Cook Talk

Cookin A Whole Chicken in a slowcooker
Layes
06/23/07 		How long should a whole chicken be cooked in a slow cooker and should water be added to it or just add the spices you want to it and should it be cooked on low or high and for how long
ellen
06/23/07 		Layes, the answer to this question has changed as the chickens have changed. The basic issue is that many chickens now have bacterial contamination and it is very important that they not stay in the 40-140 danger zone for bacterial growth for any length of time while cooking. So many of the slow cooker recipes now say to use chicken pieces ONLY to assure quick heating of the pieces.

That said, thousands, maybe millions of whole chickens have been safely cooked in slow cookers. Here is what I do.

First, get a safe chicken- you want one that has NOT got a puffy wrapping, a sure sign that some bacteria have been growing.
Second, take it straight home and straight to the refrigerator. No riding around in a hot summer car.
Third, use within two days of purchase.
Fourth, take it out and rinse it very well before starting to cook, removing and discarding any bits of liver or other innards left in the cavity.
Fifth, DO NOT STUFF IT. Place it in the slow cooker breast side down for moisture and even cooking. I often put a layer of onion slices under it.
Sixth, start it in a "high" crock pot for at least 1 hour. If you want a longer cooking time, you can turn to low after 1 hour- newer slow cookers, the high is a solid 300 degrees and cooks quite fast. The old "autoshift" setting was perfect for this.
Cooking time depends on the size and age of the chicken, and the heat, from 3 to 6 hours. Experiment with your preferred size of chicken.
You can cook with or without water, it will be moist, without is more toward roastish and with is more toward stewish.
That is how I get safe whole chickens from my slow cooker.

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