Is browning chicken before putting it in the slow cooker a waste of time?

[ExtraPlinky]

I like my slow cooker chicken cooked so it's falling apart - so does it really make a difference to brown it first?

Is it just for flavour or for safety reasons?

I am lazy.

I've asked MN to correct my typo in the title of this post!

You don’t need to, in fact I’ve never seen a chicken recipe that did require it. It might improve the flavour but that’s all.
I only get onions before slow cooking. Everything else makes minimal difference.

Fry! Fry onions.

It will help the flavour.

Depends on the dish, but its about flavour not safety.

Something like Coq au Vin it adds real depth to the flavour. Dishes which get their flavours from added sauces like curry not so much difference.

If you like the way it tastes just bung it in!

How can you "brown" a chicken with out roasting it? Are you talking about pieces,if so they get put in raw along with everything else.cooks fine in around 4 hours

@nannybeach

How can you "brown" a chicken with out roasting it? Are you talking about pieces,if so they get put in raw along with everything else.cooks fine in around 4 hours

Yes sorry I should have said - chicken pieces rather than a whole chicken or chicken on the bone. I think I would brown chicken on the bone though thinking about it.

Yes. If you can. Caramelisation of the skin or the meat ifskinless will add to the flavour immeasurably. No caramelisation means flaccid and flavourless skin.

Then toss your veges in the chicken flavoured pan before putting everything in the slow cooker.

My motto is to never waste a flavour.

"Never waste a flavour" is the greatest cooking motto I have ever heard.

I'm literally browning my chicken pieces right now, before putting it in slow cooker! Much better imo. I use a bit of flour too to thicken the sauce from slow cooker, and deglazing the browning pan with white wine adds to flavour too.

@ExtraPlinky. Ooh. Thank you.

Malliard reaction occurs if you brown meat. If you want ultimate flavour always brown first.

@RhythmOfTheLight

Malliard reaction occurs if you brown meat. If you want ultimate flavour always brown first.

What is a Maliard Reaction? Is it Star Trek?

@Gregsprinkles

I'm literally browning my chicken pieces right now, before putting it in slow cooker! Much better imo. I use a bit of flour too to thicken the sauce from slow cooker, and deglazing the browning pan with white wine adds to flavour too.

This makes me want to brown it now because you mentioned wine.

I only use skinless breasts,so no browning here.

I would definitely brown if it had skin on - but yes I was meaning chicken breast fillets.

I’m always too lazy to brown anything.

@nannybeach

I only use skinless breasts,so no browning here.

Browning it will still make it taste better - skin of no skin

I never use breast fillets in the slow cooker, thigh fillets all the way! I don't brown anything because, to me it defeats the convenience of the machine if you have to cook stuff and make more pots to wash first.

The Maillard reaction is MN speak for browning.

Pretty sure MN didn't invent calling it the Maillard reaction. At a wild guess it may have been M. Maillard.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction

at the thought of MN inventing the Maillard reaction as well as the eternal chicken... We're onto something here, peeps!

Not for chicken no

But yes for beef as the caramelisation makes a difference to flavour

You know full well I don't believe that MN invented the Maillard reaction
It's just a typically MN comment, why be so disingenuous.