How to Make Chicken Moister Using a Crock Pot

Even lean chicken meat will be juicy and moist when cooked in a crock pot.

Chicken has a tendency to dry out in the oven, especially leaner cuts of white meat. Luckily, you can improve the flavor of your chicken using a crock pot. Since the chicken cooks over a slow, even heat in an enclosed environment, it will not dry out as roasted chicken will. Prepare the chicken and place it in the crock pot in the morning, and when you get home from work, dinner will be ready.

Things You'll Need

• 3 lbs. chicken pieces
• 2 10-oz. cans condensed soup (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom or broth)
• Meat thermometer

Instructions

1. Thaw the chicken completely in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.

2. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer, or with as little overlap as possible, in the bottom of the slow cooker.

3. Pour the cans of condensed soup over the chicken. These soups will add both moisture and flavorings to the chicken as it cooks. Add water to the slow cooker to fill the pot between 1/2 and 2/3 full -- only if the chicken and condensed soups do not fill the pot enough.

4. Cook the chicken covered on high heat in the crock pot for one hour.

5. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, covered, for six to eight hours or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when tested with a meat thermometer.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid removing the lid of the Crock Pot during cooking as it will increase the cooking time by as much as 20 minutes each time you uncover the pot. (see reference 2)

References

• Boise State University: Crock Pot Cooking
• Cornell University: Eat Smart New York
• United States Department of Agriculture: Slow Cookers and Food Safety
• University of Illinois Athletics: Crock Pot Recipes