Dry chicken breast in slow cooker
I like to use the slow cooker during the week. I usually leave at about 6am, and don't sit down and eat until around 6pm. I have a crock pot with a timer mechanism that automatically turns to warm after the specified cooking time elapses. The last recipe I made with chicken breast (i think it was some type of pineapple chicken) had a recommended cook time of 6 to 8 hours on low. I think I chose to cook it for 7 hours. Honestly, this is the first time I dried out chicken. It was so bad I ended up throwing it out.
The dish had plenty of liquid (actually probably a little to much), and I added some butter. Do you think my dry chicken problem was linked to the length of time I cooked the chicken, or the amount of time the dish sat in the crockpot at the warm setting? Ever since then, I've been avoiding recipes with chicken breast, which are a favorite.
So do I need to avoid recipes crockpot recipes with chicken?
Best Answer
A very common technique for maintaining moisture in meat is to dry brine it. That is, shake salt on both sides of the raw breast to the same degree you would to serve it. Wrap and let it rest for at least an hour. I like to add the salt the day before. Before cooking you can add other rubs or seasoning but be careful with store bought seasoning that is normally high in salt. Search on dry brining and you will find a lot of info.
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Can you put dry chicken in a slow cooker?
Using a nice, long, low-and-slow cook time helps chicken breasts retain plenty of moisture \u2013 but you can certainly opt to add a splash of water or chicken stock to the crockpot if you like! If you're worried about dry chicken, you can also swap boneless skinless chicken thighs in for a bit of extra moisture.Will chicken breast go dry in slow cooker?
But one disadvantage of skinless chicken, however, is its tendency to dry out. Avoid this by using a slow cooker \u2014 the long, slow cooking process will concentrate the flavors of the chicken and added seasonings without drying the meat, and you won't have to add any fat.Why is my chicken dry in the slow cooker?
Chicken breasts have very little connective tissue; that means they can be cooked quickly because the long cooking time needed to soften connective tissue isn't necessary. They also have little fat, which means they can become dry if cooked too long. So that is the science behind it. I hope this helps.How do I slow cook chicken less dry?
To prevent poultry from drying out, use chicken thighs\u2014they have more fat and won't dry out as quickly, says Finlayson. Cook thighs for about six hours and breasts for a maximum of five hours on low heat.How To Cook Crock Pot Chicken | Bodybuilding Cooking
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Answer 2
Try thighs.
Chicken breast is super lean. It is easy to dry out. Thighs have more fat on them and more flavor - and are cheaper than breast. Also chicken breasts come boneless. You can get thighs with skin and bone on (cheaper yet!) and skin and bone will both retain moisture in the meat.
6-8 hours in the slow cooker does seem like a long time for chicken. Idea 2: try that pineapple recipe with pork chops.
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