We all know that Costco rotisserie chicken is the star of easy dinners. It’s versatile, juicy, flavorful and, best of all, requires no effort on your part! While this Fauxtisserie Chicken is not 100% hands off, it really is so easy, and delivers that same delicious, flavorful, tender chicken you love.
You can slice it up like a turkey and eat with traditional sides like mashed potatoes and a salad. You can could make a big chef salad and toss the chicken on there. Throw it in chow mein, fried rice, or pretty much any casserole recipe. Chicken noodle soup, enchiladas, pot pie, BBQ chicken pizza. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Whole chicken – You can use whatever size chicken you want, just make sure it will fit in your slow cooker.
- Salt-based seasoning – Seasoning salt, Cajun seasoning, Lemon Pepper with salt in it, etc. Just be sure salt is one of the first ingredients on the label. I like to add a good sprinkle of paprika to my chicken as well, to help give it a nice golden color, since the skin won’t really brown when cooked in the crock pot.
- Optional extras
- whole garlic cloves, peeled
- fresh herbs
- lemon
- Aluminum foil – You’ll need either some aluminum foil to ball up and keep the chicken off the bottom of the crock pot, or something else that serves the same purpose. Stainless steel condiment cups work really well!
How to Make a Fauxtisserie Chicken
- Start off by placing 3 balls of aluminum foil at the bottom of your slow cooker. This just lifts the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate around it while it cooks.
- Next you’ll prep your chicken. It gets a quick rinse and pat dry, then you can prep it as desired with seasonings. I recommend separating the skin from the meat and sliding some garlic cloves and fresh herbs in there, but you don’t have to.
- You’ll cover that bird with liberal amounts of your chosen salt-based seasoning and then pop it in the slow cooker to slow roast to perfection!
Storing and Other Tips
- After the chicken is done cooking, it’s easiest to remove the meat from the bones while it’s still warm. Store any leftover cooled chicken in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Nitrile gloves: If you’re at all squeamish around raw meat, but even if you’re not, I highly recommend keeping some nitrile gloves in your kitchen. They make both handling raw meat and pulling the cooked meat off the bones later much easier and less messy!
- Cooking time can vary based on the size of your chicken and your crock pot. If you’re worried your chicken is getting too done and drying out, pop a thermometer in the deepest part of the meat to check it. Here’s what to expect at different temperatures:
- 165°F – Fully cooked, but sliceable and firm.
- 175-185°F (breast) – More tender and juicy.
- 185-195°F (thighs/legs) – Connective tissue breaks down and you get that juicy, fall-apart texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use them to make gravy or in any recipe that requires chicken broth!
You can use a metal roasting rack if you can find one that fits in your crock pot. Oven-safe ramekins could also work, although I have not tried this.
It’s not a good idea to cook a whole chicken from frozen in the crock pot. The meat will be in the “danger zone” temperature-wise for too long and bad bacteria could grow and make you sick!
Fauxtissery chicken is just a fun name for a chicken that’s been cooked to resemble rotisserie chickens you would find at Costco or your grocery store. Although it’s cooking in a slow cooker instead of an oven, and there’s no rotating involved, the end result is amazingly similar!
Nope. Just a crock pot!
Nope. The chicken will release some juices and that will help create steam.
No, the slow cooker traps moisture, keeping everything soft. You can place the chicken under the oven broiler briefly before serving if you’d like some crispy skin.
Fauxtisserie Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken small enough to fit in your slow cooker
- Salt-based seasoning Seasoning salt, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper with salt in it, etc. Just make sure salt is one of the first ingredients on the label.
- OPTIONAL:
- Whole garlic cloves peeled
- Fresh herbs
Instructions
- Make 3 balls of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker. These hold the chicken off the bottom so the hot air can circulate all around the chicken and so it’s not stewing in its own juices.
- Rinse chicken, including the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on its back so the breast is facing up. If you want (and I actually strongly recommend that you do UNLESS you’re looking for a neutral flavor), pull the skin up all around the chicken. This does involve sticking your hand between the skin and the breast. Slice a few garlic cloves in half lengthwise and stick them under the skin. You can also arrange a couple sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and/or sage under the skin. This makes a very pretty chicken when it’s all cooked and adds a lot of flavor.
- Rub salt-based seasoning VERY liberally onto the skin of the chicken. Place chicken breast-up on the foil in the slow cooker, cover, turn heat to low, and leave it alone for 7-8 hours. Try it with steak fries or Sara’s Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes.
Notes
- After the chicken is done cooking, it’s easiest to remove the meat from the bones while it’s still warm. Store any leftover cooled chicken in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Nitrile gloves: If you’re at all squeamish around raw meat, but even if you’re not, I highly recommend keeping some nitrile gloves in your kitchen. They make both handling raw meat and pulling the cooked meat off the bones later much easier and less messy!
-
Cooking time can vary based on the size of your chicken and your crock pot. If you’re worried your chicken is getting too done and drying out, pop a thermometer in the deepest part of the meat to check it. Here’s what to expect at different temperatures:
-
165°F – Fully cooked, but sliceable and firm.
-
175-185°F (breast) – More tender and juicy.
-
185-195°F (thighs/legs) – Connective tissue breaks down and you get that juicy, fall-apart texture.
-
Questions & Reviews
April, you know how the skin is kind of loose around the opening? You kind of have to work your hand in there between the skin and the breast and it'll loosen right up. It's pretty gross, I won't lie, but it's the only way… 🙂
In order to get the garlic and herbs between the breast and skin, do you have to slice the skin with a knife? Or is there some secret opening between the two that makes it easier to just slip things in there?
I am currently cooking my chicken right now and I wanted to share a crock pot tip. I love the slow cooker bags they sell in the ziploc aisle in the grocery store. They make clean-up a breeze b/c you don't have to worry about scrubbing off the cooked on juices. Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes! Link to slow cooker liners:
http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?cat_id=1337&prod_id=3200
any tips on what to do w/ the leftover cooking liquid? gravy, or could it be a sort of chicken stock?
Emily–My guess is that it probably got cooked a bit too long. It's SO hard to gauge the time because every bird and every slow cooker is a little different, so probably the best way to make sure it's super moist is to find a reliable meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the breast. When it's 160, it's done. Now…the challenge is finding a reliable meat thermometer, lol! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! It was really good. Mine was a little dry, though– Any tips on making it moist? It did turn out really tender.
Sunny, you can just eyeball it, but usually a 3-4 lb bird fits well.
I'm so glad to find this. I was just thinking of the recipes I have requiring rotisserie chicken and wishing it were possible to not have to drive to the store to get one. I'm off to buy some whole birds to keep in my freezer!
I read with interest your instructions on how to cook a whole chicken using a slow cooker. Since I just purchased a new Hamilton Beach 6 qt slow cooker with probe, I am anxious to try it out. Any idea on how large a chicken I should try?
Vanessa,
Do you just not like the taste of dark meat? A good solution is to use that part in something like our Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, where people won't even notice a difference.
As for your question, if you use large chicken breasts on the bone and with skin, it would probably work nicely, and it won't take as long either. But I wouldn't use boneless, skinless chicken for this, that would not get the same results.
Boiling chicken breasts usually results in rubbery, tasteless meat (probably why you don't like it!) So for recipes that call for cooked chicken, try roasting it in the oven instead. It will turn out flavorful and juicy. Use bone-in, or boneless, skinless chicken and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and any other desired seasonings. I usually add garlic and onion as well. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until juices run clear. Boneless, skinless breasts will take less than 30 minutes usually. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it to keep it juicy. SO much better than boiling! Hope that helps!