Can Rice Cooker Cook Chicken?

We all would have never looked at a rice cooker and asked if it can do anything but just cook rice. Yes, rice cookers have been underrated in our kitchens for years, sitting there in the corner, quietly doing their job—making perfect, fluffy rice. But could this handy appliance also cook chicken? Spoiler alert: it can! And this post, I will run you through every little thing that you will certainly ever before wish to find out about cooking chicken in a rice stove, the how-tos, the ideas, the tricks, as well as the feasible troubles that you might come across.

Let’s dive in!

So, before we head into the chicken speak, let’s just beg our palates (or rather, tongues) to quickly rewind about what a rice cooker is in simple terms. A rice cooker is a kitchen appliance that cooks rice or other grains, but these days, most rice cookers would do a lot more than just cook rice. Rice cookers generally consist of three main components: a built-in heating element, a thermostat, and a cooking bowl.

These rice cookers, the simplest, yet most functional, they automatically adjust heat and cooking time depending on your rice (or something else) to help get them cooked perfectly every time.

And, back to the million-dollar question — Is it possible to cook chicken in a rice cooker? Yes, absolutely! From chicken breasts to chicken thighs and (if your cooker is large enough) even whole chickens, a rice cooker can handle just about any chicken! Cooking chicken in the rice cooker is beautiful because it is simple and the machine will do all the work for you.

A rice cooker functions on the principle where steam is used to generate heat and cook the food. In rice cooking, the water is boiled with the help of the rice cooker and the steam cooks the rice. The same idea can be applied with chicken — they are steamed and cooked gently with heat so they get an even cook. The trick is how to properly and fully cook the chicken without drying it out and losing the flavor.

Keep in mind that not every kind of chicken belongs in a rice cooker, but there is a lot of variety you can experiment with. Below are the most popular options of it doe.

Chicken breast is the easiest to prepare. They’re fast and uniform, a perfect weeknight solution. Chicken breasts, on the other hand, whether skinned or not, and bone-in as well, can be seasoned, marinated or put in a small amount of broth.

Another option is dark meat chicken (thighs work well). They are a little juicier and are not likely to dry out tend to be all fat rather than porn breasts. Rice cookers are excellent for cooking chicken thighs whether bone-in or boneless, and great for all manner of seasonings and marinades too.

Yes, you can make a whole chicken in a rice cooker — provided that you have a big rice cooker. Many rice cookers will comfortably fit a small chicken; however, be sure to confirm the size of your cooker first. It could take a tad longer you are cooking a whole chicken, but it is so tender when you use the slow cook setting or the steam setting.

A rice cooker is great for cooking smaller chicken portions such as chicken wings and chicken drumsticks that fit perfectly into a rice cooker. However, if you should prefer crispy skin, do you want to pan-fry the chicken afterward? Simply using a rice cooker will make sure it well-cooked but the skin part will not be crispy unless an additional action is performed.

So, now that we established that it can be done, here are the steps for how to cook chicken in a rice cooker. It is relatively simple to do, but there are a few vital points to bear in mind. Together, Let us go through the steps!!

First you need to prepare your chicken. This could be where you season it, you marinate it, or you just throw salt and pepper on it. You could even throw in some veggies or broth in the cooker to turn it into a one pot meal.

Note: If using chicken breasts, flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness to ensure even cooking.

Similarly to rice, you must have some sort of liquid in the rice cooker to steam the rice. As a general guideline, you can simply use the rule of thumb and add roughly 1 cup of water or broth per chicken breast or thigh. You can use more or less as desired for the juiciness of the final dish.

Tip: To make scotchier chicken, just dribble a little broth or even coconut milk over the loot.

Cook your rice cooker and select the “Cook” setting. If your rice cooker corresponds to slow cook, this could be good for chicken thighs or a whole chicken but may work best for chicken thighs. If you are cooking chicken breasts, the standard “Cook” setting will do just fine.

The chicken is cooked when its internal temperature is 165 °F (75 °C). This typically takes 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the cut. Cooking a whole chicken could take 1.5 hours.

When the chicken is cooked, plate with rice, vegetables or any side you want. It is so juicy and delicious!!

Which is exactly why you may want to start cooking chicken in your rice cooker. Here are some key benefits:

Rice Cookers are simple to use Simply pop in the ingredients, set the cooker, and leave. You don’t have to hover over the stove, check the temperature, or turn the chicken. A… set-it-and-forget-it sort of deal.

Due to the slow cooking and steam remains constant, chicken will usually be more juicy and tender when cooked in a rice cooker than other methods. Even better, cuts like chicken breasts can easily dry out when prepared with other methods, so sous vide is a great choice.

Think of the rice cooker as a one-pot cooking device. You can prepare your chicken, rice and even vegetables all in one pot. This saves on the cleanup and makes preparing meals a no-brainer.

If you are a novice chef or are lacking confidence in the kitchen, a rice cooker is a great appliance because it is forgiving. It simplifies chicken cooking to an seemingly idiot proof simplicity.

Cooking chicken in a rice cooker is effortless and convenient but it does come with some drawbacks. We will discuss some of them.

But one major disadvantage is rice cookers do not crisp up chicken skin. Which means if you want that crusty skin, you have to pan-p fry it or broil it after it’s been cooked to get that crisp skin.

A lot of rice cookers are manufactured in smaller batches. It can be difficult to fit in a rice cooker if you are attempting to prepare a large family-sized meal or a complete chicken. If you are using larger cuts of meat, make sure to check the specifications first.

While rice cookers cook quite wonderfully, the chicken tends to cook uneven when you pack them in together or fail to keep a watch on them. If cooking multiple pieces of chicken, keep space between to allow steam to flow.

• Simple Chicken and Rice: A classic and easy recipe. In the rice cooker, put seasoned chicken, rice, and chicken broth. And after just one cycle, you’ll be able to serve up a filling and delicious meal.

• Vegetable Chicken Thighs: Put the bone-in chicken thighs, carrots, onions, and potatoes in the rice cooker with some broth. The end result is an easy, one-dish meal that feels like home.

• Curry Chicken: Add chicken pieces, coconut milk, curry paste and your favorite veggies and just walk away. Give it time to simmer and you will have yourself a fragrant and warming curry chicken.

Absolutely! Cooking chicken in a rice cooker is perfectly safe as long as you use adequate cooking techniques such as checking the temperature (which I will guide you through next). Rice cookers are more than a single-use device, rice cookers, in fact, are a fantastic way to be able to cook chicken since the heat surrounds evenly, and the steam being built, both can give you tender moist meat for days.

Cooking chicken in a rice cooker is ideal because of the steaming techniques that keep the meat moist and tender. This protects lean cuts of meat from drying out, such as chicken breasts.

Due to the even heat distribution of the rice cookers, the chicken will be thoroughly cooked or not part of it remains undercooked.

You will find that most modern-day rice cookers have an automatic shut-off feature which means your chicken will never overcook. When the cycle is through, the rice cooker will stop cooking, so it will maintain the warmth of your food without letting it dry.

Which leads us to ask, can you cook chicken in a rice cooker? Yes, it absolutely can! Rice cookers are one of those kitchen appliances that you may not realize can do more than just rice. No matter if it’s chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or even a whole chicken your rice cooker will yield you tender and savory results with hardly any effort. Be careful to tweak the liquid as well as cooking time according to the chicken cut, and you are on your method to eating great.

If you do not went cooking hen in your rice cooker but. This is an easy method to step up your cooking game, especially on busy nights when you want a filling meal with minimal clean-up. Happy cooking!