Cook chicken legs in a slow cooker by removing the skin, setting it to high for the first hour, and not removing the lid during cooking. Remove any visible fat to prevent a greasy texture and ensure food safety by bringing the meat to 140°F quickly. Avoid removing the lid to prevent heat loss and extend cooking time.
Cooking chicken legs in the slow cooker is one of the easiest ways to make dinner when you get home from a busy day. Some of the best tips for doing this include removing the skin before placing it in the slow cooker and, if possible, setting the slow cooker to high for the first hour of cooking. It’s also important not to remove the lid during the cooking process, as this can extend the cooking time of the chicken legs.
Unlike high heat or other cooking methods that allow the fat from a piece of meat to drain or caramelize, fat often dissolves in a slow cooker, making the dish heavy and greasy. One of the best tips for cooking chicken thighs in the slow cooker is to remove the skin and any visible fat before cooking. If you don’t, the chicken will slowly cook in excess fat and the skin will typically develop a slimy texture, something most people don’t like. For those who prefer the skin on their chicken thighs, browning them in a skillet before placing them in the slow cooker can help prevent this problem.
In order for meat to cook safely, it must be brought to a temperature of at least 140°F (60°C) as quickly as possible. Food safety is of the utmost importance when cooking any type of meat, especially when cooking chicken legs in the slow cooker. To do this, turn the slow cooker on high for the first hour of cooking and then reduce the heat to low for the remainder of the cooking process. If you don’t have time to do this, make sure the chicken is completely thawed before placing it in the slow cooker. Frozen chicken takes much longer to reach the temperature of 60°C (140°F) and is more likely to develop harmful bacteria before it’s fully cooked.
For those who are not used to cooking chicken thighs in the slow cooker, it may be a natural tendency to remove the lid every now and then to stir the food. However, unlike cooking on a stovetop or in an oven, it’s important not to remove the lid or disturb the contents when cooking chicken legs in your slow cooker. It is estimated that every time you remove the lid, you extend the cooking process by up to half an hour due to the heat loss that occurs when you remove the lid. This can be especially dangerous in the first couple of hours of cooking when the chicken thighs haven’t yet reached a safe temperature.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
