Chicken · Slow cooker

You'll never do chicken the same!

A whole chicken coated in melted butter and paprika, slow-cooked until the meat falls apart, this is the kind of no-fuss dinner that tastes like you've been standing over a stove all day. Throw it in the crock pot in the morning and forget about it until dinner's ready.

R By Richard · Adapted from Kyra's Kitchen · Published 8 May 2026
👁 353.3k source views ❤️ 3.6k source likes
⏱Prep 10 min
🍽Serves 6
✓Confidence 88%
You'll never do chicken the same!

Source video by Kyra's Kitchen on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

This is a whole roast chicken made entirely in the slow cooker, no oven required. A whole bird is patted dry, sat in a greased pot, drenched in melted butter, then massaged with a simple spice rub built around paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and a touch of cayenne. After a few hours on high, the chicken is fall-apart tender with plenty of buttery juices in the bottom of the pot. Perfect for holidays or a hands-off weekday dinner.

Ingredients

Main
  • 2 kgwhole chicken, patted dry with kitchen paper
  • 115 gbutter, melted
Spice rub
  • 1 tbsppaprika
  • 2 tspgarlic powder
  • 2 tsponion powder
  • 2 tspsalt
  • 1 tspItalian seasoning
  • 0.5 tspcayenne pepper
  • 1 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
To finish
  • 2 tbspfresh coriander, chopped (add late)

Method

  1. Grease the slow cooker pot. Pat the whole chicken dry with kitchen paper and place it in the pot.

    ~2 min

  2. Pour the melted butter all over the chicken so it coats the skin and pools in the bottom of the pot.

    ~1 min

  3. Sprinkle the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, cayenne and black pepper evenly over the top of the chicken.

    ~2 min

  4. Using clean hands or food-safe gloves, massage the seasonings and butter all over the chicken. Flip the bird to coat the underside in the buttery seasoned juices, then turn it back breast-side up.

    ~3 min

  5. Cover with the lid and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, until the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 75C (165F) on a meat thermometer.

    ~210 min

  6. Spoon some of the buttery juices from the bottom of the pot back over the chicken. Lift onto a board or platter and rest for 10 minutes.

    ~10 min

  7. Scatter over the chopped fresh coriander (or parsley or dill) and serve.

    ~1 min

Frequently asked

Do I need to add any liquid to the slow cooker?
No. The butter and the chicken's own juices create plenty of liquid as it cooks. Adding stock or water would dilute the buttery seasoned juices that pool in the bottom of the pot.
Can I cook it on Low instead of High?
Yes. The cook in this recipe uses High for 3 to 4 hours, but a whole chicken of this size will also cook through on Low in roughly 6 to 7 hours. Always check the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 75C (165F).
Why is the skin not crispy?
Slow cookers cook with moist heat, so the skin stays soft rather than crisping. If you want crisp skin, lift the rested chicken onto a baking tray and pop it under a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
What size chicken fits in a slow cooker?
A 1.8 to 2.2 kg (4 to 5 lb) bird fits comfortably in a 6-litre slow cooker. Make sure the lid sits flush before switching on, otherwise heat will escape and cooking time will increase.
What can I do with the juices left in the pot?
Strain them and use as a quick gravy base, spoon them over the carved chicken and mash, or save them to cook rice or roast potatoes in for extra flavour.
Extraction notes (transparency): Chicken weight stated as '4 and 12 lb' in transcript, interpreted as 4.5 lb (approx 2 kg) based on context (a single whole chicken). Low setting timing not stated by the cook, so left null.