Crock-Pot® chicken breasts are boneless cuts of chicken from the breast that are cooked in a slow cooker. Many different recipes involve cooking chicken breasts in a Crock-Pot®, including chicken in mushroom and wine sauce and zesty slow cooker chicken barbecue. The primary concern for most chefs cooking Crock-Pot® chicken breasts is to ensure that the meat stays as moist as possible. Chefs often decide to cook the meat on the Crock-Pot’s® “Low” setting for between six and eight hours to retain as much moisture as possible. Cooking the meat in a sauce or stock can also help prevent the meat from frying out.
Chefs think of Crock-Pot® chicken breasts as the same as any other slow-cooked chicken breasts. A Crock-Pot® is a popular variety of slow cooker, but produces the same effect as many other different slow cookers. If the chef doesn’t own a Crock-Pot®, he or she can still make Crock-Pot® chicken breasts by cooking the meat over a low heat in the oven. Cooking the meat in the oven in a covered, oven-proof dish with a sauce or stock poured over it produces the same effect. A variety of different sauces and cooking methods can be used to make Crock-Pot® chicken breasts.
Any dish featuring slow-cooked chicken breasts can be classified as a recipe for Crock-Pot® chicken breasts. Chefs can cook the chicken breasts in a mushroom and wine sauce, gravy or stock, a curry sauce, barbecue sauce, and a variety of other sauces. Many recipes suggest using a can of mushroom soup as part of the recipe, as well as white wine and milk. Cooking the chicken alongside vegetables is also an option.
The process for making Crock-Pot® chicken breasts is similar across different recipes. Chefs start by mixing up the ingredients which are to be included in the sauce. This is often done in the Crock-Pot®, but can also be done in a separate dish. The chef places the chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot® and then pours the sauce over them. Most recipes suggest completely covering the chicken with sauce before cooking.
Dry meat is an unfortunate possibility when making Crock-Pot® chicken breasts. Chefs don’t like to serve dry meat to their guests, so will generally cook the chicken on the Crock-Pot’s® “Low” setting for between six and eight hours. The meat is less likely to dry out if cooked in a sauce and over a low temperature. It is possible to cook the meat on “High” for four hours, but this increases the risk that the resulting dish will be dry.