Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken made with just a few spices and in the slow cooker with CRISPY skin without a second spent in the oven!
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken dinners are a favorite in our house, when I’m running behind, we snack on the legs and wings (and maybe a few bites of thigh meat) while preparing dinner. Then we chop up the white meat and rest of the dark meat to use on in our simple recipe for dinner.
This type of slow cooker cooking has been something the blog has explored many times before. As a rule I use the minimum amount of liquid needed at all times.
In fact here are some crispy slow cooker recipes we’ve done on the blog before:
- Crispy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Crispy Slow Cooker Turkey Thighs
- Crisp & Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken
- Crispy Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken with Crispy Skin is actually an even easier hack than making a regular rotisserie chicken in the oven or picking one up. PLUS, the liquid left behind in the slow cooker (once you strain the fat) is liquid gold you can easily add into a sauce or pasta dish you’re making.
How long does it take to cook a chicken in a slow cooker? You can cook on high for 4-5 hours and have edible moist chicken, but the crispy rotisserie chicken will take longer to melt the fat from the skin away.
How long does it take to cook a chicken on a rotisserie? In the oven about an hour, in the slow cooker 8 hours and on the grill about an hour and a half.
Can you cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker? Yes, between this recipe and other beer can chicken or flavored recipes, a whole chicken does great in the slow cooker, just be sure to prop the chicken up on foil.
Did I mention it is SUPER CRISPY without ever going in the oven? Look at this chicken wing:
Or this chicken leg, look how thin the skin is. 100% truth, it make a crackling sound when I ate it ten seconds later:
The spice rub is a total breeze. Garlic salt, black pepper and paprika. Or, use kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika.
Look at the skin on the leg, its translucent because the fat has rendered so thoroughly. I’m not going to lie, this chicken beats a Costco chicken any day of the week. In fact you can see it over the whole chicken, the skin is paper thin, look at the leg in this picture, right up along the slow cooker wall. You can see through that.
How to make a Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken:
- Make a foil rack!
- Using Heavy Duty Foil, cut two 18 inch pieces.
- Roll each piece the long way, loosely, so the tube of foil was as long as possible, then curve it like an oven heating coil, like a flattened S.
- Lay the chicken on top of your foil rack, heavy duty foil really does work best for this, I found regular foil just takes way more of it and still gets compacted down more.
- Pat the chicken dry before placing seasoning.
- You can place it either breast side up or down, your choice. I did breast side up for the sake of the photos.
- Make sure the chicken isn’t touching the top of the slow cooker. If it is pressed up against the glass it is too big.
- Don’t use frozen chicken, this has a much higher water content.
- Make sure to take out the innards. That won’t taste great.
- Try not to add any liquids to the chicken, even lemons or lemon juice. The less liquid the more crispy.
In this photo you can get a better glimpse into the foil rack below:
How to Cook a Rotisserie Chicken in the oven:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Rub oil all over chicken. Season with paprika, garlic salt and black pepper. Place on rack in roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 45-60 minutes or until chicken thigh is 170°F when checked with a thermometer.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken recipes?
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
Tools Used in the making of these Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Thighs:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Heavy Duty Foil: Using regular foil will waste probably 3 times as much as I can roll the heavy one loosely to keep it higher off the bottom of the slow cooker.
Garlic Salt: Maybe its because I grew up with it, but this garlic salt is my favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds, fully defrosted
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt *
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper if using standard ground, use ½ teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons paprika plus a bit for sprinkling
Instructions
- Clean out the inside of the chicken and pat it completely dry inside and out with paper towels.
- Mix the seasonings together and rub all over the chicken inside and out.
- Using Heavy Duty Foil, cut two 18 inch pieces.
- Roll each piece the long way, loosely, so the tube of foil was as long as possible, then curve it like an oven heating coil, like a flattened S.
- Place the chicken on top of the foil, sprinkle with a bit more paprika.
- Cook on low 8 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
I would have to give this zero stars. I had high hopes and couldn’t even eat the chicken. Maybe it had been frozen…? There was a lot of liquid – and we added none. I will stick w Costco rotisserie!!
Oh no! I’ve made this so many times and I haven’t had that issue. Your chicken might not have been thawed all the way but also check the label because a lot of chicken companies pump the chicken with sodium and that will cause a lot of liquid.
Pretty darn good ! I was looking to do a whole chicken in the slow cooker , not turning the oven on. Kept coming back to this one . Do as Sabrina says – drying the chicken really good and then put your rub on ! I had no heavy foil so what could I use ? Well , a tin pie plate cut in half putting the two pieces together and bent to fit my round cooker – worked great the bird was raised above the juices . I thought the skin was crispy enough for my taste and will for sure make this again ! Thank you for a tasty bird !
Seasoning was so good! I followed the oven directions because I forgot to put it in the slow cooker before work. I didn’t bother with lifting it off the bottom of the baker, so of course the bottom was a little soggy. But, the top and sides were crispy and tasty. The chicken was so moist. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad to hear you liked it! It’s great to have that oven option when the morning goes too fast to set up the slow cooker 🙂
I’ve tried it once with the slow cooker and it was excellent. Now today, I forgot to get it in the slow cooker again. So, it’s ready for the oven. I love this recipe!
Aw, so happy to hear that it’s a favorite! Thanks for letting me know!
I really wanted to love this recipe, and I must admit that I was very fearful of cooking the chicken for 8 hours. I was right. The chicken almost was so over-cooked, that it was barely edible. Perhaps cooking for 4 hours instead?
Oh wow! I’ve made this multiple times without any issue. I wonder if your slow cooker runs on the hotter side. Try 4 hours next time then to adjust.
Excellent! Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome!
Do you recommend any particular brand of chicken? I bought a Tyson whole chicken, patted it down really with paper towels, and cooked on high for about 5 hours. It was no where near crispy, in fact the skin was sort of limp and greasy.
Oh no!! I would recommend looking at the fine print on the label. All natural ones sometimes even have added sodium. If chicken is truly natural, the sodium content won’t stray higher than 70mg per serving. Organic ones should be the safest bet but just to be sure, always check the label.
I haven’t tried this (just saw it today–7/22/2019) but I’m intrigued. I was wondering if instead of foil, could I use a trivet? It would lift the chicken out of the liquid/grease.
Yep, that’ll work too. Enjoy!
Loved this recipe. It was easy and cooking it in the slow cooker, what can I say…moist, tender and delicious. Definitely a make again. Thank you for this recipe…a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Love this recipe. It was easy and cooking it in the slow cooker, what can I say…moist, tender and delicious. Definitely a make again. Thank you for this recipe…a keeper.
Just wanted to say i love this recipe! It has became a family favorite I have 2 cooking as I’m writing this! I have a large family and its hard to find something everyone likes but this is one i never hear complaints about!
Yay!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. I really appreciate it.
Thanks, worked wonderfully. Whole family enjoyed it. I did remove the juice and left the lid ajar the last 30 min. Made gravy with the extra juice.
I made this tonight. It was easy but so disappointing. Only the wings got crispy and the texture of the chicken was akin to mush. I can’t even use the leftovers for the chicken pot pies I planned for later in the week. I’m sorry…I wanted to love it but it was a waste of a carefully budgeted $8.00 not to mention the cost of foil. ?
Oh no, that’s such a bummer. Sounds like your chicken might have been pumped with liquid (some companies have been known to do this) so it released too much while cooking which didn’t allow it to crisp up.
Yes I agree.. I have tried chicken before in the crock pot. Propping it up would be the key to crispy skin. I think no liquids would also be key. Sounds like your grocer’s chicken may have been sub-par.
Any harm in not using the foil trick? I was thinking about using a quartered onion in its place or nothing at all. I’m not concerned about crispy skin if that’s the reason. Can’t wait to try this!!!
No harm at all. Propping it up ensures it won’t sit in the liquid that comes from the chicken while cooking to help it stay crisp. I hope you enjoy it!
Not sure what went wrong here. I used my Instapot’s Slow Cook setting on “Less” and 4 hours in the chicken was no where near done. For the second 5 hours, yes 5 hours, I set it to “Normal” for the Slow Cooker setting. At that point, the rub was still raw on top, and the internal temperature was only 143 degrees. Any ideas?
I’m not familiar with the Instapot’s temperature settings but it sounds like it didn’t get hot enough. If you want, email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert .com and we can try and trouble shoot together.
You need to set the Instant Pot on “more” even though that sounds wrong. Instant pots set on “less” reportedly don’t get to cooking temperature or get as hot as a conventional slow cooker set on low. . Give your IP some extra time even set on “more”. Instant pot also runs a bit cooler than some other multipurpose pots. America’s Test Kitchen “Multicooker Perfection” addresses this issue nicely on a lot of their recipes. I have not had any slow cook failures with my Instant Pot but never use ‘less’ for slow cooking. I still love it as an appliance. Hope this helps.
The lowest setting on my Instapot slow cooker is actually more like a keep warm setting according to the booklet that came with my 6qt model. If you want to slow cook on low in my model, you use the middle, normal setting, and for high, you use the third, high setting. I researched it originally because it was confusing to see three settings and none indicated low. I’m using it on low/normal for this chicken recipe right now.
Can you show us a picture of the foil before the chicken is on it I don’t understand it sorry lol
You just want to roll it up and make it into an s shape in your slow cooker for your chicken to sit on top of. Hope this helps!
Yes thank you! What’s the crockpot you use?
Here’s the link to the slow cooker I use.
http://amzn.to/2khqfDu
Question on this recipe: You describe how to make a foil rack. The crockpot I have (Cuisinart Cook center) has a rack that comes with it, can that be used instead of making the foil rack?
Yes 🙂
I honestly cannot envision the foil rack thing:
Roll each piece the long way, loosely, so the tube of foil was as long as possible, then curve it like an oven heating coil, like a flattened S.
think of it like a thin rolling pin of foil and you bend it into an s so the chicken can sit on it.
I’m going to make this recipe later today and after reading many of the comments that say,”chicken didn’t turn out crispy enough”, I wonder if you left it in the frig, cleaned up and patted dry, for a few hours or overnight ( like I do with my Thanksgiving Day turkey)
the skin wouldn’t turn out a bit more crispy??
I’ll let you know 🙂
Yes, as much moisture you can remove before placing in your slow cooker will help to crisp up the skin. Enjoy!
I did make the chicken that day and WOW! IT.WAS.FABULOUS!! Now,I gotta say it wasn’t as crispy as mentioned in the recipe/comments but you know what? I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a store bought rotisserie chicken that was…..no matter,it was sooooo good and uber easy. Thank you and will definitely make again and again ??
So glad you enjoyed it!
I am making this as we speak! And can’t wait to try it in a few hours! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. I will post how it was after my family devour it.
I hope you all enjoy it!
After noting in previous comments that some people got crispy skin and others did not, I am wondering if the brand of slow cooker makes a difference. Could you tell us what slow cooker you use? I have a rival oval crockpot and am hoping it will work.
Here is the link to the slow cooker I used for this recipe.
http://amzn.to/2khqfDu
No water added? Is that right? It won’t like crack my slow cooker?
Yep, the chicken will cook down and release some liquid while it’s cooking but to keep it crispy, you want to make sure it’s propped up on the foil. Enjoy!
Oh my! This is so delicious with crispy skin!
I did not have heavy duty foil on hand so I used a rectangular foil pan 8 by 6 inches. Cut the bottom out then folded the sides to 1 1/2 inches in height. Ended up with a strong base for the chicken to rest on.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Such a great idea, thanks for the tip! So glad you enjoyed it!
I asked the butcher at my supermarket to cut the fresh whole chicken into 8 pieces. 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts & 2 wings. I did the foil, dried the chicken parts with paper towel, rubbed in the spices, put in my slow cooker for 8 hours later on low. Incredible chicken, crispy, & already cut up for me. Served with Brussels sprouts. The foil really works. Chicken was so juicy. Excellent method of cooking chicken. I live in Florida & hate to turn the oven on in summer. Very easy to prepare.
Amazing!! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I’ve used crumbled foil to keep items off the bottom of pans in the oven, but never thought to use it in the crockpot. I want to thank you so very much for all of your recipes and tricks, tips, and advice.
Wow. And I dig the crispy skinned bird as well. Stay bold, eat well, play with your food!
Selah.
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You’re welcome!
Absolutely amazing recipe. Turned out so so good…my husband said it’s the best chicken I’ve ever made (and he is SO picky so that’s a huge compliment). Only change I made was I put the chicken on broil in the oven for 5 min (only 5!) after it was done cooking for 8 hours. So delicious…will be a regular meal in our house!
That’s awesome Andrea!
I can’t wait to try this recipe it looks so yummy. The fact that you only use Lawry’s garlic salt for cooking tells me you’re a great cook, because that’s what my mom always cooks with & so do I lol. Back when I turned 18 & got my own place I tried a different brand but was so disappointed, I’m 30 now & still using Lawry’s. Their lemon pepper is also my fave.
Great minds think alike!
Crystal, I’m in my 40’s and I’ve used lawry’s salt my whole life and that is also one of the main “salts”, besides Kosher, that I remember my Mother using!! I don’t like salt much…. idk…never really have, but I still like the flavor it can give. Don’t get me wrong, I still used salt for certain things! Like a steak. Can’t really get around that! Though, I find that Mrs. Dash can be a wonderful salt substitute! Just and an FYI thing.
Tried this chicken today. My slow cooker has a rack so I used that instead of the foil to keep the chicken off the bottom. Although the chicken tasted great, the skin never got crispy. Any idea why? Does the foil do more than just keep the chicken off the bottom?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chicken. As far as it not crisping up, for next time I would make sure your chicken is completely thawed and even pat it dry to ensure there isn’t any extra liquid. If you do that and it’s still not as crispy as you’d like, try propping the lid up to release some of the steam during the last half hour of cooking. Hope this helps!
I have a tip I thought that might help.
I have read that some people lay a clean tea towel just under the lid so that any excess water is absorbed instead of just dripping back on to the food. Lay the towel over the crockpot and pop the lid on. I have used this tea towel trick a few times now.
I have heard about that trick with the towel. I must ask someone in here. Is that safe? I wonder both about the towel and the foil in this recipe. Risk for fire?
Completely safe 🙂
I cooked this for yesterday with the chicken upside down. It worked and tasted great!!!! Thanks for this recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I bought rotisserie chicken once, and never bought it again. It was waaay over seasoned, and much too small for the price…a total ‘rip-off’! It’s SO easy to make your own, and I love making it in the slow cooker, since it comes out super tender & juicy.
So glad to save you the hassle and the price tag!
I followed the instructions using a 6 lb chicken in a new Crock Pot 6 quart. I cooked it on low but at 4 hours the thigh is 170 degrees. No crispy skin here.??? Not sure what to do except I cannot imagine this chicken will be moist and tender inside with 4 more hours of heat…Confused by the 8 hour recommendation…I don’t want a dry chewy chicken. Any thoughts? I have had many different slow cookers and find Crock Pot brand generally runs cooler than others…
You could try leaving the lid off a bit for the last half hour or so to help get it crispier. It might have had too much moisture trapped from the water content in the chicken.
My dad had a stroke just before Christmas and so my mom and I really didn’t want much fuss with Christmas dinner. I found this recipe and this is what we had. Coming home after a stressful day to this incredible chicken was just what we needed. He’s home now, things are still stressful, but he asked us to fix chicken for dinner. I have 2 enormous bone-in chicken breasts (about 4.5 pounds) in the crock pot. The skin is crisp, the meat is moist and falling off the bone. Now if my side dishes were done. Thank you for this great recipe.
So sorry to hear about your Dad. I’m happy you didn’t have to stress over dinner and enjoy it!
This chicken was wonderful. The liquid gold in the bottom was just that, liquid gold. The only thing wrong was no crispy skin. The chicken did not touch the lid. It was wonderful, but how do I get the crispy skin?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it but sorry to hear about the skin not crisping up. Depending on how much saline is pumped into your chicken, it might have released more moisture than mine. Try leaving the slow cooker lid off a bit for the last hour to vent next time as see if that helps crisp it up.
Making this chicken tomorrow. The chicken is a little larger (7lb) than recommended, but, I plan to start it at 7am for 4 pm service. I can’t wait!
I just made this and the chicken I had was only 3 pounds so we cooked it a little while less. The skin didn’t really get crispy but it was delicious. I will have to try it again with a larger chicken and see how we do.
pop it in the oven on broil for 5-10 mins
Made this for my family tonight and was a hit!!!!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Ok I’ve done this twice and it was great! The first time was with a 6 pound chicken and it tasted amazing but no crispy skin. Tonight I made it with a 5 pound chicken and the wings and legs got crispy but not the top. It still tastes amazing though! And the juice in the bottom is divine! I’m going to try diluting it with water and making chicken broth.
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
You could make a slurry with a bit of Wondra flour and water and add it to the drippingsto make a quick gravy
Sabrina, your using a programmable slow cooker, what setting and temperature are you using? Just bought a Instant Pot Gem and not sure what to use.
I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with Instant Pot settings so I’m not sure how it translates.
may sound silly but do i put the lid on to cook? sometimes it makes more moisture.
Yes, lid definitely goes on, just be sure the chicken isn’t touching the lid.
I love the idea of making this in a slow cooker! The pictures are really helpful, thank you!
Sabrina, the recipe looks amazing! The only thing I’m concerned about is the salt on the skin touching the foil. The salt will eat through the foil! Can I put a plate underneath instead?
Thank you so much, Ann! I completely understand your concern but please don’t put a plate under it. There is no issue cooking it this way and the salt didn’t eat through the foil. It came out absolutely delicious!
I should definitely make rotisserie chicken at home more often. I buy them from Sam’s a lot but this homemade version looks soooooo much better!
It really is so easy!
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing, Sabrina! I can’t wait to try it. The way you described how you eat the wings and other bits while cooking is something I always do! LOL
Great minds thing alike, right Michele?!?
Don’t laugh at my question but I don’t get the foil part. Can someone explain this to me so I can? Is the chicken sitting on the foil or is the foil surrounding the chicken? OK you can laugh.
Thanks to whom ever answers.
Sorry for the confusion! Your chicken will be sitting on top of the foil. I hope you try it and come back to let me know what you think!!
The crispy skin is my FAVORITE part of a rotisserie chicken! This looks and sounds absolutely divine.
Thank you, Erin!
Can you use a small round metal meat rack I stead of foil?
Hmm, if you have one that fits well I cant see why you couldn’t!
My brother in law used to be a vegetarian. Then one day he was walking into Kroger or some store, spotted a Rotisserie Chicken, and bought it and ate the whole thing. He’s never been a vegetarian since. I am going to send him your recipe, because this looks amazing 🙂
That’s awesome, Allyson! He’ll definitely need this recipe then.
This looks like something I will definitely try. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! Enjoy!!
As I read through the comments, I am shocked at how some had very successful experiences while others failed using the same recipe! Perhaps user error is alive and well. sometimes it may be better to not type a comment if you have nothing productive to say. Sorry! Not Sorry.
This chicken looks so delicious!
Thanks, Delaney!
SO fantastic for this time of year! I feel like I’m always having to run to the store for a rotisserie chicken… but no more!
Definitely helps!
That skin looks amazing! I love the foil trick too!