9 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker

Home cooked meals are one of earth's greatest pleasures but it's a busy world and there isn't often a lot of time to spend making such meals especially if you lead a busy life. That is where slow cookers come in. They can be your best friend as a busy person, allowing you access to a lovely stew or curry without having to do too much prep or spending too long in the kitchen.

There is little doubt that slow cookers are great innovations however food experts urge food lovers to avoid trying to cook some foods in them.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker?

Below is a list of items you should avoid cooking in a slow cooker if you want the best results:

Raw Meat

You can cook raw meat in a slow cooker, however it’s tricky and requires quite a bit of preparation to make it really worth it. Simply throwing some raw meat in a slow cooker won't work as it won’t have a chance to brown. The browning adds some flavor and reduces plenty of grease.

Seafood

Seafood, like fish, mollusks, lobsters, crabs, oysters, clams, and mussels, cook quickly, which makes them a bad match for the slow cooker. If you try to cook them with it, they can be rendered inedible. This can happen if they’re cooked for even a minute too long so it is best to use a different cooking method when it comes to most seafood.

Pasta

Pasta is also another quick-cooking food that you'll be better suited boiling on the stovetop or baked in the oven than prepared in the slow cooker. Rather than pasta, pasta sauces, particularly those that need longer cooking time, can be prepared in the slow cooker.

Rice

Rice cooks fast as well and if overcooked, it congeals and loses its texture, so the slow cooker isn’t the best option. It is more advisable to cook your rice on the stovetop, or with a rice cooker.

Some Vegetables

Slow cookers are perfect when it comes to doing things like tenderizing tough cuts of meat, preparing a stew, or putting together a flavorful bowl of chili. However they suck at cooking delicate vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, and peas. When cooked for long periods of time, these veggies become mushy and may even lose some of their nutrients. If you must cook vegetables in a slow cooker, it's best to go for sturdier vegetables like carrots and potatoes.

Dairy

If added to a slow cooker, dairy products curdle as they are exposed to a high amount of heat over a long period of time. If you are preparing a dish that requires a dairy product, mix it in after the food is fully cooked.

Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs like basil have a delicate structure that is easily broken down in a slow cooker. To retain the fresh qualities of such herbs, add them just before the food is fully cooked or just after you have plated it.

Bacon

If you want the signature crispiness that we all love bacon for, then don’t cook it in a slow cooker as it will only end up with a chewy texture.

Wine and other liquor

Liquour is a common ingredient in savory dishes but they are not fit for slow cooker recipes. As the slow cooker is sealed, the alcohol is unable to escape and evaporate, resulting in a dish that retains an unpleasant taste.

Can you put meat straight in a slow cooker?

Yes.

But before you do it, the USDA's Slow Cookers and Food Safety guidelines advise you to always thaw the meat before putting it in a slow cooker. They also recommend storing the thawed meat in the refrigerator before adding it in.

Summary

Slow cookers are great appliances but they don't work for every food item. Pay attention to foods that need short cooking times as they are the worst options you can use your slow cooker to prepare.