Learning how to use a slow cooker for the first time can truly transform the way you approach home cooking, whether you enjoy meat recipes, pescetarian dishes or vegetarian meals. A crockpot slow cooker makes it easy to prepare dishes in advance with minimal hands-on time in the kitchen. This guide covers the basics every home cook needs when following slow cooker recipes, including settings, cooking times and simple tips for getting started.
How does a slow cooker work?
Slow cookers use an electrical heating element to heat food gently over several hours. Slow cooker settings typically include low and high, with some models also offering a medium setting, allowing you to adjust the cooking time to suit the recipe. The gentle heat gives ingredients plenty of time to soften and the flavours to mingle. A good recipe to adapt for crockpot cooking is one with a variety of ingredients, like this creamy leek and pulled chicken potato-topped pie. Slow cookers also have a very close-fitting lid that's designed to trap steam inside, where it condenses and returns moisture to the dish as it cooks.
Choosing the right ingredients
Most of the ingredients in your food box that you'd normally cook in the oven can also work well in a slow cooker. When learning how to use a slow cooker for meat, cuts that stay tender during long cooking are usually the best choice. Chicken thighs, for example, tend to work better than lean chicken breasts, while tougher cuts of beef, lamb and pork can become beautifully tender after several hours.
Most vegetables are also ideal for slow cooking, especially root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Pulses work well, too. Rice and pasta can become too soft if they're cooked for several hours, so they're often better added later or prepared separately.
Step 1: Preparing the ingredients
Chop vegetables into fairly large pieces so they hold their shape during cooking. If the recipe calls for it, brown the meat first to add extra flavour. You can trim away excess fat, but there's usually no need to remove every bit. Add stock, wine or water as needed, along with any herbs and seasonings you want to cook into the dish.
Step 2: Using the slow cooker
Aim to fill the slow cooker somewhere between half and three-quarters full so there's enough room for everything to cook evenly. Recipes such as this quick ginger chicken stew can also be adapted for slow cooking by adjusting the liquid and following suitable slow cooker cooking times for the ingredients you're using.
Quick-cooking ingredients, such as peas and some dairy products, are usually best added towards the end so they don't overcook or split. Replace the lid as soon as possible after adding them to keep the heat inside.
Step 3: Finishing and serving
Before serving, check that meat or fish is fully cooked, using a kitchen thermometer where appropriate. Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if needed. Slow cookers can sometimes leave you with a thinner sauce, but this is easy to fix with a little cornflour slurry or by reducing the sauce separately.
Serve straight away, or cool leftovers and refrigerate them for later. Many slow-cooked dishes also reheat well in the microwave, making them useful for preparing meals ahead of time.
Slow cooker tips and common mistakes
When learning how to use a slow cooker at home, a few simple tips can help you get better results:
- Cook meat with a reasonably high fat content to avoid drying out. Pulled pork recipes, for example, are often excellent for slow cookers.
- Don't add too much liquid, as very little moisture escapes from a slow cooker. Start with less than you think you need and add more later if necessary.
- Put ingredients that take longer to cook, such as root vegetables, at the bottom of the slow cooker where they get the most heat.
- If you're using the low setting, make sure you allow enough time for everything to cook through and become tender.
Once you've got the basics down, slow cooking is mostly about giving the ingredients enough time and resisting the urge to lift the lid too often. With a little practice, it becomes an easy way to prepare tender, flavourful meals with very little hands-on cooking.
How to use a slow cooker FAQs
How does a slow cooker work?
A slow cooker uses gentle, steady heat to cook food over several hours. The close-fitting lid traps steam and moisture inside, helping ingredients stay tender as they cook. This makes slow cookers particularly useful for dishes such as this tasty BBQ pulled pork bowl, which can be adapted for slow cooking.
What foods should not be cooked in a slow cooker?
Very lean meat and delicate seafood can dry out if they're cooked for too long. Pasta, rice and other starchy ingredients may become mushy, while some dairy products can split. These ingredients are often better added towards the end of the cooking time.
Should you fill a slow cooker to the top?
No. Most how to cook guides recommend filling a slow cooker between half and three-quarters full. This gives the ingredients enough room to cook evenly and helps prevent the pot from overflowing as the food heats up.
Is it better to slow cook on a low or high setting?
Both settings can work well, depending on the recipe and how much time you have. The low setting is useful when you want food to cook gently over several hours, while high can be handy when you need the dish ready sooner.
Can you leave a slow cooker on overnight?
Yes, many slow cooker recipes are designed to cook for around eight hours or longer. If you're cooking overnight, follow the recipe and your slow cooker's instructions, and make sure the appliance is placed safely on a clear, heat-resistant surface.