I have done it many times. When I was working, I would throw a frozen roast or something in the crockpot early in the morning before heading out to work. I would cook it on low all day while at work. It turned out perfect. We didn't complain about it. We were hungry when we got home.
I have done that, too. I made the chicken and stuffing crockpot dinner, and I had frozen chicken legs in the freezer. I thawed them just enough that i could separate the pieces and then added them to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients, left it to cook for the day, and it was all done and delicious by dinner time.
There are some who would say no due to how fast that bacteria can grow but, as long as a completion temp of 165 + degrees is reached throughout the food in order to kill any harmful bacteria, you should be okay with it.
I've done it for years and never had a problem. It cooks to completion and is safer than leaving meat out on a counter to thaw (and sometimes forget it's there and it sits overnight). I've done chicken thighs, chicken breast, pork chops, ribs, etc. frozen on high to get it started and then turn it to low for whatever time it needs to get done. I always use a meat thermometer to check that it's done.
Kay, yes, it is and I usually thaw it out in fridge but I'm hungry and have to wait for it to cook if I want something different.
I have never put frozen meat in my crock pot but I know a lot of people do. Instead I use the @John Brunner method of thawing... put the wrapped meat into a pan of COLD water for about 30 minutes and voila'. If I forget to thaw hamburger, I can do so using the defrost setting of my microwave oven.
I put frozen chicken parts, most often several breasts, into my Instant Pot all the time for make chicken salad, soup, chicken and noodles, etc. As you probably know, the main difference between a crockpot and instant pot is the use of pressure and greatly reduced amount of time it takes to cook things (e.g., minutes vs. hours)..
I've thought about getting an instant pot but at 76 and just the 2 of us...would it be worth it to spend the money. IDK
I thought about it too, Kay. I already have a pressure cooker, if I need it. A instant pot would be just something else that I would have to find space for.
We tried 2 and had to take one out, I did'ny know a whole chicken would swell! 2 fit till they got a little warm. I hope this chicken I was bragging about being inexpensive isn't some kind of bio crapola.
I love my Instant Pot. I have two of them; a 6 qt and a 3 qt. I seem to use the 3 qt the most for just the 2 of us. It can't be beat for cooking dry beans and lots of other stuff.
Howie Mandell’s answer to Johnny Carson about cooking. My wife doesn’t cook but when she begged for a microwave oven and I bought her one, now she doesn’t cook in half the time. With that in mind but in reverse he could have said, My wife doesn’t cook but she wanted a crock pot so when I bought her one, not cooking took all day.