Slow cookers are a convenient way to prepare hearty, delicious meals with minimal effort. Simply throw your ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to a house filled with mouth-watering aromas and a ready-to-eat dinner. But while most foods turn out perfectly cooked and tender after a day in the slow cooker, there are some ingredients that should be avoided or used with caution.
Meats that should be pre-cooked
Most raw meats benefit greatly from slow cooking and become fall-off-the-bone tender. However, there are a few types of meat that should be partially cooked before putting them in the slow cooker:
- Chicken breasts – Chicken breasts should be seared or baked for 15-20 minutes on each side before placing in the slow cooker. This helps them cook evenly and prevents them from becoming overly dry and stringy.
- Pork chops – Quickly pan frying or broiling pork chops before slow cooking gives them a nice browned exterior. Be careful not to overcook them initially.
- Sausages – Fresh sausages like Italian or breakfast sausage should be browned beforehand to render excess fat and achieve the best texture.
- Bacon – Partially cooking bacon prevents it from becoming rubbery in the slow cooker. Fry for 2-3 minutes until just starting to crisp but still flexible.
Pre-cooking these leaner meats ensures they reach a safe internal temperature and prevents them from drying out over the long cook time. Be sure not to overcook at the beginning, as they will continue cooking for hours in the slow cooker.
Seafood should be avoided
In general, seafood is not well-suited for slow cooking. The moist environment and lengthy cook time will cause delicate fish and shellfish to overcook and become rubbery. Lean fish like cod and halibut are especially prone to drying out. Here are some types of seafood that should be avoided in the slow cooker:
- Shrimp – Shrimp toughens up when cooked too long. It’s best reserved for quick-cooking recipes.
- Scallops – These tender morsels are easy to overcook. They’ll turn out much better with a quick sear in a hot pan or grill.
- Squid and octopus – Slow cooking makes these chewy to begin with mollusks unpalatable and rubbery.
- Clams, mussels, and oysters – These are best steamed until their shells open, rather than braised for hours in the slow cooker.
- Fresh or lean fish – Fish like cod, tilapia, and halibut don’t hold up well to moist heat over many hours.
The ocean bounty is delicate and cooks quickly. For best results, add seafood to the slow cooker only during the last 30 minutes to 1 hour of cooking time to gently heat through without overcooking.
Dairy products may curdle and separate
Milk, cream, sour cream, and cheese tend to break down during extended cooking, curdling as the proteins separate from the fats. This can result in an unpleasant texture. There are a few ways to combat this problem:
- Stir in dairy at the end – Add milk, cream, and soft cheeses like ricotta and goat cheese only during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. This prevents curdling.
- Use evaporated milk – Evaporated milk is shelf-stable and won’t curdle as readily when simmered for hours.
- Thicken with a roux – Make a quick roux by cooking equal parts butter and flour before adding milk. This stabilizes the dairy.
- Shred hard cheeses – Hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are less likely to curdle. Shred or cut into cubes just before adding.
When adding any kind of dairy product to the slow cooker, stir occasionally to distribute it evenly and prevent sticking or burning on the bottom as it heats through.
Pasta and rice require special care
Dried pasta and rice need absorbing liquid to cook properly. But adding them directly to the slow cooker can lead to mushy, overcooked results. Here are some tips for successfully cooking grains:
- Cook pasta al dente first – Boil pasta 2 minutes less than the package directs, then add to soups and sauces in the last 30 minutes.
- Use pastas with lots of ridges or shapes to hold sauce.
- Add rice mid-way through cooking – For most dishes, rice can be added about halfway through.
- Use instant rice varieties – These cook more evenly in the moist heat of the slow cooker.
- Use pasta sauces with care – Tomato-based sauces may burn and stick to the bottom over long cooking.
When layering rice or pasta in the slow cooker, put them on top of solid ingredients like vegetables. This prevents them from ending up overcooked and mushy on the bottom.
Some vegetables require different treatment
In general, sturdy vegetables that take well to braising are perfect for the slow cooker. However, more delicate vegetables require some special handling. Follow these tips when adding veggies:
- Cut vegetables uniformly – Cut all veggies in your dish to around the same size for even cooking.
- Place delicate veggies on top – Arrange quick-cooking veggies like spinach, peas, and zucchini on top to add later in the cooking time.
- Parboil potatoes – Partially boiling potatoes before adding prevents them from disintegrating in stews and chilis.
- Sear eggplant before cooking – Salting and sautéing eggplant first prevents it from turning mushy.
- Reduce liquid for crisper veggies – Less braising liquid leaves carrots, onions, and celery with a pleasant crunch.
Proper preparation and placement in the slow cooker keeps vegetables from becoming mushy victims. With the right techniques, they’ll retain their shape and texture beautifully.
Desserts require some adjustments
While the slow cooker shines at cooking meats, beans, and stews, its gentle heat also lends itself nicely to desserts. However, classic baking recipes don’t always directly translate. Here are some useful tips:
- Reduce liquid – More moisture is needed to prevent burning in savory dishes, but can make desserts mushy.
- Use a shallow baking dish – Place cakes, cobblers, and custards in a ceramic or glass dish inside the slow cooker insert.
- Look for recipes developed for slow cookers – These will have added leaveners, enough fat, more eggs, etc.
- Check sooner – Desserts cook faster than main dishes. Check for doneness at least 30 minutes before the full time.
- Add a foil sling – Use aluminum foil handles on baking dishes to easily lift out for serving.
With a few tweaks and the right recipe, the slow cooker does double duty and can turn out phenomenal sweets.
Other things to avoid
Aside from the specific ingredients above, there are a few other things that should be used sparingly or avoided entirely in the slow cooker:
- Lots of liquid – Excess liquid in the slow cooker prevents food from browning and intensifies flavors in a bad way.
- Too much salt and acidic ingredients – Many hours of cooking concentrates flavors, so go light on salty and acidic items like soy sauce, tomatoes, and citrus juice.
- Thickening agents – Roux, corn starch, and flour should be added at the end to avoid over-thickening the dish.
- Frozen meats – Placing frozen items in the slow cooker can dramatically increase cook times and lead to unsafe temperatures.
- Large pieces of meat – Larger roasts and whole birds don’t cook evenly. It’s better to cut them into smaller chunks before cooking.
Getting to know which ingredients work well in the slow cooker and which don’t allows you to make the most of this handy countertop workhorse. With the proper techniques, you can craft everything from short ribs to chocolate cake to perfection.
Tips for modifying traditional recipes
Many favorite family recipes weren’t originally intended for the slow cooker. However, with a few minor adjustments, you can successfully adapt conventional recipes. Here are some tips:
- Cut back on liquid slightly – Traditional braising recipes may have too much liquid for the slow cooker.
- Look for shortcuts – Prep steps like browning meat or blooming spices can often be skipped.
- Reduce cook time – Check periodically toward the end of the cook time in case it finishes sooner.
- Keep pieces more uniform – Cut ingredients like meat and vegetables to similar-sized pieces.
- Move veggies to the top – Place root veggies and greens on top of meats to prevent overcooking.
- Be careful with dairy and rice – Stir in tender ingredients in the last 30 minutes to an hour of cooking.
- Check for seasoning – You may need to increase herbs and spices since flavor concentrates.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your old standby recipes in the slow cooker. Monitor as it cooks and adjust cook times or ingredients like salt and seasonings to achieve fantastic results with your favorite dishes.
Common food safety mistakes
While the slow cooker makes cooking super convenient, special care must be taken to use it safely. The moist, low heat environment can cause bacteria to grow rapidly if proper precautions aren’t followed. Avoid these mistakes:
- Adding frozen meat – Always thaw meat completely before cooking.
- Filling too full – Ingredients need room to heat evenly. Don’t overstuff.
- Not browning meat – Searing meat first kills bacteria on the surface.
- Cooking too long on “warm” – After cooking, only keep food on “warm” for a maximum of 2 hours.
- Letting temperature drop – Don’t take off the lid or turn to “warm” until fully cooked through.
- Reheating more than once – Only reheat leftovers in the slow cooker once.
To keep your slow cooker creations safe as well as delicious, be diligent about food handling practices. Wash produce, thaw meat properly, and follow recommended settings and cooking times.
Conclusion
The slow cooker opens up a world of possibilities for hassle-free home cooking. However, not every ingredient plays well in the slow cooker environment. Lean meats, seafood, dairy, pasta, rice, and some vegetables turn out best with special handling. Avoiding excess liquid, properly prepping ingredients, and using smart techniques allows you to turn out amazing slow cooker meals. With a little know-how, you can adapt traditional recipes as well as create your own signature dishes. Mastering which foods to use or avoid in the slow cooker helps ensure you’ll get mouth-watering results every time.
