September 25, 2024
Happy Wednesday, Slow Cookerers!!!
We are super close to Crocktober, and I wanted to address a few misnomers floating around the internet and my inbox surrounding chicken.
Chicken is a staple protein in most households for dinner, and I get the most questions about chicken, so
I thought I'd share some of my Frequently Asked CrockPot Chicken Questions
(FACPCQs)
:-)
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What Chicken is Best to Use?
I usually recommend using thighs -- they hold up better in the slow cooker and have more flavor.
I personally prefer using boneless, skinless thighs but if you have bone-in that's fine -- just be aware that the chicken will be super tender and will fall from the bone.
( this means: watch out for bones when you are eating it!
)
Recently my children have revolted on me and now only want to eat breast meat. That is just fine --- you can absolutely use breast meat instead of thighs when ever you'd like.
Breast meat is a bit drier, so
it will take a bit longer for it to break down and re-absorb the cooking liquid.
Why Is My Chicken is Mealy?
Okay -- so if you use breast pieces, especially pieces with no skin or bones,
your chicken has very little fat.
This is great if you are keeping your dinner super lean, but texture wise-it can be a bit off-putting.
No worries.
My best suggestion would be
to cut the meat into small chunks before using in the recipe, or take it out and shred it completely and then stir back into the sauce.
OR add butter. :-) that will help with the texture.
No Liquid with a Whole Chicken? Are you nuts?
Well, I might be in certain instances, but in this one, no, I am not.
:-)
There is no need to add additional cooking liquid if you are cooking an entire roaster chicken, or a bunch of wings and drumsticks (4 pounds and
up).
The chicken will release tons of moisture all on it's own and if you add additional liquid it will end up "drowning" the meat and diluting the flavor added from your seasonings.
I promise your chicken will cook just fine without cups of water or broth. If you are super
worried, then put a layer of parchment paper or foil over the top of the insert, and then put your lid on.
This way you can assure yourself that all the steam and moisture stays within the pot completely.
OKAY!!
I hope this helps a bit!
enjoy!! happy chickening! Happy (almost!!) Crocktober!
:-0
steph
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