How to Keep Chicken Moist in a Crock-Pot

Creating moist chicken dishes in the Crock-Pot requires a bit of preparation.

An essential kitchen appliance for busy households, Crock-Pots allow foods to cook slowly over several hours and can produce large quantities of soups, stews and other dishes. Lean, flavorful and packed with protein, chicken is an ideal Crock-Pot meat, though it tends to become dry and rubbery when not cooked properly. Keeping chicken moist in a Crock-Pot need not be a difficult task, with a little preparation before and attention during the cooking process. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Crock-Pot
Thawed, whole cuts of chicken
Broth
Water
Salt
Sugar
Plastic wrap
Meat thermometer
Meat tenderizer (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  
  Use whole cuts of chicken, rather than boneless, skinless cuts without fat -- which is needed to naturally moisten the meat. Use a meat tenderizer, if desired.
- 2
  
  If you're using thawed chicken, brine it in a mixture of water, salt and sugar -- using 1 qt. of water per pound of chicken, 1 cup salt per quart of water, and ½ cup sugar per quart of water. Allow the chicken to brine in a small bowl for about 2 hours in the refrigerator, prior to placing it in the Crock-Pot.
- 3
  
  If you're pre-cooking the chicken, remove it from the oven 5 to 15 degrees shy of its recommended internal temperature. The USDA recommends that chicken reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. However, chicken continues to cook after taken out of the oven. Removing the chicken early allows it to reach the proper temperature, rather than exceed it, while also letting the natural juices -- which have been unbalanced by the heat of the oven -- redistribute throughout the meat. Allow pre-cooked chicken to marinate in its own broth for a few hours before placing it in the Crock-Pot.
- 4
  
  Cook chicken on the low temperature setting for no more than 7 hours, depending on the size and model of your Crock-Pot. Overcooking results in dry, rubbery chicken.
- 5
  
  Cover the chicken completely with liquid, preferably broth, once in the Crock-Pot. Add vegetables like onions and celery, as they release moisture while cooking.
- 6
  
  Add a layer of plastic wrap to the top of the Crock-Pot to help retain steam, then cover it with the lid. Do not remove the lid while cooking, as this will cause the Crock-Pot to increase its heat, drying out the chicken.

"Slow Cookers for Dummies"; Tom Lacalamita, et al.; 2011
"On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen"; Harold McGee; 2004