# Is It OK To Cook Frozen Chicken In A Crock Pot?



## sydfan (Apr 10, 2007)

I hope so, because I've already started it....


 

Somebody please tell me it's ok and mean it!!!


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## Caine (Apr 10, 2007)

What is in the crockpot, besides the chicken? How long do you plan on cooking this chicken?


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## licia (Apr 10, 2007)

Mine says don't put frozen food in the crock pot...It can crack. It may take forever to get to the right temp also. I wouldn't take a chance.


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## sydfan (Apr 10, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> What is in the crockpot, besides the chicken? How long do you plan on cooking this chicken?


I put some pearl onions, beer, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little red wine vinegar. 

But anyhow, I checked it about 45 minutes after I started it and it was already thaw, so I guess it will work out ok. The chicken sat out for an hour and a half before I put it in the crock pot so it must have thawed enough.

Thanks for the response!!!


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## jennyema (Apr 10, 2007)

What kind of chicken? Whole? breasts?

What temp?

Cooking a whole frozen chicken in a crock pot is a recipe for food poisoning, if you ask me. It will sit for hours in the temperature danger zone.


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## StirBlue (Apr 10, 2007)

Most all crockpot recipes will suggest that you put your vegetables on the bottom and lay your frozen chicken pieces on top because chicken is not so durable.  

Last year I put a whole frozen chicken in my crockpot.  It was a smaller crockpot (4-5 quarts) so the lid would not fit.  I made a foil tent to cover it. 

I removed the frozen chicken from the bag which is the hardest part and rinsed it.  And like you, I added some seasonings.  It cooked from evening and overnight.  It was thoroughly cooked and ready to serve mid morning.  Of course you have to leave the giblet bag inside but that bag is durable enough and the giblets cook as well.  It was real real good.


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## kitchenelf (Apr 10, 2007)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Cooking a whole frozen chicken in a crock pot is a recipe for food poisoning



...and that's one recipe I don't want!!!   

I will cook frozen anything in my pressure cooker - but that's a whole different thing.  Hopefully because this chicken thawed for 1 1/2 hours AND it was stated that after 1 hour the bird was completely thawed it will turn out.  I HOPE!  

For some reason jennyema I am assuming this was a whole bird.


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## kitchenelf (Apr 10, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> Most all crockpot recipes will suggest that you put your vegetables on the bottom and lay your frozen chicken pieces on top because chicken is not so durable.
> 
> Last year I put a whole frozen chicken in my crockpot.  It was a smaller crockpot (4-5 quarts) so the lid would not fit.  I made a foil tent to cover it.
> 
> I removed the frozen chicken from the bag which is the hardest part and rinsed it.  And like you, I added some seasonings.  It cooked from evening and overnight.  It was thoroughly cooked and ready to serve mid morning.  Of course you have to leave the giblet bag inside but that bag is durable enough and the giblets cook as well.  It was real real good.



Whew - I didn't even see your response - I'm glad it turned out.  And when I did my frozen chicken in my pressure cooker I had to remove the bag after the fact too!  lol

Isn't the rule of thumb that as long as the temperature reaches the proper temp for a reasonable amount of time it should be ok?


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## kitchenelf (Apr 10, 2007)

StirBlue said:
			
		

> Most all crockpot recipes will suggest that you put your vegetables on the bottom and lay your frozen chicken pieces on top because chicken is not so durable.
> 
> Last year I put a whole frozen chicken in my crockpot.  It was a smaller crockpot (4-5 quarts) so the lid would not fit.  I made a foil tent to cover it.
> 
> I removed the frozen chicken from the bag which is the hardest part and rinsed it.  And like you, I added some seasonings.  It cooked from evening and overnight.  It was thoroughly cooked and ready to serve mid morning.  Of course you have to leave the giblet bag inside but that bag is durable enough and the giblets cook as well.  It was real real good.



Whew - I didn't even see your response - I'm glad it turned out.  And when I did my frozen chicken in my pressure cooker I had to remove the bag after the fact too!  lol

Do you think a whole chicken would be a factor versus separate chicken pieces?


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## StirBlue (Apr 10, 2007)

Most people don't realize that they are cooking a partially thawed turkey at Thanksgiving on low heat.  That is why the large boned areas cook slower.  I looked at the frozen stuffed turkeys again.  The instructions recommend that you thaw the product prior to cooking.  The stuffing was basically vegetables and rice.  Some had wild rice.  I guess if you stuff your bird with very cold dressing it would make a difference.  I know that people are prone to rolling their birds in layers of aluminium foil and cooking them at low temperatures overnight.  I think the way that poultry is processed for the market these days is making a difference from home grown poultry methods.  It would seem that many of the food regulations and requirements mandated on the food processing industry is paying off.


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## JohnL (Apr 10, 2007)

Hi sydfan,
I'm glad it worked out for you.
I would'nt try it, (I'm a sissy ) but lil sis #2 cooks hers that way all the time. She sets her crockpot on high and lets it cook all day. She says it turns out fine. I'm with Jenny though, I'd be afraid of that in between time from frozen to thawed.


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## jennyema (Apr 10, 2007)

The rule of thumb is that you shouldn't let the chicken stay in the danger zone -- between 40 and 140 -- for more than 2 hours. Too much bacteria, and the bacteria multiplies zillions of times during this period. Proper heating and reheating will kill foodborne bacteria. However, some foodborne bacteria produce poisons or toxins that are not destroyed by high cooking temperatures if the food is left out at room temperature for an extended period of time.

If it sat out unrefigerated and then sat in a crockpot at lower than normal heat, the chicken will have stayed in the danger zone for way more than 2 hours.

I would never do this. Chicken breasts are another story, I suppose.

For the record, the USDA considers cooking any frozen meat in a crockpot to be unsafe. They are hypersensitive, perhaps, but a whole frozen chicken just seems like asking for trouble.

Cooking a turkey overnight ina very slow oven is widely acknowledged to be unsafe. It's a recipe for food poisoning.


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## auntdot (Apr 10, 2007)

I wish someone with a scientific bent would come along and cook a few frozen chickens in a crockpot and measure the temps with a remote thermometer and see just how long the meat sat in the bacteria happy zone.

Maybe some people have and it would be great to know the results, but I have never seen any.

Other than direct evidence, we are all gessing.

I lived for a lot of years before anyone worried about these bugs and tend to be a bit more cavalier about the matter.

But I don't think I would feel comfortable with the froen chick in Mr. Crockpot, unless it was very warm.

Maybe some intrepid DCer would like to try the experiment.  Right now absolutely no time.  But it sounds like fun.


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## Constance (Apr 10, 2007)

I'm glad everything turned out OK, but I wouldn't try it again. I'm afraid you're just asking for trouble.


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## Katie H (Apr 10, 2007)

Sounds like a "recipe" for disaster.


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## Toots (Apr 10, 2007)

I have cooked partially frozen chicken breasts in the crock many times on low setting for 4-5 hours and they turn out fine.  I put 2-3 large breasts in the crock with a splash of olive oil and some herbes de provence, salt and pepper.  Its a real time saver when I want to make a casserole that requires cooked breasts after work.


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## csalt (Apr 11, 2007)

I definitely wouldn't cook chicken from frozen.
I admit that I ignore quite a few food and hygeine rules and am still 'going strong' but cooking any meat from frozen is not a risk I would take. Not unless it specifically says  " for best results cook from frozen". Some fish can be cooked from frozen.


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## VegasDramaQueen (Apr 11, 2007)

*CSALT:  It just takes one time for disaster to happen.   I have a friend who never wears a seat belt claiming she' s never had a a problem.  Last week she went through the windshied..  End of story.   NEVER play games with food either.  All it takes is one bad experience.  Frozen food should never be put into a crock pot.  It takes too long for food to come to a safe temp even when thawed and frozen food in the pot is just asking for trouble.   Crock pots heat slowly and the end temperature is low  (Rival has raised the temperature of their crockpots because of the danger of food spoiling before it reached correct temperature) so putting anything frozen in the pot means it will thaw very slowly.   Not a good idea.  Gotta read the little manuals they give you with your appliances.  *


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## CasperImproved (Apr 11, 2007)

I would echo many here and say that a whole frozen chicken is not something I would put in the crookpot to cook. But I would also not do the whole frozen Turkey in the oven either.  I have had a touch of food poisoning from a pasta salad that the mayo in the warmth of an picnic  had me wishing I could die for a couple of days.  Don't take non-common sense risks with food.      Casper


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