Crockpot Revisited : Cooking Times for Your Slow Cooker

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So, how’s it going so far? Rocking your crockpot?

The more I delve into this subject, the more intrigued I get! If you recall, this all began one day when I was rummaging through a cupboard and stumbled upon this… this contraption (my trusty crockpot, which I’ve had for around 10 years).

It was an “Oohhhhh yyeaaahhhh. I remember this thing….” moment for sure.

Since then, I have been cooking and experimenting with recipes and ideas. I have found, however, that not everything is a “quick and easy meal.” Certain foods take longer to cook, and these are things to be mindful of unless you want mushy veggies and tough meat. Here are some tips:

Cooking Times for Your Slow Cooker

As you have probably noticed, not every food or dish cooks at the same time in your slow cooker. Not everything is intended to cook all day, nor is everything finished in just a few hours. Here are some general guidelines for cooking times for your slow cooker.

1. Roasts and Meats

For large pieces of meat, such as brisket, pot roast, or pork shoulder, you can expect a cooking time that will be pretty lengthy. Most recipes call for 8 to 12 hours of cooking time.

For pieces of meat like stew meat cubes, sliced round steak, pork chops, or other minor cuts and cut-up meat, you can expect cooking times of around 6 to 8 hours.

2. Vegetables

Vegetables vary quite a bit. For hearty vegetables like onions, cooking on High for all day will still allow them to retain their shape. Chopped root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, take approximately 4 to 6 hours on High and 6 to 8 hours on Low. Depending on how tender you like them, green beans take 6 to 8 hours on Low and 3 to 4 hours on High to be soft. Winter vegetables, such as squash, can be cooked whole on High for 8 to 10 hours, while cubed squash takes only 3 hours or so on High.

3. Pasta and Grains

Pasta dishes are relatively quick if you use pre-cooked pasta, typically taking about 3 to 4 hours on Low. Whole grains, such as brown rice, will take approximately 3 hours, while white rice takes about 2 hours.

4. Fish

Fish cooks quickly in a slow cooker. Thawed fillets can be thoroughly cooked in as little as 1 hour on Low; if you place them in the cooker frozen, then it takes about 2 to 3 hours.

5. Fruits

Sliced apples will take approximately 3 to 4 hours on High, while whole apples will take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours to become tender. Some fruits are much quicker, such as peaches and pears, which can be cooked in about 2 hours on the Low setting.

6. Poultry

A whole chicken will take 3 to 5 hours on High, and 8 to 10 hours on Low. Chicken breasts are much faster, taking about 4 hours on Low. Like fish, you can use frozen chicken breasts if you need to leave the slow cooker for longer; frozen pieces of chicken can cook for 6 to 8 hours on Low.

7. Beans

For dried beans like lima, navy, black, and pinto beans, you’ll need to soak them overnight and expect 8 to 10 hours of cooking time on High once they’re drained and placed in the slow cooker with the other ingredients.

Dried red lentils cook much faster, taking only 2 to 4 hours on High (brown or green lentils require a bit longer, 4 to 6 hours on High). Canned beans are much faster, with some bean dishes finishing on Low in 4 hours. Others may take longer depending on what else is in the dish.

Want more cool crockpot ideas? I found another cool website called The Crock-Pot Ladies, and it features a plethora of fabulous recipes, including this one called Cowboy Casserole. Can’t wait to try it 🙂

Be sure and check out the other posts in this series!

Crockpot Revisited: Choosing Recipes for Your Slow Cooker

CrockPot Cooking: Cooking Times for Your Slow Cooker

Crockpot Revisited: Tips and Tricks for Successful Slow Cookery

Crockpot Revisited: Adapting Your Favorite Recipes for the Slow Cooker

 

Do you have any good crockpot recipes to share? I have a whole Pinterest Board full of good ones!