Slow cooking chicken (thigh), why 4 hours?

I don't get why slow cooking recipes recommend 4-6 hours for chicken thighs on LOW (which is 185F) when Sous Vide recipes for chicken thighs recommend only 1 hour (up to 8 hours) at 160F.

Again, for chicken thighs:

Slow Cooking: 4 hours 185F
Sous Vide: 1 hour 160F

Does it make any sense?

PS: I sous vide'ed recently chicken thighs, 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours at 160F, not a huge difference between 4 and 8 hour batches, not actually that more easier to shred than 1 hour one.

Best Answer

While both recipes will produce "cooked chicken thighs", the intended texture of the result is different. In the case of slow cooking, the temperature is meant to be high enough to render out fat and convert collagen into gelatin. The texture of the meat itself will be somewhat stringy and shreddable, with some dryness (hopefully compensated for by the fat and gelatin). In the case of the sous vide recommendation, the result is meant to be firm rather than shreddable, with more retained moisture, and no attempt to convert collagen.

For slow cooking, the long cooking time is required to effectively render the collagen. For sous vide, you basically just want to hit the target temperature, so recommended time is lower (but can be extended without affecting things much).

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Can you cook chicken on low for 4 hours?

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Pour chicken broth and seasonings over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken from crockpot and shred with two forks.

Is 4 hours enough for slow cooker?

Most slow cookers should be preheated before placing the ingredients in it but check the user's manual first because some models heat up quickly and do not require preheating....Cooking Times.Basic Cooking Times for Slow CookingFood TypeApproximate Cooking TimesLow SettingHigh SettingRoast8 to 12 hours4 to 6 hours15 more rows

Do chicken thighs get more tender the longer they cook?

Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. That's because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.

Why are my chicken thighs taking so long to cook?

white meat. Dark meat, such as chicken thighs or legs, will take longer to cook, because they have a higher fat content and density. Boneless thighs will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook at 350F (dependent on size). Bone-in cuts will require an extra 15 minutes in the oven.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs and Potatoes Recipe

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Images: Pixabay, Artem Beliaikin, Pixabay, Valeria Boltneva