Ridiculously Easy Crock Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can I just throw a bunch of ingredients in the Crockpot? ›

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.

Information. It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Opt for a heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid, like a Staub or Le Creuset Dutch oven, to mimic the moisture retention of a slow cooker.

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level.

Meat that is over-cooked, even if it's submerged in liquid, will eventually dry-out, and get tough, and different cuts of meat cook differently. There are a few reasons for that. Not having enough liquid in the pot can do it. A poor cut of meat can result in toughness as well.

You certainly can add raw ground beef to the crockpot. As a matter of fact, many (if not most) slow-cooker chili recipes ask for the meat to be added raw.

Raw Meat. "Raw meat is a slow-cooker staple, but you may need to add it to the pot before adding other ingredients like green vegetables," she shared.

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.

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"Sounds hard to believe, but it is possible to put a whole frozen chicken in the crock pot and have dinner in about 7-8 hours.

When should you not use frozen chicken? ›

Per FSIS-USDA guidelines, if kept frozen continuously, chicken will be safe indefinitely, so after freezing, it's not important if any package dates expire. For best quality, taste and texture, keep whole raw chicken in the freezer up to one year; parts, 9 months; and giblets or ground chicken, 3 to 4 months.

An instant pot might be a nice upgrade. Do you cook a lot of things that normally braise in the oven or cook on the stovetop for a long time? They cook much, much faster in a pressure cooker. That's really it's biggest advantage over a crock pot, it's much much faster.

A crockpot inset can be used in the oven because they are made of ceramic that can take temperatures up to 400 degrees. The glass lids are not useable in the oven, however. Aluminum foil could be used to cover the pot.

Avoid overcrowding: For the best results, fill a slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full. Go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly on top. Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat.

This is because slow cookers cook food at a lower temperature than other methods, such as stovetop cooking. This means that it takes longer for the food to reach the correct temperature, which can cause the food to overcook and become burnt.

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.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “are slow cookers safe to use overnight or unattended?”, and the answer is- yes!