Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Whole Chicken and Vegetables

Keep your Thanksgiving dinner simple this year, and make a whole chicken with veggies and the works right in the crockpot! This slow cooker Thanksgiving chicken is perfectly tender and moist thanks to the long cooking time and will keep your oven free for all your sides and pies! {Gluten-free}

A whole chicken on a platter with potatoes, vegetables and fresh herbs.

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Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Chicken and Gravy

If you’ve never made a whole chicken in the crockpot before, you are missing out. It’s incredibly easy and comes out absolutely delicious every single time. This slow cooker whole chicken and potatoes just cooks away until dinner time, giving you plenty of time (and room) to work on everything else.

This simple crockpot chicken is a game-changer for your holiday dinners. It’s so delicious, you’ll want to follow this easy recipe more than just once a year!

Slow Cooker Turkey Roast

Close up image of sliced chicken topped with homemade gravy next to vegetables.

Why We Love Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Vegetables

So easy: There’s a little prep to chop your vegetables and season the chicken, but that’s about it. The rest of the magic will happen while it’s slow cooking. It’s also a great one pot dinner for an easy weeknight meal!

Healthy: This recipe uses simple ingredients, including fresh chicken, lots of vegetables, and your favorite seasonings. There’s no sugar, preservatives, additives, or anything else – just super simple, wholesome ingredients you’ll be proud to feed your family.

Incredibly convenient: Instead of cooking your chicken and vegetables in separate dishes, they can all go together right in the crockpot. You can even make the gravy in the slow cooker right before serving! This means you’ll have fewer dishes to wash at the end of the night and fewer pots and pans to juggle all day. Win-win!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for slow cooker thanksgiving chicken recipe.

Vegetables: Chop a bunch of hearty vegetables like onions, Yukon gold or red potatoes, and carrots. Cook the garlic whole to make roasted garlic. It’s amazing with the other vegetables and will add a rich, savory flavor.
Whole chicken: Start with a fully thawed or fresh chicken. A standard slow cooker can usually hold a 3-6 pound bird, but double-check your device to make sure your chicken will fit.
Olive oil: To season this easy slow cooker chicken, you’ll need to make a paste out of the oil and spices.
Seasonings: Mix garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper together in a small dish to make a spice paste.
Fresh herbs: This slow cooker chicken recipe tastes wonderful with fresh herbs. Place fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage directly inside the cavity of the chicken to infuse the bird with these extra flavors.
Lemon: Cut half a lemon in quarters to place inside this delicious slow cooker chicken. The bright lemon flavor tastes wonderful in roasted chicken!
Cornstarch: If you’d like to make gravy at the end, you’ll need to make a little cornstarch slurry to add to the drippings.
Chicken broth: Thin out the drippings with reduced-sodium chicken stock or bone broth to make your own gravy to serve with your crockpot whole chicken and veggies. This is optional, but highly recommended.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Crockpot Whole Chicken Recipe

Vegetables in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Cut up your onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to make a spice paste. Pat the outside of the chicken dry and slather the chicken all over with the spice paste.
Stuff the cavity with the rosemary, thyme and lemon, and place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the internal temperature inserted into the thickest part of the breast and thigh registers 165℉.

Step 2: Make the Gravy

A hand pouring cornstarch mixture into a pot of gravy to thicken.

Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter to rest. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves and add to the platter with the vegetables. Discard the papery husk of the garlic. Pour any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, adding enough chicken broth to make 1 cup of liquid. Remove any extra fat from the liquid with a fat separator or use a spoon to spoon off the top layer of fat and pour this into a small saucepan on the stove, bringing it to a boil.
In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cool water or broth until smooth. Pour this into the boiling broth and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally until gravy is thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Step 3: Broil Chicken for Crispy Skin (Optional)

Whole chicken coated in spice mixture in a roasting pan.

If desired for a crispy skin, you can gently scrape off extra spices (to keep them from burning) on top of the chicken and brush with a little oil. Place the chicken under the broiler for just a few minutes to crisp and brown the skin. You could also place it into a 450℉ oven for 5-8 minutes.

Step 4: Slice Chicken & Serve!

Slow cooker whole chicken sliced on a platter with vegetables.

A plate of chicken vegetables and stuffing.

Slice chicken and serve with vegetables and gravy.

Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!

Recipe Tips:

Dry herbs can be substituted for fresh. Use 1 teaspoon rosemary, ¼ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon sage. Bay leaf may also be added if you have it on hand.

If you prefer, you can just make the slow cooker whole chicken without the veggies and serve it along with mashed potatoes, rice, dumplings, or noodles.

All slow cookers cook differently and yours may take a bit longer to cook. Make sure the lid stays on as much as possible as it takes time to come back up to temperature every time you open the lid. I suggest checking the temperature around the 4 hour mark. The chicken will begin to fall off the bone when it is done.

If you have a stand for your crockpot, set it in place first then tuck your vegetables in below. Place the chicken on top and cover the slow cooker.

If you have leftover chicken, it’s also great to use in a chicken pot pie or casserole (like this Chicken Burrito Casserole)!

Recipe FAQs

Why is there no liquid added to the crockpot?

The chicken will release its own juices while it cooks. Adding liquid at the start of the cooking process will produce too much liquid and create more of a soup and poach the chicken.

Can I use the low setting on the slow cooker to cook the chicken?

You can also cook your chicken on low for 6-8 hours. While this will work, it is more susceptible to food borne illness as it is in the temperature danger zone for longer than the recommended time.

Can I cook the chicken in an instant pot?

If you’d prefer to make this recipe in an Instant Pot, you will need to add a cup of stock or liquid to the container and cook on high pressure for approximately 25-30 minutes. Make sure the chicken is fully thawed before cooking. Allow the steam to release naturally for approximately 10-15 minutes, then open. You will likely want to broil the chicken in the oven afterward as the skin will be soft, but everything else should be perfectly cooked.

Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker?

Absolutely, in fact, it’s much safer than putting frozen chicken in the slow cooker. Raw chicken will cook faster, ensuring your easy dinner isn’t in the temperature danger zone for too long. For food safety reasons, it’s always best to cook raw chicken in the crockpot, especially when you are cooking a whole chicken or have a lot of other ingredients. If you need to cook frozen chicken, thaw it in the fridge overnight first.

Homemade gravy being poured over top of the slice slow cooker thanksgiving chicken.

Storage Guidelines

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftover chicken and gravy can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

To complete your Thanksgiving chicken meal, pair this simple recipe with your favorite holiday side dish:

Cranberry Apple Walnut Stuffing (so much better than dry stuffing mix!)
Cinnamon Orange Cranberry Sauce
Gravy without Drippings
Sweet Potato Casserole without Marshmallows
Kale Beet Salad
Mashed Potatoes with Greek Yogurt
Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe Variations

Italian spices: This crockpot recipe makes the best slow cooker whole chicken, but you can easily adjust the flavors and seasonings to fit a different flavor profile. For an Italian version of this easy crock pot chicken, try adding Italian seasoning and a little dry Italian white wine for extra flavor.

Use different cuts: Instead of a whole chicken, you can also cook different parts. Try adding whole breast, drumsticks, leg quarters, and more. Just remember that for any cuts with skin, you’ll likely want to crisp those up in the oven later. You’ll also want to reduce the cooking time to avoid overcooking.

Marinate the chicken: We love marinating chicken and you could easily brine the chicken or marinate it overnight for even more flavor! Try these healthy chicken marinades to make this slow cooker recipe your own.

Slow cooker thanksgiving chicken with vegetables on a platter.

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A platter with slow cooker whole chicken and vegetables.

Course Main Course