Easy Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

No need to run to the grocery store… you can make an amazingly flavorful and crispy rotisserie chicken at home, right in the slow cooker!

Having a rotisserie chicken on hand is like the ultimate ace in the hole… you can serve it up as is, or shred it and use it for SO many recipes!  Now you don’t have to pick one up from the grocery store… you can make your own, with your own seasonings, with barely any work required!

If you’re like me, you use store-bought rotisserie chickens quite a bit.  I mean, they’re just SO versatile!  But they can also be expensive, and elusive.  Our local grocery store only has so many, and if you’re not one of the lucky few to grab one, you’re out of luck.  Boo to that!

So when I saw a method for cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker, I knew I had to try my hand at making my own “rotisserie” style version!

The result?  An amazing rotisserie style chicken that’s every bit as tender and juicy as the store-bought variety!

HOW TO MAKE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AT HOME

There are two main ways to make one at home… the slow cooker and the oven.  You could also make one on a grill, but for most people that’s not a year-round option.

HOW LONG TO COOK ROTISSERIE CHICKEN IN AN OVEN

For a 4-5 lb chicken, you’ll want to roast it at 425 F degrees for 70-85 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.  To keep it from drying out in the hot oven, baste periodically with the juices accumulated in the pan.

HOW TO MAKE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

The tips you’ve been waiting for!

• Make sure the chicken will fit into the slow cooker without touching the lid.  I don’t have any problems in my 6 or 7 quart slow cooker, but smaller ones might be a problem.
• You want to keep the chicken off the bottom of the slow cooker, so it won’t be sitting in liquid.  The easiest way to do this is to create 4 balls of aluminum foil (or a long foil snake), and rest the chicken on top of that.
• Make sure you’ve taken out the gizzards and any other innards.  The chickens at my grocery store come with the innards in a bag inside the chicken, which is easy to remove.
• Pat the chicken dry, both inside and out.
• Don’t add any liquid to the slow cooker.  I know it may seem odd, but the chicken will give off plenty of juices as it cooks.
• For the crispiest skin, drizzle cooked chicken (after it’s finished in the slow cooker) with olive oil and broil on HIGH for several minutes until skin is crispy.

Once you try this recipe and see how incredibly EASY it is to make rotisserie chicken at home, you’ll be making it often!

WAYS TO USE A ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

You can slice it up and eat it as is, maybe with a side of horseradish mashed potatoes and crispy cheddar broccoli… or here are a few great ways you an use the shredded chicken.

• Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels
• Cheesy Tortilla Chicken Casserole
• Chicken and Mushroom Chowder
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

Not only would this rotisserie chicken recipe be fabulous for a weeknight dinner, it’s amazing for a weekend family meal, or even gracing your holiday table this year!

TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS ROTISSERIE CHICKEN RECIPE

• Slow Cooker – this slow cooker is large, and has a clamp-down lid… it’s my go-to, and is really affordable!
• Aluminum foil – the heavy duty variety is best here, as it doesn’t squish down as much.

Want to try this Rotisserie Chicken?

PIN IT to your DINNER or CHICKEN board to save for later!

Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Easy Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

4.68 from 25 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 - 8 servings

(hover over # to adjust)

Print Rate Pin

No need to run to the grocery store... you can make an amazingly flavorful and crispy rotisserie chicken at home, right in the slow cooker! 

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 - 5 lb whole chicken, innards removed
• ▢ 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp onion powder
• ▢ kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Add 4 balls of aluminum foil to bottom of large slow cooker to create a rack for the chicken to cook on.  Prepare chicken by removing innards and patting dry, both inside and out.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then rub mixture all over chicken.  Place chicken in slow cooker on top of the foil balls.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until juices run clear and chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
• For crispy skin, preheat broiler to HIGH and place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet that's been lined with foil (for easy clean up).  Drizzle chicken with olive oil and broil for several minutes, or until crisped to your liking.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Alternately, chicken can be cooked on LOW for 7-8 hours, until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.  

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!

Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Save for Later Saved!