Cooking a whole chicken.. best way?

Happy_Sloth

I normally cook chickens in my electric oven, but it always seems wasteful to heat the massive oven space for just that one item as i don't tend to roast potatos/veg in the oven anymore as i've switched to the air fryer. 

I've got a little chicken that defrosted over night and i'm wondering if there is another better way to cook it?  

I have other methods of cooking and i'll admit i've never used any of them to cook a chicken. i have an air fryer, slow cooker and a pressure cooker. 

Which cooks the best chicken and how do you do it?   

Ellie79

I know lots of people who do the chicken in a pressure cooker (I haven't, but I have a ninja foodi that does a pressure cook with air fry!).  I would try it in the pressure cooker - but I know that the skin doesn't get crispy. I think my best bet would be to make a sling for underneath the chicken so if you wanted to take it out to brown it you could!

Happy_Sloth

Ellie79 said:

I know lots of people who do the chicken in a pressure cooker (I haven't, but I have a ninja foodi that does a pressure cook with air fry!).  I would try it in the pressure cooker - but I know that the skin doesn't get crispy. I think my best bet would be to make a sling for underneath the chicken so if you wanted to take it out to brown it you could!

i'm not really bothered about the crispy skin tbh, i'm the only one that eats it.  As I'm trying to diet it's probably best in the dogs and i'm pretty sure they won't care if it's crispy.  

Farway

Slow cooker does them easily in a bung in & forget way

You'd have to do your own sums on relative costs SC V oven regarding power used by your equipment versus time used

For instance one hour in 3KW oven is roughly [due to thermostats cutting in & out] same cost as six hours in 500w SC

Ellie79

Happy_Sloth said:

Ellie79 said:

I know lots of people who do the chicken in a pressure cooker (I haven't, but I have a ninja foodi that does a pressure cook with air fry!).  I would try it in the pressure cooker - but I know that the skin doesn't get crispy. I think my best bet would be to make a sling for underneath the chicken so if you wanted to take it out to brown it you could!

i'm not really bothered about the crispy skin tbh, i'm the only one that eats it.  As I'm trying to diet it's probably best in the dogs and i'm pretty sure they won't care if it's crispy.  

See that's a deal breaker in my house - the youngest would down cutlery at not getting crispy skin! I have to admit I have never seen the appeal of the slow cooker for a whole chicken, but I happily do a joint of beef in there. I think @Farway makes a really good point about the costs. But that said I used to have an electric pressure cooker and it seemed to be cheaper to run. I know with the foodi I do save to an extent when cooking meals. Plus with the pressure cooker and slow cooker option you kind of already have a stock base made and apparently get to use more of the chicken meat. 

Floss

Slow cooker chicken is delish...you also get the juices for gravy 😋

coffeehound

Do you need to add liquid in the SC?

happydenial

No need to add liquid to the slow cooker (when cooking a chicken), it makes its own juices which keep it moist. I do tend to put a chopped onion & carrot underneath to prevent it sticking and also flavour the stock.

joedenise

No liquid needed although when I cook a whole chicken I do like to add some balls of foil or halved onions to sit it on so that the chicken doesn't sit in the juices but it's not really necessary.

LadOnTheHill

I've cooked chicken in the slow cooker, with a layer of onions on the bottom to help prevent sticking. That step wasn't necessary, really, if adding a bit of water. The meat comes out very tender, falling off the bone (which can be a nuisance, given the size of some chicken bones). I don't add water, as the chicken generally steams in its own juices.

coffeehound

Thanks folks, how long do you need to cook whole chicken in the SC please?  Also, do you use higher or lower heat setting?