Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken

Name: Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 245 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (3-5 pounds); 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning; 1 lemon (quartered); 1 1/2 lbs baby red potatoes; 1 onion; 3 medium bell peppers (any color); 1 head garlic (cloves smashed); 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence

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This Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken with onions, potatoes, and peppers is an easy, filling dinner bursting with flavor!

This Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken is the ultimate easy meal! A heavily-seasoned whole chicken cooks with hearty veggies for a delicious, super flavorful meal.

Stretch your chicken further with a generous serving of creamy potatoes, tender onions, and juicy peppers. To bulk it up even further, add some spicy rice on the side! This reheats wonderfully for great leftover lunches, too.

Ingredients for Cajun Chicken and Potatoes

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.

Whole Chicken – This recipe works best with a 3-5 pound chicken. Smaller or larger birds may need more or less cooking time. I left the skin on for the great flavor, but you could remove the skin if you’re limiting fat and calories. However, this will result in dryer meat.
Butter – Softened. This gets rubbed between the skin and meat as well as on the outside of the chicken. This leads to a super tasty skin. You could replace with a drizzle of oil if necessary, but it’s not quite as flavorful.
Lemon – Cut into wedges, placed inside the chicken cavity for flavor. Onions, garlic, celery, carrots, etc. could all be used inside the cavity as well.
Baby Red Potatoes – Halved. Small yellow potatoes would also work well. The creamier, the better in this recipe!
Bell Peppers – I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers, but you could use any color you prefer. Cut in half, discard seeds and stems.
Onion – Yellow or white onion works great. Slice into 8 wedges and separate layers.
Garlic – Smashed. These smashed cloves become so flavorful. You can use minced garlic if you prefer.
Spices & Herbs – I used this Cajun seasoning mix on the chicken, then a Herbs de Provence blend on the potatoes, onions, and peppers.

How to Cook a Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

This recipe is SO easy to prep — Just cut, season, and cook! Here’s a step-by-step guide to make this deliciously juicy crock pot chicken.

Season vegetables

Once your vegetables have been chopped, toss them into the slow cooker and season with Herbs de Provence. Stir to make sure seasonings are adequately distributed throughout.

Season chicken & cook

Pat your chicken dry, then lift the chicken skin away from the meat as much as you can (using a spoon to separate it is helpful). Use your hands to smooth the softened butter over the chicken, spreading it all over both underneath and on top of the chicken skin.

Sprinkle Cajun seasoning all over the chicken, making sure to season all the little nooks and crannies. Don’t be shy with the seasoning! Once it’s completely covered, tie the chicken legs together with butcher’s twine. This is optional, but it helps achieve an even cook and a pretty bird!

Cook on high for 3.5-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. When a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F, it’s ready.

Carve chicken & slice peppers

Once the chicken is cooked, remove both the chicken and the peppers from the slow cooker. You can carve the chicken into pieces and serve on the bone, or you can slice or shred it.

Slice the peppers into strips. The skins may come off. If it’s loose, just discard it. If it’s not loose, you can leave it on; it’s tender enough to eat. Mix the peppers back in with the potatoes and onions, then serve!

Serve

This is a complete meal in and of itself, so sprinkle some fresh herbs on top and serve fresh and hot! You could add rice (or cauliflower rice if you want to add another vegetable) and a Cheddar Garlic Biscuit if you’d like even more!

Store

This dish is best stored in an airtight container up to 4 days in the fridge. For quick leftover lunches, remove chicken from the bone, cut into slices, and mix with the veggies–You’ve got an easy Cajun lunch bowl!

Freeze

You can freeze this recipe, but it’s best eaten within 3 months for the best textures. Portion into individual servings in freezer-safe airtight containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat

The best way to reheat this meal is in the oven. Place veggies and chicken in a baking dish, add a tablespoon of water, and cover. Reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-15 minutes (bone-in cuts will need longer reheating times than boneless cuts).

If you want it crispy, reheat this dish in the air fryer! The peppers get nicely charred, the chicken skin crisps up, and the edges of the potatoes get a great crunch. You can also use the microwave, but this can dry out the chicken — Try it on 50% power if the microwave is your only option.

If you love this Cajun chicken, you’ll love these other slow cooker chicken recipes:

Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken – This is a great meal prep chicken recipe! Make stuffed peppers, tacos, wraps, and more.
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili – This salsa verde white chili is SO comforting! For a similar but low carb recipe, check out this Keto White Chicken Chili.
Crockpot Crack Chicken – This low-carb chicken works great as a sandwich filling or even as an appetizer dip!
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken – Spicy, this chicken has a zing to it! We LOVE this in lettuce cups, stuffed peppers/zucchini boats, and with crackers.
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos – This all-day cook gives you juicy, tender tacos with barely any work at all!

FAQ’s about cooking chicken in the slow cooker

Do I have to use a whole chicken?

No, you can replace the whole chicken with any chicken cuts of your choosing, including boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Check the temperature around the 3 hour mark (if on high, or around 5 hours if on low) to make sure it hasn’t cooked too quickly.

Why should I cut the peppers into strips after cooking?

Peppers cook fairly quickly, so thin pepper strips would become absolute mush in the slow cooker. Cooking them in halves, then slicing into strips afterwards allows them to cook slower and stay slightly firmer. If your peppers are already cut into strips, toss them in halfway through the cooking time instead.

What if I like crispy skin?

The slow cooker doesn’t crisp up chicken skin, but you can easily remedy this with a broiler! After removing the chicken, transfer to a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Be very careful; it can burn quickly if you aren’t paying attention.

Help, my seasoning came off in the slow cooker!

When cooking in a crockpot, steam gathers on the lid, leading water droplets to fall onto the chicken. This can wash the seasonings off the chicken. To avoid this, you can stick a paper towel underneath the lid, using the lid to hold it up above the chicken. This barrier will collect the water, allowing the seasoning to adhere to the meat.