11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (2024)

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Ciara Appelbaum

2017-09-11T20:33:00Z

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (1)

With the temperatures dropping outside, sometimes nothing hits the spot like a nice warm meal.

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While some mealsare perfectto make in a slow cooker,you should stick to making certain meals in an oven orstove top.

Here are 11things you should never make in a slow cooker.

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Pasta

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (2)

Noodles continue to absorb liquid as the dish sits, so making pasta in a slow cooker will result inmushy noodles.

Fresh herbs

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (3)

When cooked for a long time, herbs becomewilted, brown, andflavorless.It's best to add fresh herbs to your dish at the very end.

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Chicken skin

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (4)

Unlike baked chicken skin, which is crisp and flavorful, chicken skin gets rubbery and gelatinous in a slow cooker. Yuck.

Make sure toremove the skinbefore adding your chickeninto the crock pot if that's not the effect you want.

Rice

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (5)

Cooking rice in your slow cooker results in brittle rice around the edgesand under cooked grains in the center. It's best tostick to making rice in a sauce pan and serve it with your dish after.

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Raw meat

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (6)

Although technically you can cookraw meat in your slow cooker, it's best not to. Your cut of meat will lack flavor.

Instead,sear it first before adding it to the cooker.

Wine

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (7)

Unlike cooking with wine on a stove-top, wine has no way of escaping in a slow cooker. That means thealcohol won't cook off, and may saturate your dish with an unpleasant flavor.

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Dairy products

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (8)

If you add dairy to your slow cooker, it will likely curdle. If your recipe calls for dairy, it's best to add it in the last few minutes of cooking.

Delicate vegetables

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (9)

Delicate vegetables like asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, and peas, will overcook in a slow cooker. It's best to stick to sturdier vegetables like carrots and potatoes.

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Couscous

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (10)

If cooked in a slow cooker, couscous can get super mushy. Much like rice, it's best to cook it separately and add it to the dish right before you serve it.

Seafood

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (11)

It takes very little time for fish to cook, so preparingit in a slow cooker will overcook it—making your fish taste rubbery. It's best to stick to cooking seafood on the stove-top.

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Boneless chicken breast

11 things you should never make in a slow cooker (12)

When lean meats are cooked for a long time they candry out easily. Leave the bonesin the chickento achieve fall-off-the-bone tenderness.

Read the original article on INSIDER. Copyright 2017.

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