Whole Chicken--Crock Pot

savannahgur

hi there!! I wanted to cook a whole chicken in the crock pot this week and I keep seeing that I can cook the bird frozen...is that possible or do I cook with 1-2 cups of stock/water??

I'm so confused..lol, I'm new to crock pot cooking so I just don't want to ruin a whole chicken on my cluelessness (sp?)

HELP ME

mom2boys

I do this same thing too, but cook in it water. I'm curious to know the answer too.

JenWorthen3

Yeah, just be sure to give yourself LOTS of time if you're cooking from frozen. My favorite way to do it is to just put the bird in, cover it with a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce and let it cook all day. It doesn't look like much when it's done because the whole thing is just falling apart, but it's SO yummy!

tsimehc2000

What is a good time if it is frozen and what is a good time if it is thawed?

ckmama

I never add water because the chicken fat and fluid.

You can ball up some aluminum foil balls and put at the bottom of the crockpot and the grease etc will drip down off of the chicken.

hroush

I throw frozen chicken breasts in all the time (usually 6 lbs) on high and they are still done in 4 hours. I always put in more than the allotted amount of water because everything will cook better and it's bad for the crock pot to not have enough water. I say cover the chicken in water, turn it to high, and then dump out some of the excess if you want to.

deal4321

My friend told me you can cook a whole chicken patted dry then rubbed with seasoning in a crockpot for 8 hrs with no extra liquid. She said it will make it's on juices and be falling apart after 8 hrs. I haven't tried it yet but she says it's the easiest way to cook it.

byHISstrength

I never add water because the chicken fat and fluid.

You can ball up some aluminum foil balls and put at the bottom of the crockpot and the grease etc will drip down off of the chicken.

Interesting! Thanks.

iarookie

I used to put a chicken in the slow cooker in the evening and in the morning it was done..... let it cool and clean it off the bones. great for all kinds of recipes!


Okay I found this online.....

Frozen Chicken Pieces
Frozen chicken pieces such as chicken breasts, drumsticks or thighs, can be placed directly in a slow cooker without thawing. It is generally suggested that a recipe with frozen chicken pieces be cooked for at least eight hours on low, or four hours on high. If the recipe calls for thawed chicken, water or other liquid should be reduced by about 1/2 cup when substituting frozen chicken.
Whole Chicken
A 4-to-5-pound frozen whole chicken can be cooked in a Crock-Pot on low for 10 hours. When cooking a whole frozen chicken, one cup of warm liquid should be added before setting the poultry in the slow cooker. Warm liquid acts like a cushion against sudden temperature changes. For a larger frozen whole chicken, four additional hours at low or two hours at the high setting will be required.
Misconceptions
Some cookbooks suggest that frozen poultry thaws and is held at a dangerously low temperature when cooking in a Crock-Pot. Bacteria in raw chicken multiplies between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. A cooking temperature of 160 degrees should be achieved to safely cook chicken. Slow cookers set to the "low" setting that cook at a minimum temperature of 160 degrees and 200 degrees on "high" will safely thaw and heat chicken for long-term cooking.


Read more: Can You Put Frozen Chicken in the Crockpot? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5477300_can-put-frozen-chicken-crockpot.html#ixzz1FviA6TCv

hroush

I never add water because the chicken fat and fluid.

i don't understand this statement. Fat never mixes with water, but the water will help melt the fat and take it out of the chicken. If you don't put any water in the crock pot, the crock pot has to heat up the air instead (poor transfer of heat). A crock pot is not made to be used dry, that's what an oven is for.

JenWorthen3

It totally depends on the size of your crockpot. I have a great little one (just big enough to fit a small chicken in) that I can put a thawed one in and it'll be cooked in 3 hours on high. A frozen one takes more like 8 hours on high. A bigger crockpot takes longer just because the heat isn't quite as close to the chicken itself. Thawed bird in a bigger crockpot is closer to 5 hours and frozen is closer to 10. You'll want to check it every so often just to be sure that it's not drying out. This normally isn't a problem in a crockpot, but just check every so often. If it is drying out, add a little bit of water (like 1/2 c). If it looks like it's done early (the meat is totally falling off the bones), turn it down to low or keep warm until you're ready to eat.

mdhobson

You have so many great ideas...I just want to suggest a Crockpot cooking liner....it eliminates the mess! I love them. Plus here is a great trick too. If you buy a already roasted chicken, regardless the flavor. You could place it in your Crockpot upside down on low with water. No need to season it because it’s already season, but you can if you want too. I sometime add, veggies, onions, and peppers. Set it on low in the morning and when you get home the bird is finished, your house smells great and all of the meat has fallen off the bone. I personally like to add a little flour to thicken the sauce and then I pour it over rice. My family loves it. You will have to fish out all the bones and when your done place it in a serving dish/bowl you just throw the bag away and no mess. Just a suggestion.

savannahgur

Here's the thing...Once I leave the house for the day I do not return until the early evening so if I leave my house at 06:15 and leave it on LOW setting would it be safe for 8 hours on it's own?

I just don't want to burn/spoil the chicken..and another thing that confused me, some of you say no water so of you say yes water...what do I do??

lol all the suggestions are great, I'm just getting confused (which is very easy for my BTW)

Also, why wouldn't you put a little liquid in? that just doesn't make sense..almost like you would "burn" the crock pot up if you didn't..just a question