whole chicken in slow cooker - 3 questions

[mandimoo]

is there any danger of food poisoning cooking a whole chicken in this way, due to low initial cooking temperature?
does the skin go crispy?
do you put veg in the bottom?

[crisper]

Hi Mandimoo... we cook whole chicken in the slow cooker... no the skin doesn't go crispy.. we haven't tried putting veg in...and I've done it several times and haven't poisoned anyone yet..I've done a medium size chicken on low for about 4 ish hours...but I suggest you check it as you normally would..its very tender..moist and tasty.. good luck! .. Crispers other half x

[gingejbee]

My slow-cooker book suggests browning the chicken on all sides (oil and butter) in large pan: then transfer to slow-cooker for 4 to 5 hours on High. NO veg.

[sara3]

brown it first, or after (it will fall apart after a while) as a pasty cooked chicken just doesn't look right!

I don't see why it would be risky to cook it this way.

[pastafreak]

When I do mine that way-as I said I use very little liquid. The top of the chicken does go brown. I've done a 2600gm bird (that's near 5lb?)...start it the night before on HIGH for 1 hour-then turn down to low. Found instructions on the net a while back.
And,no-I've not poisoned myself yet.

[mike11111]

The veg should be cooked separately. It's stuffing that you should put in its bottom.

[starone]

I have cooked a whole pheasant in mine, which is only a small one (the cooker not the pheasant, although that is not very big). It tastes nicer than one either boiled or baked, but I don't know why. I put some herbs and a small amount of water with it. I think it must keep all the juices in because it certainly adds to the taste.

[hammerman]

I find chicken probably the worst thing to slow cook. Don't get me wrong, it tastes lovely but it just falls to pieces when you take it out and the skin is soggy. I leave the slow cooker for tough cuts of meat such as mutton.

[lyall]

All the literature I’ve read says that chickens if cooked whole in a slow cooker should ALWAYS be cooked on High and ALWAYS on their own. I’ve got a mini (2 person) slow cooker and cook poussin’s in mine (approximately 1.5 hours). Always make sure you heat your slow cooker on High before you put the chicken in, any water/stock that you use should ideally be boiling; with the pot and liquid hot the chicken has less time exposed to coolness so less chance of any nasties getting in. You can use as much water/stock as you like, I just about fill mine as I like loads of gravy, if you don’t use much water/stock keep checking on it to make sure the pot doesn’t dry up. As to the skin, well it depends if it’s looks you want to go for; chicken in an oven has skin that comes out looking brown and crispy, chicken in a slow cooker has unfortunately rather anaemic slimy-ish skin (but easy to remove), it’s totally personal choice.