5 Need-to-Know Slow Cooker Tips

A slow cooker is one of the most valuable kitchen appliances you can invest in for your cooking life. Slow cooked meals allow you to prep dinner in advance with very little effort, resulting in a delicious hot meal at the end of the day that takes the minimum amount of time to make! It’s a win win.

There are many slow cookers on the market, some of which can cost upwards of $200. Our advice? Don’t waste your cash on those models. A simple slow cooker for $30-$50 found at Target or even your local hardware store will absolutely do the trick.

Make meal prep easy by keeping these need-to-know tips in mind for the best slow cooked meals.

1. Choose the right type of meat.
   Slow cooking is not the time to use meats that are easily prone to drying out, like pork tenderloin or lean beef. The best and most flavorful options will be well-marbled, allowing the fat to slowly release throughout the extended cooking time for a juicy end result. This is a great time to use cuts like chuck roast, pork shoulder, and chicken thighs. Trim any excess fat if you’d like but leave enough to add flavor to the meal.
   
   

2. Don’t overfill your cooker.
   There’s nothing worse than walking through the door at the end of the day and finding half your dinner has bubbled up through the lid and over the sides of your slow cooker! Because slow cookers operate best at just half to three-quarters full, be sure to choose one that is big enough for whatever you plan to cook while allowing for that extra bit of space at the top.
   
   

3. Cut your veggies uniform in size.
   If you don’t chop your veggies into similar sizes, they’ll likely cook at different rates. This could result in, for example, a beef stew with mushy potatoes and rock hard carrots. Not good! Be intentional about uniformly chopping your veggies to ensure even cooking time and perfect texture in your finished dish.
   
   

4. Resist the urge to peek.
   Every time you open the lid of your slow cooker, heat will escape and the cooking temperature of the food will be brought down. This means your meal will take longer to cook. Opening the lid also releases important steam that is sometimes necessary for meats to properly tenderize and remain juicy. Resist the temptation to open the lid until the end when you’re checking the doneness of the dish.
   
   

5. Save dairy for the end.
   If adding dairy to your dish, save it until the end. For example, stir milk or cream into a soup within 5 minutes before serving just so it heats up but doesn’t curdle. Sprinkle a dish with cheese in the last 5-10 minutes and cover the cooker just to melt it, not turn it into a rubbery or burned mess.
   

Give yourself a helping hand in the kitchen and put your slow cooker to work!