Discover what cooks best in a slow cooker!

Today, I’d like to talk about my new favorite kitchen gadget – the slow cooker. It’s incredibly convenient and can make a wide variety of dishes. After reading this article, you’ll know exactly what you can cook in a slow cooker!

What Can You Cook in a Slow Cooker?

The slow cooker is a versatile kitchen tool that can make many different kinds of dishes, including meats, soups, porridges, vegetables, and even desserts! Here are some examples:

Meat Dishes

Cooking meats is the slow cooker’s specialty. You can put in cuts like beef brisket, shoulder, pork trotters, lamb legs, chicken legs, and more. The slow cooker turns these tougher cuts into tender, juicy meats with rich, flavorful broths. Dishes like braised beef, red-braised pork, and chicken soups benefit greatly from slow cooking, which allows the fats and flavors of the meat to fully develop.

Soups

The slow cooker is also perfect for soups. You can easily make vegetable soup, chicken soup, beef broth, bone broth, and more. Simply add your ingredients and water, and let it cook slowly on low heat for hours. The result is a deeply flavorful soup, with tender meat and rich broth.

If you like to add herbs or bones, the slow cooker can also help you make a delicious stock with minimal effort.

Stews and Braised Dishes

The slow cooker is great for stews, such as red-braised eggplant, tomato-braised potatoes, and winter melon stews. Vegetables cooked for long periods in the slow cooker not only taste better but also retain their nutrients.

Desserts

Did you know you can also make desserts in a slow cooker? Slow cooker pudding, apple pie, chocolate cake, and more can all be made in it. The slow cooker’s low and even heat creates moist and soft desserts that are just perfect.

Beans and Grains

The slow cooker is excellent for cooking beans and grains like red beans, mung beans, soybeans, and oats. These ingredients cook to a soft, creamy consistency, making them ideal for dishes like soy milk, bean soups, or multigrain porridge.

Can I Put Raw Meat in the Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can place raw meat directly into the slow cooker, whether it’s beef, pork, lamb, or chicken.

However, to enhance the flavor, it's a good idea to prepare the meat before cooking. For example, cut the meat into appropriate sizes to help it absorb the seasoning. You can also add some herbs or vegetables to enrich the flavor as it cooks.

For fish, since fish meat is delicate, I recommend cutting it into fillets or chunks before cooking. Fish needs less time to cook than other meats, so be sure to adjust the cooking time to avoid overcooking it.

Things to Keep in Mind

When cooking raw meat, make sure to add enough liquid, such as water, broth, or cooking wine. This will ensure the meat cooks evenly and doesn’t dry out.

Cooking times depend on the type and amount of meat, so here’s a general guide:

For red meat: 3 to 5 hours on low heat

For chicken: 2 to 3 hours on low heat

For fish: 1 to 2 hours on low heat

Is there anything you cannot cook in a slow cooker?

Some ingredients are not suited for slow cooking, including:

Rice and Pasta

Starchy foods like rice and pasta can turn mushy when cooked for long periods. It’s best to add rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking, and cook pasta separately before adding it in.

Seafood

Seafood cooks quickly and can become tough or rubbery in the slow cooker. It’s best to add seafood in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Dairy Products

Milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products can curdle in the slow cooker if cooked too long. If you need to add dairy, do so in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking.

Eggs

Eggs don’t do well with long slow cooking and will become hard and rubbery. If you want to cook eggs, it’s better to use another method, like boiling.

What can I use if I don't have a slow cooker?

Don’t have a slow cooker? Don’t worry! There are several kitchen tools that can work as good substitutes:

Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Pot

A Dutch oven or cast iron pot is an excellent alternative to a slow cooker. You can slow-cook your food on low heat for hours. Just make sure to tightly cover the pot to prevent moisture from escaping.

Compared to a slow cooker, these pots have better heat conduction, which helps cook food evenly and results in delicious dishes.

Electric Pressure Cooker

Many households now have an electric pressure cooker, which is another great substitute for a slow cooker. It can pressure cook food, but also has a slow cook function to simulate a slow cooker’s effects. You can use it for meats, soups, stews, and more.

Traditional Clay Pot (Sand Pot)

A traditional clay pot or sand pot retains heat very well, keeping the food’s natural flavors intact. Like the slow cooker, you can simmer your ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Rice Cooker

Many modern rice cookers have slow-cook or soup-making functions, making them a perfect replacement for a slow cooker. Rice cookers are great at retaining nutrients and flavors, and they’re simple to use, making them ideal for beginners.

Oven

If you have an oven, you can use it to simulate slow cooking. Set the temperature to low (around 150-160°C / 300-320°F), place your food in an oven-safe dish, and seal it tightly.

The cooking time might be a bit shorter, but the result is still excellent, especially for meats and poultry.

Can I Put Frozen Meat in the Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can put frozen meat in the slow cooker.

The slow cooker heats slowly, which allows the frozen meat to thaw and cook at a steady pace. However, cooking frozen meat will add an extra 1 to 2 hours to the usual cooking time, depending on the size and thickness of the meat.

If the frozen meat is very large, it’s best to partially thaw it in the fridge before placing it in the slow cooker. This helps ensure even cooking and prevents overworking the slow cooker.

But be careful with pre-marinated frozen meats, as the seasoning may not distribute evenly during the thawing process, which could affect the flavor. In such cases, it's best to thaw the meat, rinse it briefly, or adjust the seasoning before putting it into the slow cooker.

What are some of the mistakes people make using a slow cooker?

Using Too Much Liquid

When cooking in a slow cooker, don’t add too much liquid. Slow cookers release steam during cooking, so there’s no need to add large amounts of water or broth. In fact, adding too much liquid can make your dish too watery. I find that covering the ingredients with just half to two-thirds of the liquid is enough, especially for meats, as they release their own juices.

Cutting Ingredients Too Small or Too Large

The size of your ingredients matters. Cutting them too small can cause them to break down too early, affecting texture. Cutting them too large may mean they’ll take longer to cook, and may not cook through properly. I recommend cutting ingredients into medium-sized pieces (about 2-3 cm / 1 inch) to ensure even cooking.

Wrong Order of Adding Ingredients

Some people throw all their ingredients into the slow cooker at once, but the order in which you add them matters. Harder ingredients, like root vegetables and meats, should go in first so they can absorb the flavors. Softer ingredients, like onions and garlic, should be added later to prevent them from turning mushy.

Cooking for Too Long or Too Short

The charm of a slow cooker is the "low and slow" cooking method, but cooking for too long can turn food mushy and unpleasant. Cooking for too short a time may leave the ingredients undercooked. For low heat, aim for 4 to 8 hours of cooking time; for high heat, 2 to 4 hours. Adjust the time based on the ingredients you're using.

Opening the Lid Too Frequently

Every time you open the lid of the slow cooker, steam escapes, which prolongs cooking time. Try to limit the number of times you open the lid, and once the ingredients are in, let them cook undisturbed.

Neglecting to Pre-Treat Ingredients

For some meats, especially those with skin (like chicken legs or pork shoulder), it’s a good idea to brown them first in a skillet. This helps lock in juices and enhances the flavor. Marinating ingredients in advance also adds more depth of flavor.

Overloading the Slow Cooker

While the slow cooker is perfect for large meals, overloading it can lead to uneven cooking. Try not to fill the slow cooker more than two-thirds full, allowing enough space for heat to circulate evenly.

Using Frozen Ingredients Without Thawing

It’s not recommended to put frozen ingredients directly into a slow cooker, as this can cause the slow cooker to heat up too slowly, increasing the risk of bacterial growth. I usually thaw meat or other ingredients ahead of time to ensure an even and safe cooking process.