How can crockpot recipes taste good?

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tomatoey
tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
edited December 2014 in Recipes
This is super flammable, I'm sorry in advance.

With ordinary cooking, timing and temperature and all the rest of the bag of tricks make a HUGE impact on flavour and texture.

I honestly do not see how putting a raw onion in with a frozen chicken and a can of soup and cooking that for 8 hours can taste good.

Even the foodies at Chowhound don't know what to do with it (see e.g. threads like "Why do my slow cooker recipes always taste bad?").

(I am genuinely curious)

Flame away!
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Replies

  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I love the slow cooker for certain things...like pulled pork, copy of Chipotle's Barbacoa Beef, soups, stews, I have a cheeseburger meatloaf recipe that comes out good, bone broth, shredded chicken for other recipes...It will not brown most things, and will not crisp anything. Keeping that in mind there's a lot of great things you can do in it.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    Well, for starters, don't use frozen meat.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I do a lot of pre-cooking when I slow cook, browning the meat, cooking off the onion, garlic, herbs etc and only then do I combine and bung it in to slow cook for a few hours.

    I generally agree that just throwing random raw stuff in and switching it on ends up tasteless, at best. I've tried and yeah, no, though I've not been as bad to go frozen chicken and raw onion, ew.

    So I don't slow cook for convenience, just for that lovely fall-aparty end result after doing all the same prep work.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
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    *shakes head*
    Can't say I've ever thrown a frozen chicken, raw onion and a can of soup in a crockpot together and expected it to taste good...

    What I have done on many times however is combined a selection of ingredients, some prepped and part cooked before hand (such as sausages) and a load of other lovely things, like chopped tomatoes and spices to create an infusion of flavors, sausage casseroles and the likes.

    Crockpot is simply a method of cooking, it isn't a method of preparation, with no preparation you have no meal.. with the correct preparation crocpot or not, your meal should taste good!

    Quick tip for ya, fishing to get flamed at.. it's not a particularly genius idea.. especially on a website designed to help you!
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    Ok, this all makes sense. I was contemplating *maybe* getting a crockpot expressly for convenience, but I think I'd be unhappy with the results if I treated it that way.

    I bet all of you are fab cooks :)
  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
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    I refuse to put my chicken in the crockpot, because I can't make it turn out to be tasty or whole - it always ends up shredded. So I now only use the crockpot for soups and chili :)
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    It's a method of cooking. It depends on what you're putting into the crockpot. One of my favourite recipes, which I make quite frequently, is crockpot red beans and rice with chorizo added. It's fabulous!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    harlequin0318 wrote: »
    I refuse to put my chicken in the crockpot, because I can't make it turn out to be tasty or whole - it always ends up shredded. So I now only use the crockpot for soups and chili :)

    If you put a whole roasting chicken in the crock pot, it's glorious...and you have leftovers!!! (*)

  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
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    jenilla1 wrote: »
    harlequin0318 wrote: »
    I refuse to put my chicken in the crockpot, because I can't make it turn out to be tasty or whole - it always ends up shredded. So I now only use the crockpot for soups and chili :)

    If you put a whole roasting chicken in the crock pot, it's glorious...and you have leftovers!!! (*)

    I've never used a whole chicken! I'm only one person so I wouldn't know what to do with all of that lol
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
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    jenilla1 wrote: »
    harlequin0318 wrote: »
    I refuse to put my chicken in the crockpot, because I can't make it turn out to be tasty or whole - it always ends up shredded. So I now only use the crockpot for soups and chili :)

    If you put a whole roasting chicken in the crock pot, it's glorious...and you have leftovers!!! (*)

    +1

  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
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    I gave up on my Crock Pot years ago. I bought one of those oval roasters. Mine is Nesco Brand. I love it. And you can brown things in it. Yes, do the prep work. You will have good results.
  • TrevaFitzgerald
    TrevaFitzgerald Posts: 4
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    Try "Pass Me The Paleo's Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes" on Amazon
  • Diet_Soda
    Diet_Soda Posts: 124 Member
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    Put a turkey breast in the slow cooker, season as you wish, no water, and cook for 7 hours on low - perfect turkey!
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
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    cblue315 wrote: »
    I gave up on my Crock Pot years ago. I bought one of those oval roasters. Mine is Nesco Brand. I love it. And you can brown things in it. Yes, do the prep work. You will have good results.

    I tend to use a different piece of equipment depending on what I'm cooking.. I seem to have compiled a good range of different kitchen equipment over the past few years. From slow cookers to mini ovens, from george foremans to griddles.. and every prepping thing inbetween. It's something of a hobby.
    My point is, every piece of equipment can reach its full potential if used correctly. On the turn of a coin, if not used right.. you might as well microwave.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I have had tasty slow cooker meals.
    Do not put raw frozen meat in a slow cooker. That isn't safe.
    I don't use recipes with canned soup much. I think slow cookers are great for things that do well cooked a long time at a low temperature like a stew or roast but not so good for other things. You need to check out some different recipes.

    crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-shredded-korean-beef-tacos.html

    You need to choose the right size cooker for your item or it can cook wrong.
    You might brown some foods before adding them to increase flavor.
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
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    I use frozen chicken in my crock pot all the time, I've never had a problem. I have a couple recipes I LOVE, but I don't have a problem with shredded chicken.

    I needed something simple and effortless for dinner tonight. This morning I threw some frozen chicken in the crock pot with some sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Took me less than 5 minutes. About half an hour before dinner, I added some corn starch, and threw some rice on the stove to cook. Fantastic chicken teriyaki that everyone in my family eats.
  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,720 MFP Moderator
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    Adam2k10 wrote: »
    ...What I have done on many times however is combined a selection of ingredients, some prepped and part cooked before hand (such as sausages) and a load of other lovely things, like chopped tomatoes and spices to create an infusion of flavors, sausage casseroles and the likes.

    Crockpot is simply a method of cooking, it isn't a method of preparation, with no preparation you have no meal.. with the correct preparation crocpot or not, your meal should taste good!...

    +1 A little prep goes a long way to making a flavorful crock pot meal. Raw everything and no spices is a recipe for disaster. I enjoyed making chili, a roast, or doing pulled pork or chicken. I like the idea of crock pots because you can safely leave them on low all day when you're not home, whereas you would not think to do that with the oven. Play with it a little and you might find you like the flavor and the convenience. :)

  • kxbrown27
    kxbrown27 Posts: 769 Member
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    I put frozen chicken in the crock pot all the time. It still gets up to a safe internal temp.
    I make stuffed peppers, chili, meatballs and oatmeal in mine. Wrap a potato in foil, and after 8 hours on low you have a delicious baked potato. I also make different soups (black bean, potato) and you can even make certain cakes. There are tons of recipes out there that are healthy and flavorful.
  • Judie1933
    Judie1933 Posts: 3
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    America's Test Kitchen (or Cooks Country which is the same ) has a marvelous cooker book out. Try their recopies, and SEASON>
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I'm thinking it might not be for me, just because I'd probably use it for things I can already address with my existing non-crockpot pot, but thank you for the tips!

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