25 Slow Cooker Recipes We'll Be Making All Winter (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to do slow cooker recipes on low or high? ›

Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used. Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting.

Reduce liquid when using a slow cooker

It should just cover the meat and vegetables. Don't overfill your slow cooker, or it may start leaking out the top, and the food won't cook so well. Half to two-thirds full is ideal – certainly no more than three-quarters.

And for solo cooks or families of two, a small slow cooker or a mini slow cooker offers the convenience of the appliance without taking up too much space in the kitchen. “Small slow cookers such as the 1 to 1.5-quart models are a great option for those cooking meals for one,” says Grainer.

Collagen makes meat tough when cooked quickly, but when slow-cooked, it breaks down into gelatin, giving you that juicy, tender mouthfeel. Fattier — and cheaper — cuts of beef can also be good for slow cooking, because the fat helps to ensure the beef won't dry out while adding extra flavour.

✔️ Instant Pots are multi-functional.

Many people think that Instant Pots are just electric pressure cookers, but they're actually multi-cookers that cover a wide variety of functions: They slow cook, steam, warm, saute and work as a rice cooker in addition to pressure cooking.

It all depends what you are cooking if you are cooking soup you could put the cooker on low for 8 to 10 hours if you are cooking meat 10 to 12 hours to 24 hours . Leaving a slow cooker on overnight is generally considered safe as long as it is used properly and in good working condition.

You won't have to eat the same thing forever, but you will get more than one meal out of your cooking session, which is handy for lunches throughout the week or dinners later on. Here are some other bonuses of the mini slow cooker. It takes up very little space. Seriously, it's smaller than a mixing bowl!

What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.