I’m looking to make something healthy in my slow cooker using chicken breast—or possibly chicken thighs or even fish if it works. I really want to use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, but I’m not sure how to go about it.
One issue I’ve run into is that slow-cooked chicken breast often releases a ton of water and ends up swimming in liquid, and sometimes the texture turns out tough. I noticed this didn’t happen as much when I used a smaller slow cooker with less empty space.
Does anyone have tips on avoiding the watery texture or ways to keep the chicken tender? And if you’ve got any simple, healthy slow cooker recipes that use chipotle peppers in adobo, I’d love to try them.
Thanks in advance!
Here's a picture of my favorite spices on hand I love to use
I don't mind adding onions and garlic and vegetables. I heard that's best to add with chicken
Also, people told me not to do high heat, but to do low settings and do it overnight, or for 8 hours.
by Rangerup101
4 Comments
Incorporate the water, add some rice or pasta an hour or two before you’re done depending on taste. And tbh you’re looking at some version of spicy garlic chicken, do some combo taste testing and see what works for you.
To get rid of the water, just shred it. It will be barely wet. If you prefer it whole, just dump it. No shame in that.
I’m not sure what settings you’re using or how long you’re cooking it for, but my standard is 6-7 hours on low and 4 hours on high. I don’t have trouble with tenderness often.
Although, some seasonings need to be added at the halfway point or at the end to make sure the chicken is tender. I haven’t used your ingredients here, so I’m not sure if that’s your issue, but it’s something to try.
Saute the onions, blend the chipotle peppers, and add in some tomato sauce. Season with cumin, oregano, paprika, chile powder and throw in the slow cooker. Shred chicken after 8 hrs.
Tinga de pollo
Put chunks of vegetables on the bottom so the chicken is not so deep in the water. About halfway through cooking I put butter on chicken breasts or pork chops, anything low-fat to me gets dry and tough, so adding fat helps.