A whole chicken, potatoes and vegetables cook all at once in this easy one-pot recipe. Make this meal in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
PIN FOR LATER
Picking A Whole Chicken
Fryer or roaster chicken? A fryer (broiler) chicken is a chicken that is approximately 7 weeks old with a weight of 2.5 to 4.5 pounds. A roaster chicken is between 8-12 weeks old with a weight of 5 pounds or more. The good news is that since this is a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker recipe, picking a whole chicken is simple – find one that fits. A 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot will hold a whole chicken between 3-6 pounds. The chicken I used, the one you see in the pics and video was a roaster chicken weighing a little over 5 pounds.
What Type Of Potatoes To Use
When it comes to slow cooking, I prefer to use waxy potatoes like red or yellow potatoes because they hold their shape better than for example russet potatoes. Having said that, you can use whatever type of potato you prefer whether it be red, russet, or even sweet potatoes. If you use a non-waxy potato, I suggest you cut the potato into large chunks; this will help them hold their shape and not turn to mush during the cooking process.
Other chicken recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Balsamic Cranberry Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Chicken & Artichokes (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
add asparagus
Slow Cooker vs Pressure Cooker
Having made this in both appliances, there’s no difference in taste. With the pressure cooker, the whole chicken needs to cook for 6 minutes per pound. Since my chicken was 5 pounds, I cooked it for 30 minutes. You will need to adjust the cook time for the weight of your chicken. Usually when I cook chicken with skin-on in the pressure cooker, I brown it first using the saute function. With this recipe, I did not take the time to do this. If you want to, you absolutely can. Regardless of whether you use the slow cooker or pressure cooker, if you want crispy skin on your whole chicken, you will need to remove it from the appliance and broil it in the over after it’s done cooking.
Make this a complete meal by adding your favorite vegetable. I used asparagus but other options include green beans or even zucchini.
{VIDEO} Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Whole Chicken Dinner (Paleo,Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3–5 lb. whole chicken
- 1 lb. potatoes
- 1 lb. asparagus
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1–2 tbsp Italian seasoning (I used 1)
- 1 tbsp oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup water (for Instant Pot)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the whole chicken (innards removed) on top of the potatoes.
- In a small bowl, mix together broth, Italian seasoning, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour mix on top of the chicken.
- Cook HIGH 3-5 hours or LOW 6-8.
- Add asparagus and cook an additional 15-30 minutes.
Pressure Cooker
- Pour in 1/2 cup water. Add the potatoes to the pressure cooker. Add the whole chicken (innards removed) on top.
- In a small bowl, mix together broth, Italian seasoning, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour mix on top of the chicken.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 18-30 minutes. Natural release pressure for 20 minutes.
- Add asparagus and cook an additional 10-15 minutes on saute (low).
Notes
- Cook chicken 6 minutes per pound
- Cook time calculated for slow cooker
Making your own Italian seasoning is very easy. Below is my homemade blend. Of course, if you don’t have an Italian seasoning and don’t want to make one, you can swap in your favorite herb instead.
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I made this last night and my entire family enjoyed it, even the kiddies. I used green beans instead of asparagus. Thanks.
★★★★★