News Oh Dear. Cooking Frozen Chicken in a Crock-Pot May Be Unsafe The USDA weighs in on the common practice. By Meghan Overdeep Meghan Overdeep Meghan Overdeep has more than a decade of writing and editing experience for top publications. Her expertise extends from weddings and animals to every pop culture moment in between. She has been scouring the Internet for the buzziest Southern news since joining the team in 2017. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 16, 2023 Fact checked by Elizabeth Berry Fact checked by Elizabeth Berry Elizabeth Berry is a fact checker and writer with over three years of professional experience in the field. She has fact checked lifestyle topics ranging from destination wedding venues to gift guide round-ups for a variety of publications including Brides, The Spruce, and TripSavvy. In addition to her fact checking background, she also has over six years experience of reporting, writing, and copy editing articles for digital magazines including Woman's Day and The Knot. Elizabeth also has a strong background in e-commerce content as both a fact checker and writer. brand's fact checking process Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty Images If you've thrown frozen chicken into a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or Crock-Pot you're not alone. Plenty of timesaving recipes on the Internet call for frozen poultry. Though skipping the drawn-out thawing process makes life a whole lot easier for busy home cooks, it's not necessarily safe. Despite claims from manufacturers that this common practice poses zero health risks, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued guidelines warning against cooking frozen chicken in slow cookers. In fact, its Slow Cooker and Food Safety guidelines state the following outright: "always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker." Today decided to get to the bottom of the issue by reaching out to a representative from Crock-Pot. "You can cook frozen meat in any Crock-Pot brand product, but suggested cook time may need to be increased," the representative stated, adding that the company recommends using a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is "well above" 165°F before eating it. Instant Pot offered a similar answer, reiterating the importance of increased cook time. WATCH Instant Pot Double Chocolate Cheesecake: So what is the USDA so worried about? Although their guidelines are admittedly overcautious, slow cookers do raise serious concerns about temperature. Everyone agrees that at some point while it's cooking, chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F in order to be safe to eat. What the USDA is concerned with is when chicken spends too much time thawing out in the "danger zone." The danger zone is the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F where bacteria like salmonella and staphylococcus aureus grow most rapidly. Even though these will most likely be killed when the chicken reaches 165°F (which a slow cooker is more than capable of), the toxins they leave behind can still cause food-borne illnesses. What's a hungry Crock-Pot lover to do? It's always a good idea to listen to the USDA to limit the chance of food-borne illness, but at the very least, add more cook time if you're starting with frozen chicken. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Slow cookers and food safety. Updated Aug. 8, 2013. U.S. Department of Agriculture. The big thaw—safe defrosting methods. Updated June 15, 2013.