Cooking chicken in a crock pot, also known as a slow cooker, is a great way to make exceptionally tender and flavorful chicken. The moist, gentle heat of the crock pot breaks down the chicken’s collagen slowly over several hours, resulting in meat that is fall-off-the-bone tender. There are some tips and tricks to ensure crockpot chicken comes out perfectly cooked and tender every time.
How Does a Crock Pot Cook Food?
A crock pot cooks food using low, steady heat over a long period of time. A crock pot has a heating element in the base that heats the inner stoneware crock to temperatures between 200-250°F. This allows food to cook low and slow for hours without drying out or burning. The lid on the crockpot traps moisture and heat inside, creating a hot water bath that essentially braises and simmers the food in its own juices. This moist cooking environment is what makes crockpots excel at producing tender meats like pot roasts, chicken, and pork.
Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking
There are several benefits to using a crock pot:
- Tender, moist meat: The long cooking time breaks down tough connective tissues in meats.
- Deep flavor development: Seasonings and aromatics have hours to permeate and flavor the dish.
- Convenience: Food cooks unattended while you’re away.
- Budget-friendly: Turns inexpensive cuts into tender meats.
- Minimal cleanup: Uses one pot with no stove or oven splatters.
For these reasons, the crock pot is the perfect vessel for cooking chicken until it’s fall-apart tender.
How to Cook Chicken in a Crock Pot
Cooking chicken in the crockpot is easy but there are some important steps to follow:
1. Use the Right Cut of Chicken
The best cuts of chicken for crockpots are bone-in, skin-on chicken parts such as thighs, drumsticks, and boneless skinless chicken breasts. The bones and skin add extra moisture and flavor. Lean breasts come out moist when cooked low and slow. Avoid using pre-cooked or processed chicken like ground chicken.
2. Brown the Chicken First
Browning the chicken before slow cooking helps develop deeper flavor through the Maillard reaction. The browning also gives the chicken a nice roasted appearance. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
3. Use Aromatics and Seasonings
Chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and fresh herbs add lots of flavor. You can also season with spices like paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc. Stir the aromatics and seasonings into the crockpot before placing the browned chicken on top.
4. Add Liquid
The liquid provides moisture so the chicken braises rather than dries out. Use chicken broth, canned tomatoes, wine, or water. Use 1-2 cups of liquid for 4-6 chicken pieces. The chicken should not be fully submerged.
5. Cook on Low Heat
Cooking the chicken LOW and SLOW is key. Cook bone-in chicken parts for 4-6 hours on LOW. Chicken breasts only need 3-4 hours. High heat can cause overcooking and dry chicken.
6. Rest Before Serving
Once cooking is done, remove the chicken pieces from the crockpot using tongs or a slotted spoon. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute through the meat.
Tips for Extra Tender Crock Pot Chicken
Here are some extra tips and tricks to get the most tender, juicy chicken from the crockpot:
- Use chicken thighs and drumsticks which have more connective tissue and fat.
- Add acidic ingredients like wine, tomatoes, vinegar, citrus which helps break down tissue.
- Gently simmer, don’t boil chicken. Boiling can make meat dry and stringy.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure proper doneness.
- Allow natural pressure release after cooking, don’t quickly release steam.
- Remove chicken carefully to prevent shredding.
- Let chicken rest before cutting for juices to absorb back into meat.
Common Problems and Solutions
If your crockpot chicken is turning out dry or undercooked, here are some common problems and solutions:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Chicken is undercooked | Increase cook time or switch to high heat for last hour of cooking. Chicken should reach 165°F internally. |
| Chicken is dry and stringy | Make sure liquid covers chicken at least halfway. Add more broth if needed. |
| Not enough flavor | Increase amount of aromatics and seasonings. Brown chicken first for more depth. |
| Chicken is falling apart | Use gentle tongs instead of fork. Allow chicken to rest before serving. |
| Chicken has boiled over | Don’t overfill crockpot. Use lower fill lines for longer cook times. |
Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
This easy crock pot chicken recipe results in perfectly cooked, fork-tender chicken every time:
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
- Place onions, carrots, garlic, celery, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, oregano, and broth into crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Place browned chicken pieces on top of vegetables in crockpot. Do not stir.
- Cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours until chicken is very tender and reaches 165°F.
- Remove bay leaves. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Conclusion
Crockpots were designed to make meat incredibly tender through low, moist heat over many hours. Cooking chicken in a crockpot breaks down connective tissues and fats slowly so the meat comes out succulently tender and juicy. Browning the chicken first as well as using aromatic ingredients enhances flavor. Follow the tips above such as cooking on low heat, using the right cuts of chicken, and allowing proper resting time, and your crockpot chicken will turn out perfect every time!