How Long to Cook a Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Instead of buying pre-cooked chicken from the store, you can easily cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker to get a better, healthier tasting dinner. Using a slow cooker like a Crock-Pot, a Cuisinart slow cooker, or a Hamilton Beach slow cooker, you can place a whole chicken in before you leave for the day and when you come home in the evening, you will have a perfectly cooked chicken ready for you.
If you're wondering how long to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker in order to get the perfect dinner, it's easy to remember! You should cook your whole chicken on low for 7-8 hours without opening the lid or 4-5 hours on high. That time frame may be shorter if you have a smaller, medium whole chicken, but the only clear indication that your chicken is ready before those hour markers without taking the lid off is using a probe thermometer. The chicken should be fully cooked to at least 165 degrees. When it's done, you may also notice that the drumsticks start to separate from the breasts and the juices run clear.
While a slow cooker is a great cooking method to retain moisture, the long cooking time can be a drawback. If you are tighter time frame, consider roasting your whole chicken instead.