There's nothing quite like a home cooked meal, but between work, childcare and household chores, it can be hard to find the time to put a delicious dish on the table every night. A slow cooker is a busy person's best friend, allowing you to come home to a lovely stew or curry without having to do too much prep or spending too long in the kitchen.
But while a slow cooker is a versatile kitchen gadget, it can't be used for everything! To avoid a culinary crisis, we've put together our list of 11 foods you shouldn't put in a slow cooker.
Foods you shouldn't put in a slow cooker
1. Lean meats
While slow cooking turns tougher, sinewy joints of meat (think beef shin, oxtail, pork shoulder) into tender morsels, lean cuts (chicken breast, pork fillet, fillet steak) cook down to tough leather. It’s better to leave these pieces of meat for frying or grilling.
2. Raw meat
A crockpot’s gentle heat means meat will never get a chance to brown, but it’s the golden colour from frying that gives it depth of flavour. If you don’t want your stew to taste bland, brown the meat first, then put it in the slow cooker.
3. Too much liquid
Slow cookers are excellent at retaining their moisture, so pouring in too much stock or water will mean your casserole tastes insipid.
If you’re using a stew recipe that wasn’t written for the slow cooker (and please do – it’s a great idea!), reduce the liquid quantity by roughly half. You can always top it up during the cooking time if it looks dry.
4. Delicate vegetables
Long cooking is great for softening hard root veg, but it's a brutal treatment for delicate vegetables like courgettes, asparagus and peas, and will render them mushy. Wait until the end of the cooking time to add them in.
5. Too much spice
Resist temptation to get silly with the chillies — fiery ingredients become increasingly hotter the longer they’re cooked, so only sprinkle them in at the beginning if you can take the heat! For everyone else, it’s best to stir them in at the last minute.
6. Dairy
Prolonged cooking of dairy products causes them to separate. Adding milk, cream or yogurt to crockpots at the beginning of cooking is a sure-fire way to wind-up with a grainy, watery mess at the end. Stir it in once the recipe has finished cooking.
7. Too much booze
As mentioned before, slow cookers don’t evaporate much liquid, so putting large glugs of wine or beer straight into to your crockpot is not a great idea.
Alcohol needs to evaporate a little to taste appealing and not acrid, so try reducing it in a separate pan on the hob first.
8. Meat that has the skin on
Skin-on cuts of meat need the dry heat of roasting or grilling to crisp up. Cook them in a crockpot and you’ll end up picking unappetising, flubbery bits of skin out of your casserole.
9. Soft fresh herbs
Unless you’re using woody herbs like rosemary or thyme (and if you use these, use them sparingly as they’re potent), cooking soft herbs like basil or coriander for too long will obliterate their delightful fragrant properties. Stir them in just before serving.
10. Seafood
Just like lean cuts of meat, fish and shellfish need to be cooked for a very short time or risk being destroyed. The only exceptions are squid and octopus, which can benefit from a slow braise to tenderise them to perfection.
11. Pasta and rice
It might seem like a time-saver to bung these staple ingredients in with your slow cooker stew, but doing so will turn your hard work into a gloopy, congealed mess — they’re too starchy and cook too quickly.
It’s wiser to cook pasta and rice separately once your dish is close to being done, and serve them alongside.
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FAQs
Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.
What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›
10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
- Raw Meat.
- Seafood.
- Pasta.
- Rice.
- Delicate Vegetables.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
- Dairy.
- Wine and Other Liquor.
Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.
What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›
What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? Slow cookers only apply heat to the bottom of the crock, which cuts down on their ability to reduce liquids and brown foods, and develop flavor the same way a Dutch oven or pressure cooker can.
What's the difference between slow cooker and Crockpot? ›
A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.
What happens if you don't brown meat before a slow cooker? ›
Browning Is Better
And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.
Why put paper towel under crockpot lid? ›
The paper towel will absorb excess moisture and prevent any condensation from dripping back onto the food. Be sure to reach for a good-quality, sturdy paper towel that can absorb moisture effectively without falling apart.
Why put tea towels on a slow cooker? ›
Try putting a tea towel over the top of the slow cooker before replacing the lid. This absorbs the excess moisture, thickening the dish and deepening its flavours. The cloth can be replaced with a fresh one when needed, but usually one tea towel during the final couple of hours will do the trick.
Can I leave food in a slow cooker overnight off after? ›
Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.
Why are my carrots still hard in the slow cooker? ›
Carrots may remain firm in a slow cooker if they're not cooked long enough or if the temperature is too low. Ensure sufficient cooking time and consider cutting carrots into smaller pieces for even cooking.
If you consistently notice tough beef, Carli says your slow cooker may not be working hard enough. “Try cooking for longer, or at a higher temp,” she advises.
Is it better to slow cook on high or low? ›
Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting. It's safe to cook foods on low the entire time -- if you're leaving for work, for example, and preparation time is limited.
Is it OK to leave house with slow cooker on? ›
Are slow cookers safe to leave on? Yes, it's safe to leave a slow cooker on when you leave the house. The purpose of a slow cooker is to allow you to cook while you aren't home. Slow cookers simmer food slowly, killing bacteria and raising meat to the perfect internal temperature.
What's better than a slow cooker? ›
✔️ Instant Pots are multi-functional.
Many people think that Instant Pots are just electric pressure cookers, but they're actually multi-cookers that cover a wide variety of functions: They slow cook, steam, warm, saute and work as a rice cooker in addition to pressure cooking.
What is the best meat to cook in a slow cooker? ›
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.
Can you just throw everything into a slow cooker? ›
One of the main attractions for many people is the ease of a slow cooker, so when you're looking for recipes, avoid those that suggest a lot of pre-preparation. For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in.
Is it okay to put raw chicken in a slow cooker? ›
Yes, you can put raw chicken in a slow cooker! Slow cookers and Crock-Pots are designed to cook raw meats. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created from the tightly covered container destroys bacteria, making slow cooking safe. You can put frozen chicken in a slow cooker, too!
Can you cook everything in a slow cooker? ›
Information. Most people use a slow cooker for meat, poultry and vegetables, although fruits, desserts, stuffing and oatmeal can also be prepared. All ingredients placed in a slow cooker should be thawed. Choose to make foods with high moisture content such as chili, soup, stew or spaghetti sauce.
Can meat go bad in a slow cooker? ›
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), slow cookers' max temperatures generally reach between 170 and 280 degrees F (77 and 138 degrees C). That's high enough to kill most bad bacteria, but the USDA still recommends thawing all foods completely before placing them in a slow cooker.
