26 chicken thigh slow-cooker recipes that are soft and succulent (2024)

FAQs

How do you make chicken soft and tender when cooking? ›

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook. The simplest way to do this is with a dry brine — unwrap the chicken breasts, salt them on both sides and let them sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Yes, chicken breast will get softer the longer you cook it. However, if you cook it for too long, it will become dry and tough. The best way to ensure that the chicken breast stays juicy and tender is to cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

You can overcook chicken in a slow cooker. If the chicken is cooked too long, it will become dry and tough. Check your chicken for doneness early, especially if it is one of your first times making it.

While the breast is very low in fat, chicken thighs are higher in fat, and in cooking, fat equals flavor. It also means the thighs are more tender and less likely to dry out than chicken breasts—in other words, they are very easy to cook and very difficult to ruin.

Don't settle for dry, boring chicken breasts. One simple ingredient will add flavor and keep them from drying out every time: mayo. You read that correctly, mayonnaise isn't just for sandwiches and macaroni salads. Oh no, it's great for ensuring juicy, tender chicken too.

1. Marination: Marinating chicken before cooking is a popular technique used to enhance flavor and tenderness. Restaurants use marinades made from a combination of acidic ingredients (such as vinegar, citrus juice, or yogurt) and flavorful herbs and spices.

By regularly spooning the juices over the chicken, you are essentially marinating it in its own flavorful liquid, which helps to retain moisture and enhance the taste. This method also helps to prevent the chicken from drying out as it slow cooks over a longer period of time.

For optimal results, it's generally recommended to cook chicken on the low setting in a crockpot. This slower cooking method allows the chicken to become more tender and absorb flavors, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful dish compared to using the high setting.

That is why tough meats become “fork tender” in the slow cooker. Chicken breasts have very little connective tissue; that means they can be cooked quickly because the long cooking time needed to soften connective tissue isn't necessary. They also have little fat, which means they can become dry if cooked too long.

Should you flip the chicken in the slow cooker? No, all you need to do is add all the ingredients into the slow cooker, cover and cook. Chicken is such a delicious, versatile and healthy option and there are a variety of ways to cook it.

Is 3 hours in a slow cooker enough for chicken? ›

Over and over AND OVER again, we have found that chicken breast registers at 165° F (the FDA recommended safe temp) right around 3 hours on LOW. Sometimes less, sometimes more depending on the size of the breast or other ingredients in the slow cooker.

If you get impatient and heat up your chicken thighs by cranking the temperature all the way up, your chicken will be too dry, which is the last thing you want. Instead, you want to keep your chicken thighs slowly cooking on a low temperature, thus allowing the meat to marinate in its juices and gradually tenderize.

Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.

Chicken Thighs

One chicken thigh will yield about 3 ounces of meat (without skin or bone), so for big meat eaters, count on two thighs per person. For kids and lighter eaters, one chicken thigh per person should be enough.

The best way to cook a chicken breast so it's moist and tender and not dry is to cook it in a water bath in a vacuum sealed bag. The temperature of the water bath should be between 150–160F. The chicken should be seared in a hot pan for no more than 2 minutes per side for color and texture.

Low and slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or smoking are most effective when trying to create tender, succulent chicken.