Filed Under: Main Dish | Savory | Slow Cooker | Weeknight

Lemon, Rosemary, and Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

By Tessa Arias

May 1st, 2013

13 Comments

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Waiting for time to pass is such a terrible feeling. I remember sitting in class in high school knowing that if I looked at the clock too early in the...

Tessa's Recipe Rundown...

Taste: Earthy, zesty, fresh and wonderfully savory. Texture: The chicken is incredibly moist and tender and if you broil the chicken after cooking you get that crave worthy crisp skin. Ease: Super easy! Appearance: This chicken will look mouthwatering on any dinner table. Pros: Easy, doesn't heat up your whole kitchen, and a smart way to utilize the slow cooker. Cons: None! Would I make this again? Absolutely. This is a great recipe to make every week either for a roast dinner or for chicken for other recipes for the rest of the week.

Waiting for time to pass is such a terrible feeling. I remember sitting in class in high school knowing that if I looked at the clock too early in the class period then it was going to go by dreadfully slow. Same with shifts at work or a long plane ride. Sometimes it seems as though time is standing still. That’s often how it feels while waiting for something scrumptious to finish cooking, especially when it smells amazing and your stomach is growling at you. Time is certainly something involved when using the slow cooker, but it’s enough time that you forget about it. That’s why this slow cooker recipe is perfect because the cooking time is all inactive and can be done while you’re running errands or while you’re at work. Plus the chicken is utterly tender and tasty.

Roast chicken is one of my all time favorite meals. Served with roasted vegetables and a chunk of crusty and well buttered bread and I’m a happy camper. However, sometimes I don’t want to wait an hour and a half while the bird cooks, heating up the oven and therefor my whole kitchen. That’s where this recipe for faux roast chicken comes in.

How to make

Lemon, Rosemary, and Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

Waiting for time to pass is such a terrible feeling. I remember sitting in class in high school knowing that if I looked at the clock too early in the...

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

4 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
4 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves, peeled

For the chicken:

1 lemon, zested and halved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 3 sprigs
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 to 5 pound whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry with giblets removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the vegetables:

Place the carrots, onions, potatoes, and peeled garlic cloves in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.

For the chicken:

Place the two lemon halves and 3 rosemary sprigs inside the chicken cavity. In a small bowl combine the lemon zest, chopped rosemary, chopped garlic, and olive oil. Slather the mixture over the chicken and place inside slow cooker on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
Cook the slow chicken on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken and the slow cooker.
For crispy skin, place the cooked chicken in a baking dish and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy.

Course : Main Course

Cuisine : American

Recipe by Tessa Arias

Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

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All Comments (13) Questions I Made This (0)

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Erin — February 17, 2014 at 5:17 pm

I just made this last night and it came out sooooo juicy!!! It was my first time making a whole chicken, and it came out perfect! I will definitely be making this a regular meal. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

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Tanya @ Mom’s Small Victories — January 24, 2014 at 5:03 am

I’ll be making this today so I can work on my Blogathon to-do list and have dinner ready. Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

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Cathy — July 26, 2013 at 9:32 am

I tried this recipe last night. Delicious! I also inserted an apple inside chicken cavity and broiled the chicken in the oven like you suggested for crispiness. I had to switch out the vegetables, because we’ve had a lot of potatoes lately, for a frozen blend of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. We served it with sugar-free orange Jell-O mixed with shredded carrots, pineapples (and juice that replaced some of the cold water), and bananas. A dinner we will definitely repeat soon!

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sally LaJoie — May 5, 2013 at 8:28 pm

Absolutely wonderful– I made it tonight. It’s super easy! Went great with spinach salad and light mac n’ cheese.

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Gerry @ Foodness Gracious — May 3, 2013 at 12:19 am

But could you make a chicken ice cream sandwich, huh? This is a weekly staple in my house, my kids devour it like jungle animals,,,great to meet you!

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claire @ the realistic nutritionist — May 2, 2013 at 1:16 pm

This is gorgeous Tessa!

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Rachel @ Bakerita — May 1, 2013 at 1:39 pm

I really need to use my slow cooker more! This looks like a perfect and delicious meal, and I love that you just throw it all together and forget about it. Pinned!

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Mimi @ Culinary Couture — May 1, 2013 at 9:30 am

This looks scrumptious! I really need to invest in a slow cooker.

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[email protected] — May 1, 2013 at 9:11 am

This looks so delicious! I’ve never done a slow cooker chicken, but I REALLY need to.

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Amy | Club Narwhal — May 1, 2013 at 7:58 am

I could eat this straight off the screen right now! I adore roast chicken and love Ina Garten’s version but I have never tried making it in the crock pot (mostly because the thought of droopy non-browned chicken skin kind of makes me gag). But crisping it up in the oven is the perfect solution!

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Tieghan — May 1, 2013 at 6:35 am

This looks perfect!! You nailed it!

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Rachel @ Baked by Rachel — May 1, 2013 at 5:37 am

Beautiful chicken! I just did a slow cooker chicken the other day! Funny world 😉

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ashley – baker by nature — May 1, 2013 at 4:45 am

Oh my gosh… you know how to cook a whole chicken!? I friggin’ love this. I’m always waaaaaaay to scared to even attempt it. I’m thinking you make the chicken, I’ll make the sides! xx

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