What chicken loins are and how to cook them in a slow cooker, instant pot or on the stove in a pan. Best tender meat with sauce.
I will share how to cook chicken loins in different ways here. In a Crockpot it is excellent with very little preparation time. A pressure cooker is quick and even if they are frozen to begin with, it is no problem. Let me explain all the things. (affiliate links present)
Chicken loins at Crockpot
On the recipe card below we will explain this method. I’ll say that if you love your slow cooker, this is a great one to try. You can use your favorite sauce like teriyaki or barbecue sauce and that’s literally. The pot will do all the work for you to melt in your mouth.
How to cook frozen chicken loins
Now, what if you are forgetful, dinner is ruined? Don’t! You can use them with basically the same cooking time with the instructions below. I have another version to get the crispy exterior with this frozen chicken loins air fryer here.
If you want them to be as wet as possible, give our Instant Pot frozen chicken offerings a spin
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How long to cook chicken loinsThat will depend on your method of choice. Honestly, there’s not much difference between frozen and fresh or thawed to begin with. Surprising but true. I mean it’s always suggested that you thaw the chicken first because then it will absorb more of the sauce and be wetter overall when it’s ready.
Under high pressure, simple chicken or teriyaki like this will take about 7 minutes. Air-fried is 12-15 depending on its size. The longest, but you will get the most tender is below.
- Low and slow with meat is best, but it will take 4-5 hours from start to finish. Great if you’re at home and can sit them right after lunchtime for dinner.
Chicken loin vs. chicken loin
The loin is right near the larger breast, but it is a piece in itself. The cutest but smaller piece of white meat in the bird means you would need some of these for your meal. They will be more expensive because there are only 2 in each and they are quite small. Due to their size, they are faster to cook and the best for our air fryer chicken and cheese offerings.
cook chicken loins” />Slow cooker chicken loins
If I had to cook frozen Crockpot chicken breasts in one pot and these in another, it would take about half the time. You could do a “tricky way” by cutting your larger, boneless, skinless pieces into strips on a cutting board of the same size to reduce time as well. They’re not technically loins, but they’re the closest you’d get.
- For this we used 2 pounds
- 1.5 cups of barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes are optional for a little heat
of chicken loins
Chicken
loin recipe
This is better than baking chicken on a baking sheet just because it is steamed to the perfect texture. Since they are small, you can use it to make something like Instant Pot chicken marsala or sauté with your favorite sauce. Low and slow you would;
- Spray inside the slow cooker with nonstick olive oil spray, or rub with melted butter
- Place pieces of meat inside, spread them
- Pour the sauce over top, brush so they are all covered.
- (you can top with diced chives, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and/or red pepper flakes if desired)
- Close the lid and simmer the chicken meat for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender and reaches a safe internal temperature of 165 F.
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They are healthier than traditional breaded chicken strips and take like 5 minutes of meal preparation, that’s
it.
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Chicken loin
nutrition
There is a nutrition card included below, but that will vary. Depending on the fat content in your pieces of chicken breast or sliced loin and the type of sauce you use as well, you should check out those packages. For the most part, however, this will be very high in protein, low in fat with a ton of flavor.
If your kids love frozen chicken fingers but don’t like all the preservatives they contain, this is something I bet they’ll love. You can change it with a bottle of sticky sweet teriyaki sauce at some point. Served with a salad, it’s a fun keto option.
Do you have two pots? Make some slow cooker white rice to serve with it too, that’s our favorite chicken recipe duo of the week. If you have leftovers, they save pretty well.
Save the sauce so
- that once they are cooked, you can move into a freezer bag with several tablespoons of sauce on top. Seal and refrigerate for a few days. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute to enjoy again.
