Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Stuffing is a one-pot meal, the veggie and chicken cook all day then the stuffing mix is added to the rich and flavorful broth.
If you haven’t tried an entire chicken in the slow cooker you must! You can make this recipe or my engagement chicken for a great homemade meal!
Growing up my mom always added extra veggies to her Stove-Top stuffing. I found that I can cook veggies with a whole chicken in the slow cooker (smothered in butter), then stir in stove-top stuffing to the drippings in with the cooked veggies at the end of the cooking time.
How to make Whole Chicken and Stuffing in the slow cooker:
- Add diced onion, carrots and celery to the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add a whole chicken (weighing about 5 pounds) over the veggies.
- Melt a stick of butter in the microwave. Pour over the chicken.
- Sprinkle over paprika, thyme, and sage.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
- Remove the chicken onto a plate.
- Keep only 1 1/2 cups of liquid in the slow cooker with the veggies (you can use the leftover broth for gravy if desired).
- Add a 6-ounce box of stove-top stuffing into the liquid and veggies.
- Serve and enjoy! You can add the chicken back in the pot for a pretty presentation, or slice and serve from the plate.
What to serve with this:
This is great alone with just the chicken and stuffing. Or you can serve it with these options:
- Mashed potatoes
- Chicken Gravy – Recipe by Crazy for Crust
- Green beans – Recipe by Dinner at the Zoo
- Cranberry Sauce
More chicken recipes to make in the slow cooker:
- Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken with Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Engagement Chicken with Gravy
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing
A whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker, with butter, onions, carrots, and celery. Then Stove top stuffing is stirred into the chicken drippings with the vegetables.
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 651kcal
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 5 lbs. whole chicken
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried sage Use oregano if you don't have sage
- ½ tsp. paprika (this makes the chicken look less pale since it doesn't get crispy in slow cooker)
- 6 oz. box stove top stuffing I use savory herb style but you can use any kind of stove-top such as chicken, turkey or cornbread style.
Instructions:
- Clean out the inside of the chicken by removing any extra parts or packaging and discard.
- Add the carrots, onion and celery to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the chicken.
- Pour over the melted butter and sprinkle over the thyme, sage, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours.
- Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Now you'll want to remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker, leave only 1.5 cups of liquid along with the veggies. (you can use the extra liquid for gravy or another recipe). Add the box of stove-top stuffing to the veggies and 1.5 cups of liquid in the slow cooker. Replace the lid. Let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork when the time is up.
- I add the chicken back to the slow cooker with the stuffing for a pretty presentation. If I was just serving this to my family, I would slice and serve the chicken on the platter and serve the stuffing from the slow cooker.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
What should I serve with this? You can serve the alone with just the chicken and stuffing, it’s so good as is! If you would like to serve it with other sides I suggest one or more of these:
- Mashed potatoes
- Chicken Gravy
- Green Beans
- Cranberry Sauce
Nutrition:
Calories: 651kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4266IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg
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Had to downsize to a 1.8 litre slow cooker so disappointed I can’t fit a whole chicken in it. Presumably i can use drums and thighs instead?
Yes! I’m sure it will work fine!
Oh yes
Neither of my crock pots was large enough for the almost 5 # whole chicken. I took off the breasts and legs and that worked fine. I did 2 hours on high and 4 on low. Will just buy chicken breasts next time.qa
I made this for my family tonight. I’m a vegetarian, so I didn’t taste it, but they seemed to like it, and my kids are very picky! I didn’t have thyme, so I used Italian seasoning instead. It looked a bit dry to me, so I may use some broth next time.
Made this today and it’s awesome! The stuffing is amazing!
Could you do this on high instead and if so how long?
I would do 4-5 hours on high.
Just checking, but you didn’t add any liquid to the slow cooker when you started. Is that correct? The chicken will produce that much liquid?
The butter is considered liquid, but yes the chicken produces that much liquid.
Have you ever substituted a turkey breast?
I have not, will probably work fine. You may need to add a touch of broth to make the stuffing at the end.
I wonder where you find a 5lb chicken…I feel lucky if I find a 3lb. Suggestions would be helpful!
I get mine at Fred Meyers, which is Kroger.
What can I use besides the butter?
Chicken broth would work well
Can you use Pepperidge farm stuffing instead? I’m assuming it would be fine.
I’d follow the liquid I instructions on the packaging. I think it will be fine!
Did you get the gravy from drippings?
Yes, I used the excess to flavor my gravy.
Can this be made in an instant pot?
You are still the slow-cook genius! This couldn’t be easier or more delicious. My husband commented on how moist and delicious the chicken was, and the coloring imparted by the paprika is a total trompe-l’oeil! My husband said,”wait a minute,didn’t you make this with the slow-cooker? How can it be so brown?” I am trying your ham with pineapple and cherry for Easter. I am making harissa roasted carrots and asparagus with that.
Delicious!! Just made for dinner- big win!
Could you use regular dry bread or cornbread?
Was wondering the same thing… hoping to use dry homemade bread so its a little healthier than stove top.
You would have so add more seasoning and figure out the liquid ratio for the amount of bread you use. Possibly use a homemade stuffing recipe and adapt.
Chicken was moist, very delicious! But the stuffing…omg you were right! Amazing! I can’t stop eating it! I will never make Stove Top without the vegetables again!
Ho do you get the chicken to brown?
It’s not browned, I promise. The paprika makes it look that way.
In the video it appears more than 1/2 tsp of paprika was used, is that correct? Actually it appears all the herbs too had more added than the recipe calls for.
It was a half teaspoon, though it really doesn’t need to be exact for those seasonings. Just don’t over salt.
Recipe looks yummy with one concern. Juice from the chicken is usually very fatty. How do you deal with that? Appreciate comments on this question. Thank you
That’s why it tastes so good! You could do part of the juices and the rest water. Or try spooning off the fat from the juices.
Just used chicken broth instead
You could probably use chicken stock in place of the juices.