Whole Chicken In A Slow Cooker

[FishinBabe]

I was hoping someone could help me with cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker...how do I know how many hours it needs to be in there? I have never done it and I really wanna start using my slow cooker more!

 

[Andy M.]

I don't have a slow cooker but if you type the title of your post into Google, you'll get what you need.

 

[recipedirect]

Usually on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

 

[babetoo]

got into a big discussion with abel last night. we were discussing the many way of cooking chicken, to use in tamales. he says boil breasts , i say whole chicken roasted in oven. now that i think about it crock pot would certainly work.

in my opinion a store bought roasted whole chicken would work as well. comments?

i think boiling will make it to tough and dry. anyway we will do it my way, was there ever any doubt. lol

 

[kadesma]

got into a big discussion with abel last night. we were discussing the many way of cooking chicken, to use in tamales. he says boil breasts , i say whole chicken roasted in oven. now that i think about it crock pot would certainly work.

in my opinion a store bought roasted whole chicken would work as well. comments?

i think boiling will make it to tough and dry. anyway we will do it my way, was there ever any doubt. lol

Babe,
I don't make tamales, tho I want to, but I do, make enchilladas and I cook any meat I use in them in my crock pot I don't add seasoning til about an hour before I make them up but it's a wonderful way to get the meat cooked and it's still nice and moist.
kades

 

[basketcaz]

The slow cooker is a great tool. Come home to the smells of home cooking and take advantage of using cheaper cuts of meat with fall-apart tender results.

There are pros and cons to each of these methods. Oven roasting is the best flavor-wise, but it takes time. Good for the weekend, not so much for a work night.

Buying pre-cooked chicken at the store is convenient but expensive and have you checked out the ingredient list?

With crock pot chicken you can get it on sale, throw it in and let the crock pot do the work. You won't get the awesome skin you would with roasted; but it will be good.

Roasted Chicken - crock pot

3-4 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Basil, tarragon, thyme, sage, garlic

Wash chicken thoroughly, pat dry. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker. Dot with butter; sprinkle with herbs of choice.
Cover. Cook on high 1 hour; then low for 8 - 10 hours.

Megan's Notes: you can stuff the insides with lemon and onion wedges for added flavor and use lemon-pepper on the outside.

 

[babetoo]

Babe,
I don't make tamales, tho I want to, but I do, make enchilladas and I cook any meat I use in them in my crock pot I don't add seasoning til about an hour before I make them up but it's a wonderful way to get the meat cooked and it's still nice and moist.
kades

got my pot this week, so we will get started next week after a shopping trip for supplies, ie husks etc. we will make pork and chicken tamales. will let u know results. the piggy is me. lol

 

[SugarMama]

If you have a wire rack that fits in your slow cooker, be sure to use it. Otherwise, ball up tin foil and put that in the bottom of the cooker. You could also use chunks of potatoes/carrots and place the chicken on that. Putting it directly on the bottom of the pot makes the bottom kinda nasty- imo.

Be sure to check the temp before eating it. Each slow cooker is different, so until you have a better idea how fast yours cooks- check temps

 

[CookLikeJulia]

Usually on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Yes, chicken is cooked on low setting for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high setting, and here's the recipe I usually make, you might want to try it. See the recipe here

 

[ChefJune]

Yes, chicken is cooked on low setting for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high setting, and here's the recipe I usually make, you might want to try it. See the recipe here

Have YOU ever done this? And it's not overcooked? I'd think by 8 hours at any temperature that a chicken from the supermarket would be stringy and dry and tough. No chicken recipe (maybe an old rooster) I've ever seen, heard of, tasted takes 8 hours to cook!

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Well, I have heard that you should not do this as the temp in the crock does not get high enough fast enough to prevent bacterial growth in the bird cavity. Will I do it anyway? Yes.

Want that crisp skin effect? Remove the crock when it is cooked and put in the oven under the broiler and crisp up the skin in 5 minutes.

 

[Constance]

I often cook chicken in the crock pot. The new crock pots get hotter than the old ones, because of the above-mentioned reason, ie. not getting hot enough to cook the chicken safely. It takes about 4 hours on medium.

I cooked a lot of chickens in my old one, also, and never got sick, but they never took 8 hours to get done, either. I use fryers, though. I guess if you used roasters, they'd take longer.

It really is an easy way for a working person to get supper going. I just put in the chicken, S&P, and a cup or so of water or a can of soup or broth. The bones slip right out when it's done, you have good juice to add to your dish, and the meat does not dry out.
If you want to cook vegies with it, the instructions for most crock pots say to put them around the sides, as that's where the heat comes from. My newer one, though, says to put them on the bottom.

Give the slimy skin to the dog or cat. (Cut it in pieces, so they won't choke.)

 

[wanna be]

I am not a huge crock pot fan when it comes to cooking anything with bones in it.I would keep the licqued to a minnimum as well as cooking time.Eight hours on low is too long .I agree that the new pots get much hotter than they should for slow cooking.My crock pots even boil on the low setting.