This Slow Cooker Whole Chicken cooks until perfectly tender with onions, potatoes, and peppers is an easy, filling dinner bursting with Cajun flavor!
This Slow Cooker Chicken is the ultimate easy meal! A heavily-seasoned whole chicken cooks with hearty veggies for a delicious, super flavorful meal that is sure to fill up the whole family. Creamy potatoes, tender onions, and juicy peppers bulk up the meal and add loads of nutrition. This recipe reheats wonderfully for easy leftover lunches, too.
Ingredients for Cajun Chicken and Potatoes
Here is a quick overview of what you will need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.
- Whole Chicken – This recipe works best with a 3-5 pound chicken. Smaller or larger birds may need more or less cooking time. I left the skin on for the great flavor, but you could remove the skin if you are limiting fat and calories. However, this will result in dryer meat.
- Butter – Softened. This gets rubbed between the skin and meat as well as on the outside of the chicken. This leads to a super tasty skin. You could replace with a drizzle of oil if necessary, but it is not quite as flavorful.
- Lemon – Cut into wedges, placed inside the chicken cavity for flavor. Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, etc. could all be used inside the cavity as well.
- Baby Red Potatoes – Halved. Small yellow potatoes would also work well. The creamier, the better in this recipe!
- Bell Peppers – I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers, but you could use any color you prefer. Cut in half, discard seeds and stems.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion works great. Slice into 8 wedges and separate layers.
- Garlic – Smashed. These smashed cloves become so flavorful. You can use minced garlic if you prefer.
- Spices & Herbs – I used this Cajun seasoning mix on the chicken, then a Herbs de Provence blend on the potatoes, onions, and peppers.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker
This recipe is SO easy to prep — Just cut, season, and cook! Here is a step-by-step guide to make this deliciously juicy crock pot chicken.
Season vegetables
Once your vegetables have been chopped, toss them into the slow cooker and season with Herbs de Provence. Stir to make sure seasonings are adequately distributed throughout.
Note: We will slice the peppers more after cooking for easier eating. However, I’ve found that slicing the peppers before cooking led them to become super mushy. I preferred the texture of cooking them in halves, then slicing into smaller pieces afterwards.
Season chicken & cook
Pat your chicken dry, then lift the chicken skin away from the meat as much as you can (using a spoon to separate it is helpful). Use your hands to smooth the softened butter over the chicken, spreading it all over, both underneath and on top of the chicken skin.
Sprinkle Cajun seasoning all over the chicken, making sure to season all the little nooks and crannies. Do not be shy with the seasoning! Once it is completely covered, tie the chicken legs together with butcher’s twine. This is optional, but it helps achieve an even cook and a pretty bird!
Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. When a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F, it is ready.
NOTE: Sometimes condensation gathers on the lid of the crock pot while your food is cooking. Eventually this moisture drops down, and it basically washes the seasoning off the chicken. To avoid this, you can place a paper towel between the lid and slow cooker to catch that liquid.
Carve chicken & slice peppers
Once the chicken is cooked, remove both the chicken and the peppers from the slow cooker. You can carve the chicken into pieces and serve on the bone, or you can slice or shred it.
Slice the peppers into strips. The skins may come off. If it is loose, just discard it. If it is not loose, you can leave it on; they are tender enough to eat. Mix the peppers back in with the potatoes and onions, then serve!
Serve
This is a complete meal in and of itself, so sprinkle some fresh herbs on top (and maybe some hot sauce if you like a kick), then serve fresh and hot! We love it with a side of Jalapeno Cornbread and a simple Arugula Salad. If you need to stretch the meal further, some Instant Pot Collard Greens and a few Corn Fritters would be great!
Store
This dish is best stored in an airtight container up to 4 days in the fridge. For quick leftover lunches, make tasty Cajun lunch bowls by removing chicken from the bowl and mixing right in with the veggies!
Freeze
You can freeze this recipe, but it’s best eaten within 3 months for the best textures. Portion into individual servings in freezer-safe airtight containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat
The best way to reheat this meal is in the oven. Place veggies and chicken in a baking dish, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, and cover. Reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-15 minutes (bone-in cuts will need longer reheating times than boneless cuts).
If you want it crispy, reheat this dish in the air fryer (350 degrees for 3-5 minutes)! The peppers get nicely charred, the chicken skin crisps up, and the edges of the potatoes get a great crunch. You can also use the microwave, but this can dry out the chicken — Try it on 50% power if the microwave is your only option.
Do I have to use a whole chicken?
No, you can replace the whole chicken with any chicken cuts of your choosing, including boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Check the temperature around the 3 hour mark (if on high, or around 5 hours if on low) to make sure it has not cooked too quickly.
Why should I cut the peppers into strips after cooking?
Peppers cook fairly quickly, so thin pepper strips would become absolute mush in the slow cooker. Cooking them in halves, then slicing into strips afterwards allows them to cook slower and stay slightly firmer. If your peppers are already cut into strips, toss them in halfway through the cooking time instead.
What if I like crispy skin?
The slow cooker does not crisp up chicken skin, but you can easily remedy this with a broiler! After removing the chicken, transfer to a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Be very careful; it can burn quickly if you are not paying close attention.
Help, my seasoning came off in the slow cooker!
When cooking in a crockpot, steam gathers on the lid, leading water droplets to fall onto the chicken. This can wash the seasonings off the chicken. To avoid this, you can stick a paper towel underneath the lid, using the lid to hold it up above the chicken. This barrier will collect the water, allowing the seasoning to adhere to the meat.
More slow cooker recipes:
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3-5 pounds
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes
- 1 onion
- 3 medium bell peppers any color
- 1 head garlic cloves smashed
- 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Halve the potatoes, cut the onion, and smash the garlic cloves. Slice peppers in half and discard of stem and seeds. Place all veggies in the slow cooker. Top with Herbs de Provence seasoning.
- Pat the chicken dry, then gently pull the skin away from the chicken (use a spoon to make it easier). Press softened butter underneath and on top of the chicken skin, then rub Cajun seasoning all over.
- Finally, stuff the cavity with the quartered lemon and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in the slow cooker atop the vegetables.
- Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 6-8. When a meat thermometer measures 165 degrees F in the center of one of the breasts, remove from the slow cooker.
- Carve chicken into wings, thighs, breasts, and drumsticks. Slice the peppers into strips and return to the veggies, mixing to combine. Serve immediately.
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