Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables
Tender, juicy, and incredibly simple to prepare, Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables is a satisfying one-pot meal made with whole chicken, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and a hit of flavor from a simple (optional) balsamic sauce.
About this Recipe
This slow cooker whole chicken with vegetables?
It’s kind of a big deal.
It’s basically everything you’re looking for in an oven-roasted or rotisserie chicken, only way easier because all you need to do is to rub a chicken with some dried spices and drop it into a slow cooker along with some sturdy, flavorful veggies like carrots and potatoes.
Boom. So easy. So good.
I love that the potatoes and carrots cook right along with the chicken in the crockpot, too, making it an entire dump-and-go slow cooker meal in one pot!
Heads up, if you want an even simpler, no-chopping-required version of this recipe, check out this slow cooker whole chicken recipe, which does not include vegetables.
Tip: This recipe is already an easy one-pot recipe, but if you want to add more veggies, throw together a quick little spinach or romaine salad with an easy salad dressing (I recommend this easy 3-ingredient pesto vinaigrette) and dinner is completely done.
Process & Tips
I love that the chicken and vegetables cook together in this simple and elegant one pot meal, but if you prefer to make the chicken without vegetables, check out this slow cooker whole chicken recipe.
When it comes to placing the chicken in the crock pot, if you want a prettier presentation, place the chicken breast-side up in your slow cooker.
However, for juicer breast meat, place the chicken breast-side down.
You’ll also end up with quite a bit of liquid after cooking, so strain what’s left in the bottom of the slow cooker and use it to drizzle over the chicken in addition to the balsamic sauce, as a base for soups or stews, or to make a simple gravy.
For crispy skin, carefully transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and broil on high for a few minutes.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
Serve the chicken whole, family-style, with the vegetables on the side as picture, or shred the meat with two forks.
Store or freeze leftover shredded chicken for salads later in the week.
A 6-quart slow cooker definitely works best for this recipe, allowing enough room for all the veggies and the entire chicken.
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables: Tips & Tricks
This recipe is perfect for the warmer months because you can make an entire chicken dinner without heating up the house.
It’s also just right for cooler months, as nothing is more homey or inviting than a whole chicken and veggies for dinner.
To make this chicken extra special, I added a quick garlic balsamic sauce to flavor during the cooking process and to serve alongside for drizzling or dipping.
If you’re short on time, feel free to skip this step, but if you have a few extra minutes give it a try. It really takes the entire meal over the top.
Recipe Adaptations and Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re short on time or just want a basic option, skip the balsamic sauce and simply use the dried spice mix.
Carefully transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and broil on high for a few minutes if you want the skin to be crispy.
Serve the chicken whole, family style, or shredded with two forks.
Store or freeze leftover shredded chicken for salads later in the week.
Chopped Russet or sweet potatoes can be used in place of the yellow potatoes.
This Recipe Is. . .
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 4-pound whole chicken, giblets removed
- 1 pound baby potatoes, sliced into halves
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Garlic Balsamic Sauce
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, balsamic, and rosemary. Stream in the olive oil, whisking until well incorporated.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add half the spice mixture (about 1 ½ teaspoon) and 1 tablespoon balsamic sauce, tossing to coat.
- Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture on the chicken, rubbing to cover the bird and under the skin.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour over 1 tablespoon balsamic sauce. Set aside the remaining balsamic sauce for serving.
- Cover and cook until breast registers 165 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. It will be so tender that it may fall apart, though using two spatulas helps the process. If you’d like the chicken to have crispy skin, place it on a baking sheet and broil on high for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the chicken along with the potatoes and carrots, sprinkled with rosemary, and with the extra balsamic sauce on the side for drizzling or dipping.
Looks amazing! I got a slow cooker as an early Christmas present and am pretty excited about trying it out!
Oh, yay, love that Katherine. I hope you enjoy this one! 🙂
This was so delicious, tender and juicy – and super easy! Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Katherine! 🙂
We made this yesterday morning before leaving for the day. My oldest measured out the seasonings and made the sauce while my youngest scrubbed potatoes. We didn’t have carrots but subbed in large unpeeled rounds of sweet potato. There is enough leftover for another meal or a blended soup and everyone liked it. I served with steamed broccoli. The bones went back in the crockpot with the skin, some veggie scraps from the freezer and extra garlic and cooked all night.
Karen, love that your children were able to assist with prep and that you were able to swap in what you had on hand. And love that you made a broth with the leftovers! 🙂
Would a 4 quart crock pot still work for this?
Alecia, if you can find a very small chicken it might work. A 6-quart is definitely the best option for a whole chicken. 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and my entire family, even my pickiest son, all raved about this chicken! Cooking this in the slow cooker made dinner so easy, perfect for our spring ball practice nights. Thank you for a such a delicious and healthy recipe, I’ll definitely be adding this to our menu in the future!
Marissa, I’m so glad you and your crew enjoyed this one! 🙂
Honestly the most tasty whole chicken I’ve ever cooked!!! Fell right off the bone. So much flavor! Everyone loved it! Yay!
Amanda, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one!!
Wow! This was so tasty! There was a lot of "gravy" in the bottom of the crockpot, so we used that instead of the balsamic for serving. Delicious!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed this one, Heather!
I could not be more blown away by this recipe! Absolutely delicious yet so easy and simple to make. Followed the recipe exactly with one exception- I substituted with sweet potatoes because I can’t eat night shades – still delicious!
Make this you won’t be disappointed!
Britney, yay, so happy you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this for my family tonight and it was AMAZING! I followed the recipe exactly and made the skin crispy in the broiler as well. My entire family loved it and the flavor was perfect. Definitely will make again!
Yay, so happy to hear this was a hit! That crispy skin definitely takes it to the next level. Thanks so much for leaving a reivew!
Can you I use turkey breast instead of a whole chicken?
Isabelle, here’s a recipe for cooking a whole turkey breast in the slow cooker!
Made this recipe today. Followed instructions as listed. I did red potatoes in half but weren’t quite soft enough so I think next time I’ll chop them smaller. Other than that it was great flavor. Even my picky eater liked the flavor
Nicole, thanks for the note on the potatoes, we’ve found cook time can also depend on how fresh the specific potatoes are in addition to the specific variety. Definitely a good bet to cut them in quarters if they were weren’t quite cooked. Glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for leaving a review!
This was a perfect recipe for me-a nice basic chicken in the crock that was very good for use in the rest of the week. I did not do the balsamic sauce but I bet it’s good. This did not make the meat all mooshy and after 6 hours on low it was done. I recommend this recipe!
Yay, so glad you’re enjoying this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!