This article was co-authored by Dorrenda Smith. Dorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
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Slow cooked chicken is a great way to have a sumptuous dinner ready for when you get back from work with relatively little effort. First, prepare the chicken in the morning and put it in the slow cooker. Then, by the time you get home, the chicken will be thoroughly cooked, tasty, tender, and ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 4 pounds (1.8 kg) chicken
- 1 teaspoon (0.021 c) of salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon (0.010 c) of pepper
Steps
Preparing the Chicken for the Slow Cooker
Wash your hands before beginning. With warm water and soap, scrub your hands. Clean your palms, knuckles, your fingernails, and your wrists so that your fingers are completely sterile.[1]- Because chicken can be dangerous if not cooked properly, having clean hands is vital before beginning for maximum safety.
Remove the giblets inside the chicken. Reach into the cavity of the chicken (use a glove for this if you're squeamish) and remove the bag of giblets. They're usually found near the center of the chicken. Once you've taken them out, throw them out, or use them later on for making a chicken stock.[2]- If you can't find the giblets, check near the neck of the chicken. Otherwise you may have purchased a chicken that already has had the giblets removed.
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Pat the chicken dry. With some paper towels, gently pat the outside of the chicken so that it is completely dry. Check behind the wings and legs for moisture. Once you're finished with the outside, try and dry the inside to the best of your ability.[3]- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Using 1 teaspoon (0.021 c) of salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon (0.010 c) of pepper, season the outside of the chicken evenly, sprinkling it across the top.[4]
- Salt and pepper will help bring out the natural flavors of the chicken as it cooks.
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Cooking the Chicken
- Create a base at the bottom of the slow cooker. To cook the chicken evenly and to get it as juicy as possible you will want to prop the chicken off the surface. The best way to do this is to make 3 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide balls of aluminium foil and placing them across the bottom of the slow cooker.[5]
- If you have one, a slow cooker rack achieves the same effect.
- Put the chicken in the slow cooker breast-side up. With two hands, lift the chicken up and rotate it so that the breast-side is facing upwards. Then, lower it into the cooker, balancing it upon the aluminium balls you put there earlier.[6]
- Try to keep the chicken as centralised as possible so that it will cook evenly.
Cook the chicken at high or low depending on your needs. Put the cover over the slow cooker. If you want the chicken to cook faster, set the slow cooker to the 'High' setting and let the chicken cook for 3 1/2 hours. If you're not in a rush, set the slow cooker to 'Low' and let the chicken cook for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.[7]- The cooking time can change depending on the size of the chicken. If you're chicken is heavier or lighter than usual, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Check the chicken's internal heat is 165 °F (74 °C). Take the cover off the slow cooker and insert a meat thermometer into the thigh of the chicken. The internal temperature should read close to 165 °F (74 °C). If it hasn't reached that temperature yet, keeping cooking it.[8]
- You can also check if the chicken is cooked by whether the wings are able to wiggle easily or the juices that run from the chicken have gone clear. To be safe, check for all these signs before deciding it's cooked.[9]
- Rest the chicken for 15 minutes. Once the chicken is ready, remove it with a pair of oven gloves and set it onto a clean chopping board. Let it rest for 15 minutes so the juices will settle and the meat will be as tender as possible before serving it hot. The meat should fall off the bone easily.[10]
- You can pull the meat straight off the chicken and store in plastic tubs in the fridge as filling for sandwiches or as a way to add some protein into salads..
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Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow can you make sure chicken cooks evenly in the oven?
Dorrenda SmithDorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
Personal ChefWhen you're placing the chicken in the oven, you always want to use a pan with a roasting rack to ensure that the product is heated all the way around. Then it will cook properly.
Things You'll Need
- Aluminium Foil
- Slow Cooker
- Meat Thermometer
- Paper Towels
- Oven Gloves
References
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-slow-cooker-231340
About this article
If you want to cook chicken in a slow cooker, start by washing your hands and removing the bag of giblets in the chicken's cavity. Then, prep the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel and seasoning the outside with salt and pepper. Before you put your chicken in the cooker, create a base at the bottom by making 3 balls of aluminum foil and sitting your chicken on top, breast-side up. If you want the chicken to cook faster, set your slow cooker to ‘High’ and let it sit for 3 ½ hours. Otherwise, set it to ‘Low’ and cook the chicken for 4 ½ hours. Once the cooking time is up, insert a meat thermometer into the thigh of the chicken and if it hasn’t reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, keep cooking it. For more tips, like how to store your cooked chicken, read on.
Reader Success Stories
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