Crockpot advice for chicken on bone

seeker

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 12:47 am

I have a whole chicken that I need to use ASAP - I defrosted it for Shabbos and then got invited out for the meals. But I'm going to be out all day tomorrow and it'll probably need a while to cook.

In the past my experience has been that no matter what I put in the crockpot, it has a cholent-like taste or mouthfeel. Is there any way use a crockpot to save this chicken and not destroy it?!

Extra credit if the chicken can be frozen after, because no way my family is eating a whole chicken at once.

ra_mom

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:42 am

Season it very well, under skin, in cavity, plenty of salt. Let it sit like that in the refrigerator tonight.
Cook it on low tomorrow for 6 hours, no longer. It will come out heavenly, like roasted chicken. Breast side down. No liquid.

heidi

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:46 am

I agree with you OP-- to me, chicken in a crockpot tastes watery and stringy. You can cook a whole chicken at 450 for an hour and it's done.
Either just with seasonings or my favorite way: put chicken in a pan. Stick a head of garlic and half a lemon inside. Leave the other half a lemon right outside the cavity of the chicken. Pour kosher salt all around the perimeter of the pan-- not touching the chicken. Nothing on the skin. 450 for an hour uncovered. Really delicious.

seeker

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:48 am

No liquid? You sure? It won't get dried out?

And how do I convince myself that "low" is still hot enough that it won't spoil? I worry. It has I think 5 numbers around the dial and it needs to be at least over the 2 in order to make a chulent bubble very very slightly.

It's the west bend type with a base that the pot sits on top of, not the kind with the literal crock pot that goes inside a big metal thing.

seeker

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:49 am

heidi wrote:

It looks like kind of a big chicken to me. I can't imagine it getting done in an hour. I guess I can try... but we'll probably be starving by the time we get home, it's going to be a long day tomorrow...

tichellady

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 1:53 am

seeker wrote:

If you cut the backbone out and flatten it, it will cook pretty quickly

heidi

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 2:00 am

Now I'm thinking that maybe you should make it into a soup. Let it simmer tonight, cool and put in fridge. When you get home bring it to a boil (after skimming off fat) and cook some noodles in it. Voila, one pot meal with lots of veggies, protein and some carbs.

essie14

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 3:33 am

seeker wrote:

It will not get dried out. The skin provides enough moisture. This is my favorite way to cook a whole chicken.
My crockpot only has low and high settings so I cook a whole chicken on low for 8-10 hours. I wrap sweet potato in foil and put on the bottom, then season the chicken well however you like and put breast side down on top of the sweet potatoes.
Comes out soft and delicious.

ra_mom

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 7:16 am

seeker wrote:

That's why it always tastes like cholent ; )

cbg

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 4:18 pm

essie14 wrote:

This
It comes out like rotisserie chicken.
Just make sure there’s something on the bottom so the chicken doesn’t boil in its juices.
If you don’t want potatoes, you can also elevate the chicken by balling up foil.

cbg

Sun, Apr 29 2018, 4:58 pm

Reality wrote:

Does this method only work for whole chicken? Can you use cut up chicken?

Yes, but the top pieces will be more roasted looking