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.
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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
- 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
- Step 1: Combine all of the spices except for the Old Bay, Paprika and salt. Using a whisk or fork stir to combine.
- 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.
- Step 3: Place the quartered lemons and onion slices on the bottom of the crock pot.
- 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.
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.
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.
- Make Leftover Chicken Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
- Easy Chicken Tacos
- Make a Southwestern Chicken Sandwich
- 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
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, Chicken Macaroni Salad.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Recipe
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
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
Nutrition
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.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Kathleen says
I just found you through the Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken recipe you posted i2013. We have been depending heavily on those rotisserie chickens and I, too, have been concerned about ingredients. Here is why. My husband needs to lose 60 pounds. He has dicey kidneys and fatty liver, of course with all that gut fat. I’m looking for low sodium, low saturated fat, low calorie recipes. I am very seriously chronically ill, so recipes a non cook can prepare (my husband is often forced to prepare something when I’m flat out too sick to stand) or recipes requiring minimum prep. (I have zero energy.) My ruined digestive system requires no milk and minimum gluten. Allergic to cow’s milk, lactose and casein. I also have reactive hypoglycemia. I can tolerate a bit of flour. Most gluten free recipes are inedible to me and certainly my picky, sweet tooth resentful dieter. What a mess. I couldn’t find nutrition info for the crockpot chicken you originally posted in 2013. Can you help me? Any ideas re other recipes? I found this chicken recipe while looking for apple crisp recipe I could use for husband who wanted to know if store bought frozen and bake apple turnovers were on his list. Ha!
Kathy Walker says
Oh yes! It’s going to be a wonderful week of cooking…. This sounds so easy… At the moment I can only imagine the great flavor!
Christine says
Yum! Looks amazing!
Lea Ann Brown says
Thanks Christine.
Mary Marshall says
Yummmm! Love chicken of all kinds and this looks so good to me! Thanks Lea Ann and Adam for the great recipe.
Lea Ann Brown says
I love Adam’s blog and want to make everything he posts. This is a great recipe of his.
wanda ll says
You didn’t say or show how much water to put in bottom. Do you put something under chicken to keep it out of the water? Is that what the onion is for? Sorry but you really didn’t tell how to do that.
Lea Ann Brown says
Thanks Wanda, I’ve email you.
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
I love G+ too, Lea Ann! I just started following you 🙂 Thanks so much for bringing this delicious recipe to the Saturday Night Fever link up….I never would have though to make rotisserie chicken in a crock pot. This looks and sounds delicious!
Lea Ann Brown says
Thanks Cathy for the party. And for stopping in and the comment.
Judy says
I’ve only just found you. I don’t have a crockpot either. I wouldn’t know what to do with it to be honest. I was once upon a time very good in the kitchen but then I stopped cooking and baking and lost my self confidence. I’m trying to get back. It’s going slowly but has moved a bit. I made mac and cheese for the first time and I made my popular mushroom alfredo. I love reading all the blogs I’m finding.
Lea Ann says
Thanks for stopping by Judy. I sure hope you get back into the swing of cooking. So much healthier than eating out. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Vickie says
If I had to name a favorite meat dish, it would be roast chicken. I cannot wait to try this version. I would never have guessed that it came from a crockpot! We have no A/C up here, so summer means little or no cooking indoors and I can’t have my roast chicken unless I buy them already made. I’m checking out Adam’s blog – looks fun!
Lea Ann says
I hope you like it, we thought it was really good. The spices are outstanding, and that brown color comes from that last set of paprika mix. Knowing you, you’re going to like Adam’s blog.
Chris says
That looks gorgeous. Just added you in G+
Lea Ann says
Thanks Chris, I saw that, back atcha.
Lea Ann says
Thank you Ansh … let me know how you like it.
ATasteOfMadness says
I can’t believe I don’t own a slow cooker. It seems like I’m definitely missing out. This looks super!
Lea Ann says
A slow cooker is really nice to have, and on a year round basis. You just have to be organized enough to get things going in the morning. And chicken is a little harder because it only takes about 5 – 6 hours to cook. If you work and are gone for longer than that, it gets tricky.
Penny says
Beautiful chicken Lea Ann. You know I will try it. Thanks for the info on Google + and Chef Dennis and Adam’s blogs.
Lea Ann says
You’re welcome Penny. I’ve been enjoying your photos from France. Thanks for stopping by.
Holly says
Great photo Lea Ann! And how did you get such a beautiful color on the chicken without browning it first? It’s gorgeous and will be recreated in my kitchen soon with hopefully the same results!
Lea Ann says
It’s that last set of spices that colors the chicken. Let me know. This was my first time to make it and I thought everything went very well.
Rocky Mountain Woman says
Here’s to crockpot chicken on hot summer days!
I’ll have to give Google+ a look – Facebook scares me!
Lea Ann says
Let me know if I can help with G+
Karen says
This chicken looks really delicious. In the summer, we usually do beer-butt chicken on the grill, but the next time, I think I’ll give this recipe a try.
Lea Ann says
Karen, Beer butt is on my list of things to make, never have.
Jenn says
This looks and sounds delicious! And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the ease of a crockpot!!
Lea Ann says
Amen Jenn.
Karen Harris says
I use my slow cooker just as much in the summer as in the winter. Love coming home after being gone all day to the smell of dinner waiting for me. I’ll have to give this recipe a try. It sounds delicious.
Lea Ann says
Couldn’t agree more Karen. That’s the best part about a crockpot.
Larry says
That’s a great looking piece of chicken Lea Ann. We don’t use our crock pot often enough but I’m pretty sure I can’t use a Rotisserie in it :-). I’m off to check out Adam’s blog. Have a great week.
Lea Ann says
no….. wouldn’t try the rotisserie in the crockpot. Too funny. My grill doesn’t have one. I suppose I could buy one for it.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
What a beautiful plate Lea Ann. We’re big chicken lovers at our house.
Sam
Lea Ann says
Us too, and especially those rotisserie chickens from the store. Had to try this recipe.
adam @unorthodoxepicure says
How nice are you for the kind words? Thank you! I’m truly flattered. I read your recipes and ramblings too, and you are a true inspiration.
As for the slow cooker chicken… We mostly see slow-cooker recipes in the winter, and I never understood why. Sure, I like to grill in summer, but slow cookers are built to keep the kitchen cool! Are they good in winter? Absolutely! But comfort food in the summer tastes great! — It’s easier to pick up a rotisserie bird at the grocery store, but not as cheap. (Besides, they use the chicken that is nearly expiring!)
My only issue with YOUR slow-cooker chicken is that it looks a hell of a lot better than mine. 😉
Lea Ann says
awwww-shucks. Coming from a professional that’s a great compliment Adam. Thanks again for this great recipe. I do use my slow cooker year round, but I do think most people associate with comfort food – Winter food.