Help Crock-Pot Chicken Stay Juicy And Delicious Using This Simple Tip

Crock-Pot recipes are so convenient, and there's nothing quite like setting it up in the morning and knowing you'll have a delicious, fully cooked dinner as soon as you wrap up the day (not to mention your house smells incredible). That being said, there are a few things that can go wrong with Crock-Pot meals, including dried-out chicken. Thankfully, there's a simple practice that creates juicy, delicious chicken like a Crock-Pot pro: stop opening the lid.

It sounds too easy to work, but it does. I get why you'd want to lift up the lid and peek at the chicken cooking in your Crock-Pot — I used to do it, too. Condensation forms on the underside of the lid, obscuring the view of your delicious meal slow-cooking to perfection underneath. Maybe you want to see if the chicken is cooking evenly, or, let's be honest, you get hungry and want to see whether it's going to finish early. Each time you open the lid, however, moisture escapes your Crock-Pot, which makes it more likely that your chicken — and anything else tossed in your Crock-Pot — will dry out as it cooks. Keeping the lid closed is one way to help ensure your chicken stays juicy. However, it's not the only tool in your arsenal.

If you resist the temptation to keep checking on your Crock-Pot chicken, but it's still turning out dry when you finally open the lid, it's time to troubleshoot. One factor to consider is the fat in your cut of chicken. If you start with a lower-fat cut, such as chicken breast, add some liquid to keep it moist as it cooks. Adding liquid to a recipe, such as when making comforting Crock-Pot chicken and gravy, can also set the stage for helping you create a sauce to top off your meal.

You can get away without adding liquid to your slow cooker when making a fattier cut, such as chicken thighs, which is a great cut to use if you find your chicken breasts consistently coming out dry. Compared to chicken breasts, dark meat contains more fat, which can help stop it from drying out as it sits in the slow cooker. Thighs are also much more forgiving if you end up accidentally leaving them in the slow cooker a little too long. Whether you find success simply keeping the lid closed, or you need to go the extra mile and add liquid or switch up the type of chicken you use, the convenience and tastiness of slow cooker recipes make figuring out your personal go-to Crock-Pot chicken method well worth your while.