To think that slow cooker meals are tasteless?

[Twiz5218]

I was given a small slow cooker a couple of weeks ago. I have tried it a couple of times in an attempt to save energy by using the oven.

First time I made a chicken casserole and it was tasteless really, despite me seasoning the chicken and veg and frying them before slow cooking.

Tried to make a garlic lemon chicken recipe tonight and I couldn't tell the different between that and the casserole. It was just so bland. I added lemon juice, then the veg and chicken, and properly seasoned them with a number of spices and added garlic and butter cubes and set it off to cook. It was just tasteless. Incomparable to cooking the same in the oven.

AIBU? Am I doing something wrong?

Was also about to recommend the taming twins recipes, they're great. Slow cooker food need not be tasteless, you're doing something wrong (probably too much liquid as pp's suggest)

Less liquid and tougher cuts of meat are key!

Add water gradually-its better to start with less and add more after a few hours. You do need plenty of seasoning too, more then you might think.

I’ve had some tasteless meals too, as I tend to be cautious with seasonings, but I’m learning not to be. 🤣

I made the bbc chicken tikka masala in the slow cooker last week and it tasted really lovely! And the chicken was thigh so really tender

I also did a sausage casserole (hairy biker recipe) which was a stove top recipe but I did that in the slower cooker too and the sauce was delish. I'd probably cook the sausages different tho as I don't like the texture after them being in the slow cooker but everything else was lovely.

I think with slow cooker food you need a good amount of ingredients, and some of them with a lot of flavour so it builds as it cooks.

And as pp have said, you don't need as much water as you think. Try other things like stock, tinned toms etc

It even ruins currys. Spice does not respond well to 8 hours of cooking.

I tried the MIL's slow cooker this week. mine won't fit a chicken in. Hers has a hole in the lid from which steam and smell emits during the cooking process.

Mine seems to not let any steam or smell out which seems like a better idea.

Hers is back in her house and won't be borrowed again.

Yes, you need to add more seasonings closer to serving time.

YABU

You do have to season slightly differently though. Whole fresh spices/herbs work better than dried. If you use dried add more at the end.

Use much much less liquid than usual, and avoid adding more than a tbsp of water. Wine, beer or the liquid from tinned tomatoes works better.

Try a curry. Chuck in chicken, onions, fresh garlic, a whole unchopped green chilli, a tin of tomatoes, a spoonful of curry paste, and garam masala. If you have them a cardamon pod, fenugreek and some cloves are good too. Leave it for ages. Taste it and add more spices, then Greek yogurt/cream to taste.

Chilli works well. Use chopped fresh chillis and chilli flakes rather than powder. I have a Phil Vickery recipe for the slow cooker that works really well.

I isuallyncook a chicken on low for 7h. Buy a decent bird. It is soooooo moist. It doesn't brown or go crispy but you can rub herbs or paprika on it to add colour. It best to.brown meat quickly before hand. Try chicken satay. Absolutely delicious. See Taming twins.com. sorry tried to attach link. No joy.

You need a tiny bit of something liquid, but if adding water just a tablespoon or two. If you use anything like tinned tomatoes or wine that will do but be sparing with the liquid

Some of our favourite slow cooker recipes:

www.laurencobello.com/slow-cooker-thai-peanut-chicken/

www.laurencobello.com/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken/

www.laurencobello.com/slow-cooker-asian-bbq-fusion-chicken/

www.laurencobello.com/slow-cooker-bbq-paprika-chicken/

It’s also brilliant for making a hot chocolate station for Christmas Eve - a pot of drinking chocolate (about 175g), a big scoop of Nutella, small pot of single cream, whisk together then stir in 4pt of milk, turn on and leave for 2 hours then serve!

We had beef in it today (well not me as I'm veggie). Shove beef in it, a glass of red wine and one of those beef stock pots and cook on low.

The beef pulls apart and is apparently delicious.

I then thicken the gravy with bistro gravy powder (not granules)

The bbc good food veg stew with cheesy dumplings is good too

Possibly because they come from white American culture? It's my theory, anyhow - a place where salt is regarded as a step too far and must be counteracted by vast quantities of sugars/syrups, even in bread, and real cheese is scary compared to bland fat and colourants in a tin, isn't really the best place for advice on cooking food with flavour.

The SC is absolutely brilliant for things like chilli, chicken on the bone, oxtail, and anything that would get tougher if fast boiled. Also does some pretty good jacket potatoes if you line the base with parchment.

Depends what for. I do duck in it and never add loquid at all. Same for beef ribs

@NeverDropYourMooncup 😂

Okay, I will give it a go with much less liquid.

I used stock the first time and lemon juice/stock the second, so never just water. The thighs were beautifully tender but both they and the veg were just tasteless.

Whilst on the subject, how does everyone plan their meals? I keep being told that they're great because you can just set it away and your tea is ready later on, but surely no one is preparing meat, veg, spice in the pan before they go to work early in the morning? Are you meant to put the food in the night before (which I assume is not particularly good food hygiene) or is everyone just a lot more organised than me in the mornings? I've been putting it on high at 5pm for three hours.

We use ours all the time - have entirely stopped using our oven. My partner cooks astonishingly tasty meals in it.

I have a crock pot. I love it. Everything that comes out of the thing is flavourful, and so tender without being overcooked.

They seem very unpopular on MN, but I wouldn't be without mine.

I love my slow cooker. Food always tastes great. Had a lovely lamb curry this evening that had been on all day while I was at work. As others have said, perhaps you're putting too much water in.

Slow cookers generally speaking don’t produce as tasty a meal as slow cooking in an oven….maiilard reaction.

ok for stocks, mulled wine, ham….

Last week I made Rukmini Iyer's citrus spiked tagine from her Roasting Tin Around the World book. Normally I'd have put it all in a large cast iron pot but our kitchen is being renovated so I used the slow cooker. It was very tasty. I doubled the quantity of meat and everything else except for the ras-el-hanout and the orange and I used pork shoulder steaks instead of lamb. I should have used less liquid as there was a lot. I gave it 9 hours on low and added cornflour thickener in the last hour. I'll definitely make it this way again.

I just prep everything evening before and keep in a fridge then move to slowcooker in a morning.
Including browned onion for example (not the meat)

@x2boys have a look at boredoflunch on Instagram, he has some great recipes. We made the Honey Garlic Chicken Noodles recently and they were lovely!

I do prepare the meat and veg etc in the morning!

Mine also comes out very bland though- so have been following your thread eagerly and will try some new recipes, and with less liquid, too!

www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipes/french-style-slow-cooker-chicken-drumsticks-recipe/q7cku2bm?

I made this recipe the other day - it came out great. Everything tender, and a rich thick gravy. I accidently cut the wine down by about 50ml as I just used what I had open, perhaps it helped!