Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing
68 Comments Mar 08, 2020
Updated May 23, 2025
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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.
Growing up, my mom always added extra veggies to her Stove-Top stuffing, and I’ve carried that trick into this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Stuffing recipe. It all starts with a whole chicken cooked low and slow over a mix of carrots, celery, and onion—just like she used to make—soaking up all that buttery, herby flavor. At the end, I stir the boxed stuffing right into the drippings and tender veggies to soak up every bit of that goodness. It’s an easy, comforting dinner that feels like home.
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!
How to make Whole Chicken and Stuffing in the slow cooker:
Here is my guide on how to make this comforting chicken meal:
Step One – Clean out the chicken and place it on top of diced carrots, celery, and onion in the slow cooker. Pour over melted butter and sprinkle with thyme, sage, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Step Two – Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Step Three – Remove the chicken and most of the liquid, leaving 1.5 cups behind with the veggies. Stir in the Stove-Top stuffing mix, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve with sliced chicken.
Tips and Serving Suggestions
Use a savory herb or cornbread stuffing mix, depending on what your favorite is.
Be sure to only leave 1.5 cups of liquid in the slow cooker before adding the stuffing so it doesn’t turn out soggy.
If you like a golden top on your stuffing, transfer it to a baking dish and broil for a few minutes before serving.
For other side dishes, we like gravy (we make up a gravy packet) and mashed potatoes.
Featured Comment
“I have made this a couple times and it is excellent, so thank you.”
– Alisa
Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Stuffing
How to Video
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 4-5 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.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Make dinnertime easy with Slow Cooker Whole Chicken or keep it simple with flavorful Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken for wraps, bowls, or salads.
Craving something spicy? Try Mississippi Chicken or spicy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken—both pack a punch with minimal effort.
For cozy, all-in-one comfort meals, Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole and Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo hit the spot with rich flavors and hearty ingredients.
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.
We love this meal! I will have to try with leg quarters.
Do you leave the crockpot on for the 10 mins to cook the stuffing?
Yes!
So you can just add the stuffing in the chicken and leave it for 5 hours to cook?
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.
Does the skin get this brown in crockpot??!! Or did you brown it up in the oven?
It’s not browned. That’s paprika.
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.
Hi Can you put stuffing in side the chicken ?
I don’t see why not, as long as it gets cooked through, it will be fine.
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..
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??????
The liquid comes from the whole chicken and the butter in the recipe. You get LOTS of liquid from chicken with skin on it.
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.
Can you also do a turkey breast the same way
I don’t see why not.
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
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?
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!
Very good and tender. I added stuffing to the chicken while it cooked….. Delicious