Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine

This three layered terrine is prepared in a slow cooker and can be sliced and served as a fancy alternative to meatloaf. You’ll need to let it rest for a day before serving, so be sure to prepare it a day ahead of time.

Chicken French Pork

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine is easy to make, but like other terrines it needs time to rest and reabsorb the juices before serving so you will want to get started a day or two ahead of time.

A terrine is a forcemeat (ground meat mixture) that’s packed into a mould (also called a terrine) and cooked in a hot water bath. Although terrines are often cooked in an oven, slow cooking is a great alternative if you have a crockpot or slow cooker large enough to hold the terrine.

Slow cooker chicken and pork terrine slices in a pineapple shaped wooden cutting board — *Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine*

Slow cooking is convenient because you can start the slow cooker up, go off and do other things, and several hours later you can come back to a perfectly cooked dish.

When this terrine comes out of the slow cooker, you let it rest with a weight on top to help release any juices and then refrigerate for at least a day to let the terrine reabsorb the juices.

Although it may sound complicated, terrines are easy to prepare and come out perfect nearly every time. Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine is easy to make and a great looking dish. Because it’s wrapped in bacon you really can’t see the laters of this terrine until you slice it, but once cut you can see the light layer of chicken, the squares of spam bacon in the middle, and the darker layer of pork on top. The cream helps the meat bond and form properly and the herbs add color and taste. So even though this dish is easy to prepare, the complexities, varying textures and tastes of the different layers, and the beautiful bacon wrapping make this an aesthetically pleasing and surprisingly complex dish.

Try making it for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine

Looking for an alternative to plain old meatloaf? This slow cooked terrine may be exactly what you are looking for. Two layers of ground meat mixtures with a layer of solid meat sandwiched between creates a beautiful and fancy alternative to everyday meatloaf. Like other terrines, this one will need to sit for a day after cooking, but some things are just worth the wait!

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
28 hours	4-5 hours	Serves 8

PREP	28 hours
COOKING	4-5 hours
YIELD	Serves 8

Ingredients:

3/4 lb ground chicken
3/4 lb ground pork
1/2 can Spam Bacon, cut into strips. (Don’t care for Spam? Chicken or Smoked Duck breast also works.)
1/4 lb bacon strips
4 TBSPs fresh cream
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 TBSP fresh Chopped Thyme
3 sprigs of fresh chopped Italian Parsley
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 package of dry onion soup mix

Slow Cooker Chicken and Pork Terrine ingredient board

Instructions:

Line a terrine pan with plastic wrap and leave enough wrap hanging over the sides to completely wrap the terrine when complete.
Line the pan with strips of bacon alternating so that every other strip hangs over each side of the terrine pan.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley and thyme so it is laying over the bacon on the bottom of the pan.

Plastic wrap, bacon and herbs in a terrine pan

Combine ground chicken, 2 TBSPS cream, and onion soup mix. Mix with a wooden spoon until completely combined.
Spread the chicken on the bottom of the terrine pan. Even it out.
Lay the Spam strips lengthwise over the chicken.
Combine the ground pork, the remaining cream, minced shallot, salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until completely combined.
Spread the pork mixture over the chicken and spam and even out the top.

Terrine layered in the pan

Wrap the bacon around the terrine to be sure the top is completely covered by a layer of bacon.
Wrap the plastic wrap around the bacon to ensure the terrine is fully wrapped.
Place a ring or Jar lid on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place the terrine on the jar lid to slightly elevate it, and then add boiling water, being careful not to get water into the terrine. Fill with water until the terrine is immersed 3/4 of the way.

Terrine sitting on a ring in the slow cooker, partially immersed in boiling hot water

Turn the slow cooker up to low and cover. Cool the terrine for around 4 hours until the terrine reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Once the terrine has cooked, carefully remove the terrine pan from the slow cooker.
Place a weight on top of the terrine and allow it to sit for 1 hour to release and liquids.

Terrine with a 2 kg weight

Cover the terrine and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Remove the terrine from the pan and slice thin to serve.

Sliced terrine on a cutting board

Notes:

Looking for a nice condiment? Try this easy gravy recipe. Sauté two tablespoons of butter in a frypan over medium heat. Add in a quarter cup of flour and 1/2 tsp of white pepper and stir to create a thick and bubbly roux. Gradually stir in two cups of chicken stock whole continuously stirring to thicken. Serve hot with the terrine.
This terrine can be served cold, hot, or at room temperature.
Don’t care for Spam products? Use strips of fresh chicken or duck breast in its place!
Refrigerate leftovers for up to three days or freeze.

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.

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