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.
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds, fully defrosted
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt *
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper if using standard ground, use 1/2 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.
Recipe Notes
I use this brand of garlic salt specifically, I love the flavor.
If not using garlic salt, use 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
I followed the recipe exactly and the skin on my chicken was nothing but soft and chewy. I did not add oil or any liquid at all. I patted the chicken dry and placed in fridge for 12 hours to dry out before placing in crock pot. I patted down again before cooking and then added the rub/seasonings.
Cooking the chicken on low for 8 hours (6 lb chicken) yielded meat so tender it was literally falling apart….could not even take out of the crock pot without it falling apart. If you want chicken than is ready to shred, great. If you want to slice the chicken you will not be able to.
I was very suspect of the recipe stating crispy skin but had to try. I would suggest you pass.
Did you end up with a lot of liquid in your slow cooker?
I have a small wire rack that fits my slow cooker. Do you think it would work in place of the foil. Thanks
I wish I could say I’ve tried it, but since I haven’t I can’t say for sure. I don’t know if the rack would have enough contact with the bottom to effectively cook it. I would *think* it would but I can’t say how it would effect timing.
Would lining your slow cooker with a crock pot liner have an affect on the browning of the chicken? I would put the rolled tinfoil inside the liner bag. Thank you!
Personally I don’t use the liners. In the past, people have commented that it didn’t allow the browning to occur.
Very easy and I love easy. 8 hours in the crockpot and cover the chicken in what ever dry rub you want. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I will definitely do this again. Thank you
I made the crispy chicken per the receipt for the slow cooker. It came out crispy and had a great taste. The only thing it does take the whole day 8hrs to cook and get the crispy on low setting. It was worth it because juicy and crispy. I will cook my chicken this way through the summer. No need to turn on the oven….
Came out great! Instead of foil I put a couple of thick whole carrots across the bottom to hold bird up. I figured they are so dense they wouldn’t add much liquid. It did not come out crispy but I had to put it in partially frozen so had a ton of liquid when done. Also only cooked 4 hrs on High.
I followed the recipe exactly, and it was absolutely terrible. No crispy skin. No flavor of the actual meat. What a waste.
Not even close to a rotisserie chicken. No stars. Huge disappointment.
I made this exactly according to the recipe. The first time it came out perfectly with very crispy skin. The second time it didn’t brown as evenly nor was it anywhere near as crispy. Cooked the exact same way in the same slow cooker. Go figure!
Oh no! Was the second chicken completely thawed? Wondering if it released more liquid while cooking to not allow it to crisp up and steam more instead. Hope this helps to figure it out for next time.