Rice can be tricky because different varieties behave very differently.
Some rice can become overcooked, mushy, or gummy during extended cooking. It can also absorb far more liquid than
expected, changing the consistency of the entire dish.
What to do instead
For many slow-cooker meals, cooking rice separately is the easiest and most reliable approach.
If a recipe specifically calls for rice in the slow cooker, use the variety and timing specified by the recipe rather than simply tossing in whatever rice you have in the cupboard.
6. Delicate Vegetables
Vegetables such as zucchini, peas, spinach, asparagus, and some varieties of fresh mushrooms don’t necessarily need hours of cooking.
After a long stint in the slow cooker, they can become limp, watery, or mushy.
What to do instead
Add delicate vegetables during the final stage of cooking.
For example, frozen peas can often be stirred in during the last few minutes, while spinach can wilt very quickly once added.
Harder vegetables such as carrots and potatoes are much better suited to longer cooking.
7. Bacon
This one surprises people!
You can use bacon in a slow cooker recipe, but putting raw bacon straight into the pot isn’t usually the best way to get that delicious crispy texture we all love.
Instead, bacon can become soft, chewy, and lacking in its characteristic browned flavor.
What to do instead
Cook bacon separately until crisp, then crumble it over your finished slow-cooker dish.
Alternatively, brown it first if the recipe calls for bacon as part of the cooking base.
That little bit of extra effort? Totally worth it.
8. Large Amounts of Frozen Meat
Here’s an important one: don’t rely on a slow cooker to safely cook a large block of frozen meat from frozen.
A slow cooker heats gradually, so a large frozen piece of meat can spend too long in temperatures where bacteria can multiply.
What to do instead
Thaw meat safely in the refrigerator before putting it into the
slow cooker.
Also, avoid placing a huge frozen mass of meat into the cooker and assuming that several hours will automatically make it safe.
Food safety should always come before convenience!
9. Wine and Other Alcohol
Wine is delicious in slow-cooked dishes—but adding a large amount at the beginning isn’t always ideal.
Because a slow cooker is covered, less liquid evaporates than it would during conventional stovetop cooking. That means the alcohol and flavors can behave differently than they would in an uncovered pot.
Too much wine can also leave a dish tasting harsh or overly acidic.
What to do instead
Use the amount specified in a tested recipe. For extra depth, you can also reduce wine separately before adding it to the dish.
A little wine can be wonderful. A swimming pool of wine? Probably not so much!
10. Quick-Cooking Greens
Spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, and other tender greens
don’t need hours of cooking.
Long cooking can turn them into dark, wilted, overcooked greens and can make them lose the fresh character you’re looking for.
What to do instead
Add tender greens toward the end of cooking—often just long enough for them to wilt.
Heartier greens such as kale and collard greens can tolerate longer cooking, although the recipe and desired texture still matter.
11. Ingredients That Need Browning
Technically, meat and vegetables can cook perfectly well in a slow cooker without browning first. But if you’re expecting a beautifully browned, deeply savory result, simply dropping everything into the slow cooker won’t give you the same flavor.
Browning creates additional flavor through the Maillard reaction, something that doesn’t happen in the same way in a moist slow-cooker environment.
What to do instead
Brown beef, chicken, sausage, or vegetables in a skillet first when the recipe calls for it.
It’s
one extra step, but that golden-brown crust can add a surprising amount of flavor.
And yes, I know—”but the whole point of a slow cooker is doing less work!” I hear you. 😂
But for certain recipes, those extra few minutes are absolutely worth it.
Ingredients That Are Perfect for a Slow Cooker
Now that we’ve talked about what to avoid, let’s give the slow cooker some credit!
It’s fantastic for foods that benefit from gentle, extended cooking, including:
Beef chuck and other tough cuts of beef
Pork shoulder
Chicken thighs
Dried beans that have been prepared according to safe cooking guidance
Lentils
Root vegetables
Stews
Soups
Chilis
Pulled pork
Braised dishes
7
How to Get Better Results From Your Slow Cooker
Don’t Overfill the Cooker
A slow cooker generally works best when filled according to the manufacturer’s recommended range. Overfilling can interfere with proper heating and cooking.
Don’t Keep
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