Tip: Precooked Chicken

Americans consume approximately 8 billion chickens a year.  That's a lot of chicken!  I know in our house, we eat more chicken than beef, so I shouldn't be surprised by the high number.  My freezer has at least two of those chickens in it.

I like to have chicken precooked, and frozen, waiting in the freezer, ready to add to a recipe at a moments notice.  It saves me time and there are many recipes that you can make quickly if you have this step already completed.  My favorite way to precook chicken is in the slow cooker.   

Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Season to taste with salt and pepper or the seasoning of your choice.  Add a can of chicken broth.  Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, depending on the amount of chicken you are cooking. Cool. Place in individual serving size containers or resealable plastic freezer bags and freeze.  I like to cook the chicken in chicken broth to give it more flavor and it keeps the chicken really juicy. 

I will not bore you with all the cross contamination warnings there are in regards to handling chicken, we have heard it all before.  But there are some tips that a new cook may want to know about, when it comes to working with chicken.

Never thaw frozen raw chicken at room temperature.  If you need it thawed quickly, do so in the microwave.  If you have time, thaw chicken in the refrigerator.  Another way you can thaw chicken is by placing it in a cold water bath; change the water every 30 minutes.   Thawed chicken should be used within 24 hours.  

Never brown or partially cook chicken, then refrigerate, so you can cook it later.  Any bacteria in the chicken will not be destroyed by partially cooking the chicken.

Recipe measurement guide:  One pound of boneless, skinless chicken equals approximately 3 cups of cooked diced chicken.

On Friday, I will be sharing my most requested recipe, Green Chile Chicken Pasta with you.  This precooked chicken tip will come in handy for that recipe.