Chicken can anchor many weeknight meals because it can be prepared in numerous, diverse ways, seasoned however you want, and it's relatively simple to work with. However, sometimes you just can't be bothered to stand over a hot stove and wait for it to cook. This is where convenient appliances like the slow cooker and the Instant Pot come in. Chicken tastes great when made with either device, but you should understand their respective capabilities before using them.
The main difference between these two cooking shortcuts is that aslow cooker has only one function — slow cooking — and the Instant Pot has multiple,one of which is slow cooking. Your chicken will cook the same way every time if you opt for the slow cooker, whereas with the Instant Pot, you'll have to select how you want it prepared and have a solid vision of the final product you're looking to create before you start cooking.
If you cook your chicken in a slow cooker, set aside several hours first. Start by submerging the chicken in a liquid of your choice inside the bowl of your slow cooker. Then, turn the device on and cook the chicken until the meat is cooked through and tender. This process works best when your cut of meat is high in collagen or connective tissue; the slow application of moisture and heat will convert sinewy fibers to gelatin, giving you a more succulent texture.
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Ideally, choose bone-in cuts like thighs or drumsticks. The bone adds flavor and moisture to the meat, which will fall apart with ease after cooking. It takes about three or four hours for chicken thighs to cook through in a slow cooker.
Chicken breasts are a less ideal choice for slow cooking. One reason why you shouldn'tmake boneless chicken breasts in a slow cookeris because they're too low in fat to withstand cooking for a long time. Your final product will likely come out tough and chewy. However, if you choose to put chicken breasts in your slow cooker and hope for the best, opt for a bone-in optionand keep the heat on low while it cooks for one to two hours.
Tips For Cooking Chicken In An Instant Pot
Before makingInstant Pot chicken, you'll have to select from a list of cooking options; this appliancecan slow cook and pressure cookas well as saute and warm food. Some versions have even more options for cooking functions, but those are the basics.
Slow cooking in the Instant Pot looks the same as in the slow cooker and should be approached similarly. Pressure cookinguses high heat,pressure, and steam to cook your chicken quickly. Including at least 2 cups of liquid in your pot when using the pressure cook function is necessary;this creates steam and pressure to cook the food. Like slow cooking, choosing meat with a bone is the key to retaining flavor and moisture when using this cooking method.
Another cooking technique the Instant Pot can handle -- and the slow cooker can't -- is creating a crispy sear on your chicken's exterior. The Instant Pot accomplishes this withits saute setting.To sear the chicken in an Instant Pot, drizzle oil in the bottom and heat it. Then, add the chicken and cook it until it's golden and crisp outside. After you've created a sear, you can switch to the slow cook or pressure cook function and add liquid to finish your recipe. The Instant Pot's warm function will also keep everything hot for up to 10 hours.
So can a Crock-Pot cook better chicken than an Instant Pot? Well, it really depends on what you're making. The Instant Pot cooks chicken much faster than its non-pressure counterparts, but the resulting texture isn't going to be the same as what you'd get with a slow cooker or Dutch oven.
Normal on the Instant Pot Slow Cooker Function is equivalent to low heat on a traditional slow cooker. Normal reaches 200 degrees F. High on the Instant Pot Function does not get as high as high heat on a slow cooker, but by adding 15 minutes per hour of slow cooking, you can experience similar results.
Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.
If you used thinner pieces of chicken or did not adjust the cook time to the correct weight, it can result in dry and chewy chicken. You can salvage your chicken by serving it with a sauce to add moisture and flavor. How long does chicken need to be in the Instant Pot?
The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat. It also makes the meat far more flavorful.
Another tip, taken from an Instant Pot Facebook group, is to open the valve all the way on your Instant Pot lid when slow cooking. This allows some moisture and steam to release and keeps the Instant Pot from overcooking your slow cooker recipes.
Some people prefer a roast that has more substance, so if you do, the Instant Pot is the winner. I have tried cooking a roast for up to 120 minutes in the Instant Pot and the texture still didn't match a slow cooker, but every 10 minutes of added pressure cooking will definitely make the meat more tender.
When it comes to preserving nutrients, the Instant Pot's high-pressure cooking generally wins the battle. If you're looking for quick, healthy meals with minimal nutrient loss, the Instant Pot is your go-to. For rich, complex flavors and fall-off-the-bone tenderness, the slow cooker takes the crown.
Place the ingredients in the insert of the Instant Pot. Press the "Slow Cook" button to select the slow cooking function. Set the cooking time and temperature. The Instant Pot has three temperature settings for slow cooking: low, medium, and high.
First select 'slow cook' mode. Set your cooking time. Within 10 seconds of setting your cooking time, press the 'adjust' key to toggle between 'less' (keep warm mode on a CrockPot), 'regular' (low on a CrockPot), and 'more' (high on a CrockPot.)
Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry. Thighs, on the other hand, are a fattier cut, and not prone to dry out as quickly even after an extra minute or two of cooking.
Aside from accidentally overcooking the meals, the most common reason we see for tough, rubbery, or overdone chicken is customers using a Crockpot that is far too big.
You can cook chicken breasts in whatever size instant pot you have. Just make sure you add at least 1 cup of liquid, and then place the chicken in the pot in a single layer.
Always cook your boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for the best results. I do not recommend cooking boneless chicken breast on HIGH, as it will become very dry and tough, even if you check it early. On high, the chicken turns out drier; I consistently have the best results with low.
Using a nice, long, low-and-slow cook time helps chicken breasts retain plenty of moisture - but you can certainly opt to add a splash of water or chicken stock to the crockpot if you like! If you're worried about dry chicken, you can also swap boneless skinless chicken thighs in for a bit of extra moisture.
Yes!For most recipes, the Crock Pot can be substituted for the Instant Pot. The exception is frozen meat. While you can cook frozen meat in an Instant Pot, you cannot do this in the slow cooker as it keeps the meat in an unsafe temperature zone for too long.
If you are slow cooking in the Instant Pot, you should be able to leave your dish cooking overnight for as long as the recipe dictates. Anything that calls for 8 hours cooking time should be sufficient as long as you make sure you're up in time to take it out of the slow cooker once it's finished.
When slow cooking in the Instant Pot, you can cover the pot using a tempered glass lid or the regular Instant Pot lid. If you are using the Instant Pot lid, you need to move the steam release valve to the "venting" position.
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