Slow cooker question......

waterlilyann

I've looked all over this site and thought I might have found the answer but I want to make sure, just to be on the safe side.......

Do you have to cook meat BEFORE you put it in a slow cooker? There are lots of recipes on here for whole chickens in a slow cooker and I can't imagine being able to brown that off before putting in slow cooker
I would love to be able to cook a whole chicken but too scared in case I poison us! Have a bit of an obsession about making sure that chicken is properly cooked anyway!

Is it ok to put raw meat straight into cooker - especially chicken breasts and whole chickens? My instructions say to brown chicken first but by the time I've done this I feel like I'm not saving a lot of time by using the slow cooker in the first place

I've got a good cooker but been a bit afraid to use it because of this reason.

If you can offer some advice, I'd greatly appreaciate it !!! Thank you!!

Kazonline

I've cooked a whole chicken in mine a couple of times now, and not once have I browned it first (far too much hassle).
I think it's quite safe as the chicken reaches such a high temp when it's done (goes off the scale on my meat thermometer - I checked a few times)
I found this in the indexed thread so thought you might want to browse a few other peoples experiences too.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=775662#post775662
Kaz x

thriftlady_2

Browning is reccommended for the same reason you brown meat first in a casserole cooked in the oven-flavour.It is not vital and certainly won't affect the 'doneness' of the meat.

If you cook a chicken in an enclosed pot be it a slow-cooker or a covered casserole you are potroasting it not roasting it.Roasting is a dry heat and potroasting is a moist heat.Roasted meat will be crispy and browned whereas potroasted will be moist but not brown.Therefore don't expect your whole chicken to look like an oven roasted chicken if you slow cook it.

glenstan

i have always browned meat and chicken portions first to seal in the flavour, put into the slow cooker filled with very hot water, never had a bad meal yet, but must add never cooked a whole chicken in slow cooker.

funkymonkey

i put my chicken in whole without browning but rub it down with a bit of paprika and oil paste so that it looks a bit browner.

waterlilyann

Thank you all!! So, theoretically, I can throw in diced raw chicken with a load of raw veg and a bit of water and stock and it'll come out all lovely and cooked???!!!! If so, HOW EXCITING!!!!! I had no idea it was that easy! I think my mum also scared me by saying that you have to cook anything first. Going to check out some recipes now......OH won't know what has hit him!

funkymonkey

yep - exactly that! i dice chicken, dice onion and add it to a tin of curry sauce in the slow cooker! - 7 hours on low and its cooked!

bonvonnie

i wouldnt have dreamed of buying a slow cooker, before joining this website. wouldnt have known what to do with one!!!

but i love it, esp cos it was half price from Argos for a tenner, even OH approved of my £10 spend, even it was to be used twice and sit in the corner!!!
but nope, had it for about a year now, and i love it, use it about 4times a week, need to search for some new recipes, cos i only cook the same foods over and over again.

and yep, the first time i used it, i put the chicken pieces in raw, but we had a standby meal ready incase it didnt work out!!!

trisha

This is an easy way to cook chicken breasts, put them in the slow cooker with a tin of Homepride White Wine Sauce, I start it on high for about an hour then turn it to low for 3 or 4 hours. I don't bother to brown them first, it is absolutely delicous.

waterlilyann

Ooooh, we always do the homepride white wine sauce but never thought to do it in the slow cooker......genius!!!

[Deleted User]

I have found it is great to use the slow cooker in this hot weather as if the oven is on the kitchen gets hot and sticky but with the SC it doesn't
I also paid a tenner for mine from Argos about 8 months ago, and have used it at least two or three times a week. Mine is an oval shape so I can put a chicken in there fine.It cooks very well and the meat just falls of the bones.I have found that you seem to get more meat of the bird in the SC than you do with conventional cooking.The only draw back is it doesn't look cooked as it hasn't got that 'browned effect'. Bung it in an ordinary oven for half an hour before the end of cooking if you want that look, but as I always strip the skin off a chicken before I carve it anyway as it's the bit that is full of fat, it doesn't matter what colour the skin is as it's getting thrown away anyway.
SC's also make the most amazing soups, my friend lent me a book called The Soup Bible and it has some great recipes in it .try to borrow it from the library it's well worth a look.