To think you put raw chicken in the slow cooker?

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Can someone please confirm that I have done this right? I've made a chicken stew type thing. It's the first thing I've made in the slow cooker and I put the chicken in raw (I used 2 chicken breasts) and it's been in for 6 hours and 40 minutes. I've just shredded the chicken up and mixed it all together and put it back until we're ready for it (probably about half an hour as my boyfriend has just got back from work) and my boyfriend has said that I should have cooked the chicken first as low temperatures don't kill salmonella... surely he's wrong? The recipe says nothing about cooking the chicken first and it's called a slow 'cooker'... help fix this debate please 🙈😅

Yes you can put it in raw I always do

A lot of recipes talk about ‘browning’ the meat before slow cooking but I thought that was for flavour / appearance rather than safety. You can also do a whole roast chicken in a slow cooker so you wouldn’t pre-cook that. It will be fine.

It’s fine

Yes put it in raw, when you faff browning it stops being an easy meal!

As long as it reached something like 72c it’s cooked.

It’s not length of cooking. It’s the internal temp it reaches

It's about the temperature. Check what temp yours goes to is sufficient.

browning it means the Maillard reaction is able to happen, improving flavour. You don’t have to do it but it’s better (for taste) when you do.

The liquid in my slow cooker always gently bubbles away round the edges, the casserole is always cooked through after 6 hours so raw chicken would be fully cooked in that time.

I've even put in partially frozen chicken. As others have said, as long as it gets hot enough, then its cooked.

The temperature needs to be around 75C to kill salmonella, and slow cookers used to to be around 90C on their lowest setting (i haven’t had one for years) so it should be absolutely fine. Though, I have to say, that’s a bit close to 75C for my liking, given the variability in quality of slow cookers! Anything higher than the lowest setting should be zero risk though I’d have thought

Slow cookers cook at high enough heat to kill bacteria. Chicken needs to be around 75°c in the centre and slow cooker cooks higher than that even at the lowest temp. So after hours in a slow cooker of course the centre will reach that at least. How will browning the chicken kill any bacteria on the inside!? Slow cookers are meant to be easy, no faff.

If I do chicken from raw in slow cooker I Put it on high to be on the safe side

Check the temperature

You can OP. I find thighs work better than breast in a slow cooker though.
My fav recipe for putting it in raw is:
Chopped onions,
Chicken thighs,
Button mushrooms,
Red peppers,
Sweetcorn,
Red pesto,
When you are ready to serve stir in some cream or crème fraiche.

You can do a nice slow cooker lamb:
Put in a raw leg of lamb, spike some holes/cuts in it with a knife, stick little bits of rosemary and peeled cloves of garlic in the holes, bung a good glug of red wine over the lamb and cook. You can add the juices to some gravy granules (make up the rest of the liquid with boiling water).

Also you can make a nice veggie bolognaise.
Chuck in some onions, chickpeas, red peppers, beans, sweetcorn, lentils, carrots (really any veg you like), passata, yeast extract (branded marmite is a waste of money!), herbs eg oregano/mixed herbs, a mug of stock or a glug of red wine.

Most other slow cooker recipes I will quickly fry the ingredients first then put in the slow cooker to thicken up/soften/improve over the day and so it’s ready to serve when I come home.

If the chicken is shredding easily, it's properly cooked. Your boyfriend doesn't know what he's talking about.

I do it constantly! If I had to cook the chicken first I wouldn’t do it! I slap the veg in and literally open the chicken packet and tip it straight in! 🙈

Sounds like it is perfectly cooked to me if it is shredding. You don't have to pre cook it - some people do in spices for flavour - I put my raw chicken at the bottom with the spices. I cook a LOT with the slow cooker with chicken it sounds to me as though yours is perfectly done. Enjoy!

Ive never browned or cooked meat before putting in slow cooker.. Chicken, gammon, mince.. all goes in raw.. always fine.

Aldi used to do a chicken casserole kit with drumsticks on the bone. I put them in raw. Always cooked fine in about 6 hours

You have cooked it... slowly.

Raw chicken is fine.
Frozen is not.

@Christienne

Raw chicken is fine. Frozen is not.

Why?

If it reaches temperature and is cooked through, why does it matter? Just wondering.

Of course you can. Flash frying is to seal in the flavour. It's not necessary though if you can't be arsed. I'm the can't be arsed type.

I did this tonight, cooked chicken on high for 2 hours, then on low for another 3.

I always put any liquid in very hot/boiling never cold.

Right,
Raw chicken is ok in a slow cooker if you have put it on HIGH and it’s properly simmering. If you’ve put it in the slow cooker and put it on LOW, then your boyfriend is correct.