Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken
4 Comments Sep 08, 2022
Updated May 25, 2025
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The flavors in this Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken are absolutely delicious. A whole chicken is cooked in a variety of seasonings along with butter, beer, lemon, and elephant garlic. This is one of those chicken recipes you’ll want to add to your weeknight meal plan!
Looking to try another type of beer-based recipe? Feed your family, game day crowd, or potluck friends with my Slow Cooker Beer Brats meal idea!
Make this whole beer chicken because it’s an easy way to get big flavor with minimal effort. The beer steams the chicken from the inside out, keeping it tender, while garlic, herbs, and lemon infuse everything with rich, savory goodness. Plus, you get a full meal with the potatoes cooked right alongside Want something more kid friendly? Try my popular whole chicken recipe.
Key Ingredients
These fresh flavors come together in the crockpot. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
This one starts with a whole chicken coated in Greek yogurt and rubbed down with a mix of spices like salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, onion, and garlic powder. You’ll stuff it with onion, garlic, and some mini potatoes, then pour in a can of beer for extra flavor and moisture. Add a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, squeeze over some lemon, and top it all off with a little butter. That’s it—easy, flavorful, and all in one pot.
How to make Whole Beer Chicken
This tender chicken comes together easily in the crockpot.
Step One – Pat the chicken dry and coat it all over with Greek yogurt.
Step Two – Mix the seasonings and rub them onto the chicken. Stuff the cavity with onion wedges, halved garlic cloves, and some of the potatoes.
Step Three – Place the remaining onion, garlic, and potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. Pour the beer over them.
Step Four – Set the stuffed chicken on top. Squeeze the juice from the lemons over the bird.
Step Five – Add pats of butter on top of the chicken, then lay the rosemary and thyme over it.
Step Six – Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
Ways to Serve
As is: Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken can be considered a one-pot meal, which means it can be served as is. Simply pull off some of the tender chicken pieces and scoop out a nice helping of potatoes (and onion).
Make a Gravy – Make a gravy from the drippings, you can do this with a flour roux, or a cornstarch slurry.
Side Dish Ideas: We love to serve this chicken with slow cooker collard greens, crockpot mac and cheese and Honey Garlic Carrots.
Featured Comment
“Oh my goodness! Absolutely delicious my whole family was going crazy! I used 1/2 Corona beer & half chicken broth. Potatoes, Chicken, Mushrooms & carrots. Wow!”
– Carri
Slow Cooker Whole Beer Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. whole chicken
- 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
- 12 oz. can wheat beer or pale ale
- 1 head elephant garlic
- 1 sweet yellow onion
- 2 lbs. mini potatoes
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 3-4 sprigs thyme
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. mustard powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by removing the items from cavity and blotting dry with a paper towel.
- Brush Greek yogurt over the entirety of the chicken. Combine sea salt, black pepper, paprika, mustard powder, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl or ramekin and season the chicken.
- Cut onion into wedges. Remove elephant garlic cloves from skin and slice in half. Add to a large bowl with potatoes. Stuff the chicken with as much of this as you can. Add remaining to the bottom of the crockpot and pour beer inside. Place chicken on top. Squeeze over the lemons. Add the butter on top, and rosemary and thyme, and close the lid. Cook for 6-7 hours on low (completely depends on exactly how large your bird is or how hot your slow cooker cooks).
- You will want to make sure your chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
- Plate and serve. Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
- Wheat beer or pale ale works best for this recipe, though any beer you like to drink works great. If you aren’t a beer drinker but want a hint of beer, use something very light, such as bud light.
- Want to use a different cut of chicken? You can use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs. Though, it will still take 5-6 hours on low to get tender results.
- Have leftovers? Store them in an airtight container and keep it the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Beer Recipes:
From cozy appetizers to hearty mains, beer brings bold flavor to these slow cooker favorites.
Kick things off with Slow Cooker Beer Cheese Dip or Crockpot Beer Cheese Soup—perfect for dipping or sipping on game day.
For something meatier, try Beer Pulled Pork or a tangy Beer, Onion and Ketchup Chuck Roast that practically melts in your mouth.
And don’t forget Slow Cooker Beer Meatballs, simmered in beer for the ultimate crowd-pleasing bite. My newest favorite tacos are Beergarita Tacos, that have lime and beer flavors.
Stupid question: What is ELEPHANT GARLIC?
It’s a very large head of garlic!
There is no flavor in this chicken. I shredded the chicken and made burrito
Oh my goodness! Absolutely delicious my whole family was going crazy! I used 1/2 Corona beer & half chicken broth. Potatoes, Chicken, Mushrooms & carrots. Wow!