Chicken dry in crockpot

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  • Kimblesnbits13
    Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
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    ericpiccione wrote: »
    joeylu wrote: »
    Frozen chicken breast +jarred salsa on low for 6hrs.
    That's all you need?

    Yup I've done this! After 6 hours shred chicken and maybe let soak for a little bit. Simple and turns out good every time. You can do the same with chicken breasts, Frank's Buffalo wing sauce, and half a packet of dry ranch mix. It's really good but higher sodium content than the salsa one.

  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    This is going to sound weird, but it's likely that cooking it IN water dried it out. I can't quite explain why - but the water will draw out the moisture from the chicken. And you probably overcooked your veggies. What kind of chicken were you using? A whole chicken, or chicken pieces? I will put chicken pieces (bone-in) in my crockpot DRY and they'll be juicy and meat literally just slides off the bone.

    I haven't gotten the hang of putting veggies in the crock pot at all. Maybe potatoes, but anything else just overcooks and winds up limp and tasteless. So I'll just steam them separately.
  • ericpiccione
    ericpiccione Posts: 44 Member
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    JeepHair77 wrote: »
    This is going to sound weird, but it's likely that cooking it IN water dried it out. I can't quite explain why - but the water will draw out the moisture from the chicken. And you probably overcooked your veggies. What kind of chicken were you using? A whole chicken, or chicken pieces? I will put chicken pieces (bone-in) in my crockpot DRY and they'll be juicy and meat literally just slides off the bone.

    I haven't gotten the hang of putting veggies in the crock pot at all. Maybe potatoes, but anything else just overcooks and winds up limp and tasteless. So I'll just steam them separately.

    First time using the crockpot (I'm a big boy now) and I used skinless boneless chicken (which was a mistake) next time I'll use something with higher fat content
  • ericpiccione
    ericpiccione Posts: 44 Member
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    mkeonem wrote: »
    If you want to cook chicken in the crockpot all day there are a lot of good suggestions already mentioned ^^. I also recommend cooking on low for only about 4-6hrs and using thighs instead of breasts if you will be on the longer side of things.

    Another thing you can do is put potatoes or some veggies (raw carrot chunks or others that take a longer time to cook) in the bottom, then put the chicken on top. You can use broth or you can use things like cream of mushroom soup or other products as your "liquid".

    When I know I will be away and need something that cooks for a long time I put roasts in the crockpot. You don't have to add liquids to everything. I do dry rubs on pork and beef roasts and let them cook all day long in there. Best way to make pulled pork ever, and you can use "generic" seasonings so you can make 1 large roast and then separate into many different meals adding a little of this and a little of that to complete the proper flavor profile.

    When using a crockpot don't you need some sort of liquid or did I misunderstand your post?
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    was it freezer burnt or left to long in the deep freeze before you cooked it?
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I like to use boneless chicken thighs in the crockpot and cook it on low.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    edited March 2017
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    ericpiccione wrote: »
    the_wild37 wrote: »
    I put my chicken in frozen, turn on low and it comes out great every time. Tonight I have 4 frozen breasts in with McCormick Island Wood marinade packet made with .5c of water and 2 tbsp of vinegar and a can of pineapple in it's own juice...delicious! I saute some zucchini
    in coconut oil and serve with rice...fabulous!
    wow sounds awesome! So I really don't need to throw everything in the pot and soak it with water? Just enough liquid to cover th chicken/meat and that's all that's needed?
    @ericpiccione
    Right, because a Crockpot produces steam and the veggies and the chicken itself contains a lot of water. Personally I don't add any water when I cook a chicken whole and put veggies under it as it has plenty of moisture on it's own.

    Cooking chicken breasts alone is different though as they get dry quickly when cooked (most any cooking method). With a roast I add in maybe a 1/2 c. water with veggies under the roast and cook it that way and it turns out fabulous. So, no typically you don't need to add much water when cooking unless the recipe specifies.

    How old is your Crockpot as that can make a lot of difference in cooking time. Most recipes give you 6-8 on low and about half that on high. My Crockpot has to cooked far less.. it's considered a 'newer' (10 yrs or so) one. Though it's not new it's the way Crockpots are made now compared to the old ones that heated up in a different way. The ones today heat up far more quickly and stay very hot..when I cook something I can't leave it longer than 4 hours on high, someone else will need to cook for 8.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Unlike other meats, chicken doesn't have connective tissue to break down with a long cook, nor any fat.

    Suggest switching to chicken thighs if you were using breasts. Thighs have more fat, they will be less dry and survive a longer cook time. Or some put the breasts in the pot frozen.
  • ericpiccione
    ericpiccione Posts: 44 Member
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    Hearts_2015 wrote: »
    ericpiccione wrote: »
    the_wild37 wrote: »
    I put my chicken in frozen, turn on low and it comes out great every time. Tonight I have 4 frozen breasts in with McCormick Island Wood marinade packet made with .5c of water and 2 tbsp of vinegar and a can of pineapple in it's own juice...delicious! I saute some zucchini
    in coconut oil and serve with rice...fabulous!
    wow sounds awesome! So I really don't need to throw everything in the pot and soak it with water? Just enough liquid to cover th chicken/meat and that's all that's needed?
    @ericpiccione
    Right, because a Crockpot produces steam and the veggies and the chicken itself contains a lot of water. Personally I don't add any water when I cook a chicken whole and put veggies under it as it has plenty of moisture on it's own.

    Cooking chicken breasts alone is different though as they get dry quickly when cooked (most any cooking method). With a roast I add in maybe a 1/2 c. water with veggies under the roast and cook it that way and it turns out fabulous. So, no typically you don't need to add much water when cooking unless the recipe specifies.

    How old is your Crockpot as that can make a lot of difference in cooking time. Most recipes give you 6-8 on low and about half that on high. My Crockpot has to cooked far less.. it's considered a 'newer' (10 yrs or so) one. Though it's not new it's the way Crockpots are made now compared to the old ones that heated up in a different way. The ones today heat up far more quickly and stay very hot..when I cook something I can't leave it longer than 4 hours on high, someone else will need to cook for 8.

    Very helpful! Thank you I will keep that in mind next time I get a chance!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    Yesterday cooked 5 pounds chicken breast on low for 6.5 hours. Put in chicken first, then added 2 x 8 ounce packages of neufatel (low fat cream cheese), 3 tsp each of garlic salt and cumin. About 1/2 cup water. Shredded the chicken after cooking with a fork/knife and made a great batch of nachos.

    @StaciMarie1974
    That's sounds really good, I'll look into making one day soon.

    What other things do you use it for besides nachos?
  • MyLovesMyLife
    MyLovesMyLife Posts: 424 Member
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    I throw a bag of frozen chicken in the crockpot with seasoning and salsa and cook for 6 hours all the time never dry. I don't add extra water bc the chicken will dethaw and give it some water
  • lapesadilla
    lapesadilla Posts: 67 Member
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    i would recommend poaching chicken breast separately in gently simmering water for about 15-18 minutes and adding it to the slow-cooked foods at the end. honestly i would do the same for the broccoli and other fresh veggies, a quick poach or steam and add them in afterward. a crock pot full of chicken breast and broccoli sounds like it woyld yield mushy broccoli and stringy meat. grains, beans, tomatoes and fattier cuts of meat in the slow cooker are generally fine.
  • AigreDoux
    AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
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    I buy chicken at Costco so they come in these sealed plastic packs you can put in the freezer.

    In the morning, I'll take out two, usually one chicken breast and one chicken thigh and put them (still frozen) in the crock pot with a little chicken broth. Low for 8 hours or so. Drain the water (can save this as chicken stock if you want) and shred. Doesn't come out dry. Can then add a variety of sauces/toppings. Teriyaki, buffalo, curry, etc.

    Have also made the salsa one and it's good, but my kids prefer plain chicken so I usually add the sauce afterwards.
  • mkeonem
    mkeonem Posts: 41 Member
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    ericpiccione wrote: »
    mkeonem wrote: »
    If you want to cook chicken in the crockpot all day there are a lot of good suggestions already mentioned ^^. I also recommend cooking on low for only about 4-6hrs and using thighs instead of breasts if you will be on the longer side of things.

    Another thing you can do is put potatoes or some veggies (raw carrot chunks or others that take a longer time to cook) in the bottom, then put the chicken on top. You can use broth or you can use things like cream of mushroom soup or other products as your "liquid".

    When I know I will be away and need something that cooks for a long time I put roasts in the crockpot. You don't have to add liquids to everything. I do dry rubs on pork and beef roasts and let them cook all day long in there. Best way to make pulled pork ever, and you can use "generic" seasonings so you can make 1 large roast and then separate into many different meals adding a little of this and a little of that to complete the proper flavor profile.

    When using a crockpot don't you need some sort of liquid or did I misunderstand your post?

    Nope, you can cook in the crockpot without liquid. Usually I do this with roasts however I have done it with chicken and veggies too. Most meats will have their own juices that will come out while cooking which can flavor any veggies or starches you have in there with it.

    I have even made lasagna in a crock pot and it came out pretty dang good.

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