Cooking Chicken in the Crock-Pot: Here's How

Perhaps it was a bit cocky to throw this out on our blog, but I just can’t bear it when people let such little things get in the way of sumptuous and soothing slow-cooked dinners. So this past Wednesday I took a chance and issued this challenge:

“Slow-cooker stare-down: Tell me why you don't like your Crock-Pot and I'll convince you!”

I really wanted to get a handle on what exactly are people’s problems with their Crock-Pots. And I truly hoped I’d be able to help. We found lots of issues, and today’s post tackles chicken. (Stay tuned for future posts dealing with questions on safety, morning prep complications and tough beef. If you don't see your problem, email it to tellus@KitchenScoop.com or leave it in the comments section following this post.)

Here we go with the first attempt at solutions!

Question: Julie in San Diego is confused. “Chicken cooked in the Crock-Pot comes out as dried, desiccated, stringy meat, devoid of any juiciness. What's the secret to chicken in the Crock-Pot?”

And Kate Orf of Escondido, Calif., asks this: “I've cooked a whole chicken following recommended cooking times and it was a dry mess.”

Answer: In general, to combat dry chicken be sure to add liquid (at least enough to cover the bottom of the crock) and don’t over-cook! (Use a thermometer until you get the hang of it.) It’s best to slow-cook chicken with the bones and skin intact, and whole chickens and thighs generally turn out better than breasts alone. (You can always remove skin before serving.)

Boneless, skinless breasts are trickiest. Cook them on HIGH for 1 ½ to 3 hours, testing for doneness at 30-minute intervals after the first hour. (When your slow cooker is on HIGH, never place it directly on countertops made of granite, stone or Corian. The heat can and will (!) crack your counter. I know this from a personally shattering experience.) Place a large wooden cutting board underneath the appliance or else place it on the stove (with the burners off, of course).

Some moisture is required for boneless breasts, but not too much – generally no more than a half cup. (This is for entrée recipes. Soups and stews and poaching are a different matter and require covering with liquid.)

If you need more time, put the breasts in the pot still frozen and then you can cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.

Fat equals flavor and helps ensure a moist result, so bone-in and skin-on chicken has a greater chance of success. Cooking times for bone-in and skin-on chicken – including pieces (white and dark) and whole chickens – are slower and longer. (The chicken thigh quarters pictured with this post were easy and delicious. I just browned the lightly floured chicken on the stove top in a bit of oil, Placed the pieces in the pot and added about half a cup of chicken broth, one sliced onion, peeled garlic cloves and some fresh cilantro leaves, but parsley would be great, too. I set the cooker on low and came back about 7 hours later to a wonderful dinner.)

It's usually best to cook bone-in chicken on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. An instant-read thermometer is great for helping make sure the poultry is done, between 175 degrees F. (breast) and 180 degrees F. (thigh or leg), and lets you stop without overcooking.

Again, use some liquid! The tougher dark meat and meat with bones needs to braise in a slow, moist environment – a perfect prescription for the Crock-Pot.

Finally, some general key guidelines:

• Don’t lift the lid of the pot during cooking, unless the recipe tells you to.
• Is your Crock-Pot really old? If you have a model that’s more than 10 years old, it’s probably time to get a new one.
• Use the right pot size for the recipe. Filled too full, a recipe can take much longer. A too-big pot can burn the food, or at the least, make it cook too fast and be dry. As a general rule, the pot should be half to three-quarters full for the most even cooking.
• Load the crock in the correct order. Bone-in chicken goes on the bottom, but boneless probably needs to go on top. Dense vegetables like carrots and potatoes need to go near the bottom, while bell peppers should cook toward the top of the pot.
• One more reminder: When your slow cooker is set on HIGH, never place it directly on countertops made of granite, stone or Corian. The high heat can and will (!) crack your counter.

So, comments? Questions? Did this help?