Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing


67 Comments


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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 slow cooker engagement chicken for a great homemade meal!

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing
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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.
close up of whole chicken with stuffing.
  • 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.
whole chicken in stuffing in the slow cooker with spatula on the side

What to serve with this:

This is great alone with just the chicken and stuffing. Or you can serve it with these options:

sliced chicken with stuffing and mashed potatoes on a grey plate.

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whole chicken in stuffing with thyme in the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing

4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6
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.

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 5 lbs. whole chicken
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. dried sage, Use oregano if you don't have sage
  • 1/2 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

Sarah’s 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

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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67 Comments

  1. Alisa Williams says:

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe before and loved it making again today but using chicken leg quarters because that’s what I have in the freezer. Thanks for posting this.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      We love this meal! I will have to try with leg quarters.

  2. Carole says:

    Do you leave the crockpot on for the 10 mins to cook the stuffing?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Yes!

  3. Anonymous says:

    5 stars
    So you can just add the stuffing in the chicken and leave it for 5 hours to cook?

    1. Jen F says:

      5 stars
      You cook the chicken fully first. Then remove the chicken and leave some of the juices in the pot. Add the stuffing to the pot with the juices. The stuffing will soak up the leftover juices and it cooks quickly.

  4. Maribeth says:

    Does the skin get this brown in crockpot??!! Or did you brown it up in the oven?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      It’s not browned. That’s paprika.

    2. Jen F says:

      5 stars
      To make the skin crispy, after the chicken is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the crockpot and transfer to a sheet pan or roasting pan. Put it in the oven to broil to make the skin crispy.

  5. Ruth Ann says:

    Hi Can you put stuffing in side the chicken ?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I don’t see why not, as long as it gets cooked through, it will be fine.

  6. Suxsnne says:

    This is the best chicken I have ever cooked! Never thought it could be this good! Thank you for an awesome recipe . My family loved it! Followed the recipe exactly as posted..

  7. lou says:

    Hi, i am not understanding your recipes as in the videos there is a lot of liquid at the end but it does not say in the recipe to add water??????

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      The liquid comes from the whole chicken and the butter in the recipe. You get LOTS of liquid from chicken with skin on it.

    2. Al says:

      If you cook the chicken as instructed you’ll see that it produces its own liquid, no need to add water. But if you do add liquid add chicken stock, it won’t degrade the flavor, I’d add less than 1 cup.

      1. Lesley says:

        Can you also do a turkey breast the same way

      2. Sarah Olson says:

        I don’t see why not.

  8. sherry B says:

    Sounds like a great recipe, I am going to use chicken Quarters 2 0r 3 and Pepridge Farm stuffing & unions & Celery for the veggies
    Thanks for sharing

  9. Izzy says:

    5 stars
    I made this in the oven because I don’t have a slow cooker. I am in love with the recipe.

    Do you by any chance have a pressure cooker version to this recipe?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      I don’t know have a pressure cooker version. Though I do recommend using an oven bag for this recipe (in the oven)! Turns out amazing!

  10. Rockie says:

    5 stars
    Very good and tender. I added stuffing to the chicken while it cooked….. Delicious