11 Epicly Delicious Crockpot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is best cooked in a slow cooker? ›

For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in. It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one.

The pot of the slow cooker usually sits on a base that houses the heating element on the bottom, while Crockpots have their pots inside of a container (or crock) and get heating from all sides. Therefore, slow cookers heat up slower than crockpots, with the heat level higher on the bottom of the pot.

Place dense vegetables in crock pot first, such as carrots and potatoes, since they take longer than meats to cook. Dry beans can be cooked in the crock pot by following these simple guidelines: Precook beans in the slow cooker overnight with just enough water to cover, then drain.

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

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.

A pressure cooker can cook the same types of delicious recipes that a slow cooker can and so much more, but cook them substantially faster (click for pressure cooker recipes).

Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used. 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.

Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top. Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models).

What is the best meat to put in a Crockpot? ›

Ground meat should always be browned in a skillet and drained before adding it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. This process prevents it from clumping together as it cooks and cuts down on the amount of grease in the final dish.

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.

Raw Meat. Technically you can cook raw meat in a slow cooker, but it's tricky and requires a bit of preparation in order for it to be really worth it. If you simply pop some raw meat in your slow cooker, it won't have a chance to brown, which adds some much-needed flavor and cuts down on plenty of unappealing grease.

Slow cookers allow you to prepare meals in advance and have them ready when you get home. Simply add your ingredients in the morning, set the timer, and come home to a hot, delicious meal that makes your kitchen smell unbelievable.

Unlike slow cooking in the oven which produces rich complex flavour, slow cookers degrade flavour as the food steams in its juices without any evaporation. If you aren't careful the resulting dish will be bland or may have bitter notes.