Have you ever asked anyone how long to cook a whole chicken in a crockpot? If so, were you even more baffled afterward? Did you walk away and start looking through recipes? I'll be the answer got further and further away. Now you are even more confused, right?
The reason for all this confusion is because the answer varies depending on a great many things. Some cooks just grab the first recipe they find and try to adapt it to a whole chicken. That's when they usually start scratching their heads and looking even more perplexed. Let's take a look at some of the variables to be considered when cooking a whole chicken in a crockpot:
The Term Whole Chicken - This is not as silly as it sounds. One person may use the term "whole chicken" to mean a chicken in its entirety, all the parts. Another person may mean a chicken that is not in pieces, aka "whole." A whole chicken can mean two parts of a halved chicken, four parts of a quartered chicken, or all the combined parts, even though they are cut up. Is that even more confusing? The term whole has to be translated to figure cooking times.
The Chicken Recipe - If you choose a crispy rotisserie chicken style of recipe, you will time your crockpot differently than if you have a chicken recipe loaded with lots of vegetables. A big pile of carrots and potatoes sitting around your chicken will cause a chicken to cook differently than if it is cooking in dry heat, rotisserie style.
The Preparation - Some people like to brown their chicken before putting it in the crockpot to give it a little extra color and flavor. This process will also shorten the cooking time. Then there's the question of stuffing. If you add stuffing the bird will need to cook longer because it's just more dense.
The Bird Size - If you have a big six pound chicken, you're going to cook it longer than if you have a little three pound chicken. That's just common sense. However, you also have to consider how much room you have in your crockpot. If your six pound bird is squeezed inside a five quart crockpot, your cooking time will have to be increased. There isn't enough room around the chicken to let air and heat circulate.
The Crockpot Itself - Now take a look at your crockpot. Is it a vertical five quart size or a horizontal six quart size? Are you starting your crockpot off on High and then turning it down to Low to finish the chicken? Is your crockpot a relatively uninsulated pot sitting on top of a burner, or is it a heavily insulated style surrounded by state-of-the-art heating coils? Does your lid lock down tightly or does it let heat escape?
If you're still not sure how long to cook a whole chicken in a crockpot, don't worry. It may be puzzling, but with a little experimentation you should be just fine. Just take your favorite recipes and give them a try. Add an hour to a dish that calls for chicken breasts, and even a little more time if it calls for diced chicken. Get yourself a meat thermometer if you're not sure. The main thing is to just have fun! Give it a try and soon you'll be turning your old recipes into new family favorites!
The reason for all this confusion is because the answer varies depending on a great many things. Some cooks just grab the first recipe they find and try to adapt it to a whole chicken. That's when they usually start scratching their heads and looking even more perplexed. Let's take a look at some of the variables to be considered when cooking a whole chicken in a crockpot:
The Term Whole Chicken - This is not as silly as it sounds. One person may use the term "whole chicken" to mean a chicken in its entirety, all the parts. Another person may mean a chicken that is not in pieces, aka "whole." A whole chicken can mean two parts of a halved chicken, four parts of a quartered chicken, or all the combined parts, even though they are cut up. Is that even more confusing? The term whole has to be translated to figure cooking times.
The Chicken Recipe - If you choose a crispy rotisserie chicken style of recipe, you will time your crockpot differently than if you have a chicken recipe loaded with lots of vegetables. A big pile of carrots and potatoes sitting around your chicken will cause a chicken to cook differently than if it is cooking in dry heat, rotisserie style.
The Preparation - Some people like to brown their chicken before putting it in the crockpot to give it a little extra color and flavor. This process will also shorten the cooking time. Then there's the question of stuffing. If you add stuffing the bird will need to cook longer because it's just more dense.
The Bird Size - If you have a big six pound chicken, you're going to cook it longer than if you have a little three pound chicken. That's just common sense. However, you also have to consider how much room you have in your crockpot. If your six pound bird is squeezed inside a five quart crockpot, your cooking time will have to be increased. There isn't enough room around the chicken to let air and heat circulate.
The Crockpot Itself - Now take a look at your crockpot. Is it a vertical five quart size or a horizontal six quart size? Are you starting your crockpot off on High and then turning it down to Low to finish the chicken? Is your crockpot a relatively uninsulated pot sitting on top of a burner, or is it a heavily insulated style surrounded by state-of-the-art heating coils? Does your lid lock down tightly or does it let heat escape?
If you're still not sure how long to cook a whole chicken in a crockpot, don't worry. It may be puzzling, but with a little experimentation you should be just fine. Just take your favorite recipes and give them a try. Add an hour to a dish that calls for chicken breasts, and even a little more time if it calls for diced chicken. Get yourself a meat thermometer if you're not sure. The main thing is to just have fun! Give it a try and soon you'll be turning your old recipes into new family favorites!
About the Author:
Susanne Myers of HillbillyHousewife.com wants you to save time and money. Get out of the kitchen fast with recipes for red beans in a crockpot and other tasty, frugal dishes that your family will love. You'll find all the information you need to cook delicious homemade meals in Crockpot Cooking Made Simple. Click on and get your copy today!
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