just too risky.

    Leftovers, What to Do With Rotisserie Chicken

    One of the best things about a crock pot rotisserie chicken is that you’re bound to have leftovers that an be used to make many easy meals. Here are some ideas.

    • Add to greens for a main course Chicken Salad
    • Make Chicken Soup
    • Easy Chicken Tacos
    • Make a Southwestern Chicken Sandwich
    • How about Three Cheese Chicken Lasagna
    • Tortilla Chicken Pizza Appetizer

    Pro Tip: Don’t throw away the bones. If you’re going to pull the meat off the bones to serve, return the carcass to the slow cooker along with any vegetables you have in the refrigerator. A couple of carrots, a couple stalks of celery, parsley, etc. Cover with water and toss in a bay leaf, a splash of apple cider vinegar and some peppercorns. Cook on low for 12 hours and even better for 24 hours. Strain the liquid and you’ve got yourself some very tasty chicken bone broth. It will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze in individual containers up to 6 months.

    Rotisserie Chicken in the Crockpot

    I hope you give this crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe a try. It’s really a great little recipe to have in your data base.

    More Irresistible Chicken Recipes

    • Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Soup With Wild Rice
    • Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sliders
    • Cast Iron Skillet Rosemary Chicken Thighs
    • Chicken Galliano

    And if you’re looking to beef up your chicken recipe database, don’t miss my Chicken Category. You’ll find a ton of recipes to cluck over and the most favorite chicken recipe on my site, Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    Rotisserie chicken with onions and green beans

    Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

    An absolutely delicious alternative to picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store. Easy and wonderful with flavor.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course Chicken
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 311kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Equipment

    • Crockpot

    Ingredients

    • 5 pounds Whole Fryer Chicken giblets removed, 3 – 5 pound chicken
    • 2 medium onions peeled and sliced into rings
    • 1 whole Lemon quartered (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
    • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary crushed
    • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
    • Seasoning to sprinkle over chicken after it’s placed the crockpot:
    • 1 Tablespoon Dried Paprika
    • 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
    • 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine all spices (garlic powder through chili powder) spices in small bowl. With your hands, loosen skin on chicken and distribute mixture evenly between meat and skin. Place lemon quarters in cavity of bird.
    • Place onion in bottom of slow cooker. Add water or stock. Top with chicken — breast side down — so that (chicken) is not coming in direct contact with the bottom of the cooker.
    • Sprinkle the paprika, salt and Old Bay over Chicken.
    • Cook 4-5 hours on ‘high’ setting.
    • With sides, this serves a family of five. (Strain and freeze the resulting stock, and make sure you treat yourself to the onions!)

    Notes

    About whole chickens. Some chickens are injected with a water solution for “plumping” reasons. If you have purchased one of these chickens you will find it swimming in liquid once it’s cooked. Purchase a high quality chicken (recommended) for this recipe. You’ll find whole chickens at Whole Foods or reputable quality butcher shops that are natural without injected liquids. The end result will be a chicken cooking in natural juices.
    If you have a large crockpot, you can make this recipe with a larger roasting chicken, which can weigh in at 5 – 7 pounds. Adjust cooking time 6-7 hours.
    Want the skin crispier? Remove chicken from the crockpot and place it on a sheet pan. Adjust the oven rack to the chicken will sit about 5 inches below the broiler. Broil chicken just long enough for the skin to crisp. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1263mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 680IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken …It’s What’s for Dinner.

    This recipe for Rotisserie crockpot chicken was first published July of 2013 and republished February of 2022 with step by step instructions.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Glen Powers says

      September 16, 2019 at 6:19 pm

      What is the first ingredient ” 1 lbs – Broiler/Fryer Chicken 3-4″ ?
      Does that mean buy a one pound chicken to serve 3-4?
      Thank you. Love your recipes and comments.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        September 17, 2019 at 10:12 am

        Hi Glen. Thank you so much for your note. I’ve updated the recipe to answer your questions. Appreciate the “heads-up”

        Reply
    2. Susan E. Kehoe says

      May 07, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      I was skeptical about the slow cooker process producing the flavor of a rotisserie chicken, but this hit the spot. Tender and loads of flavor! Oh! And easy

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        May 08, 2018 at 3:07 pm

        Thank you so much for your message and the positive remarks. So glad you liked the recipe. I make it often.

        Reply
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    I'm Lea Ann, A Culinary School Grad bringing you Wild West Colorado inspired recipes. You'll find lots of Southwestern, and Mexican food recipes, and some favorites from Culinary School along with pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous home cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of inspiration and reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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