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?

I think in the nicest possible way you may be something wrong.

I use mine an awful lot to batch cook - I currently have 40+ tubs of portioned meals in my freezer.

I have a lot of recipes I can share, but if you cook most long and slow, you can’t lose.

I hated my slow cooker. Everything I made had a weird "slow cooker" taste to it. On the other hand I love my instant pots, yes plural, I have two and they get used daily.

Feeling inspired by this thread! Does anyone have any good recipes for a beef or veggie chilli please?

Agree with the others, you need specific recipes and it’s fab. My family love veggie curries and chilli done in it

As for homemade rice pudding done in it, food of the gods! I have a twin dish one and do a spicy fruity version one side and a simple one for kids the other

Ive done fudge, chocolate cake and jacket potatoes in it very successfully and pick up recipes from Pinterest where I can see peoples rating and adjustments to the recipes

I gave away my slow cooker because everything I cooked in it tasted like boiled cardboard.

I got an instant pot instead.

Gravy granules will thicken your sauce, although you will need to leave out salt in the first place or it’ll be over-seasoned. Some people suggest wrap a tea towel round the lid to absorb liquid. It certainly helps.

Beef strogonoff in a slow cooker, cheap beef fine, Delicious!

I hate slow cookers. Got rid of mine. So bland, and didn't even save time or washing up after having to separately brown stuff before adding.

It's a saviour for slow made bone broth.

Makes nice gulas as well actually if you brown onion and meat first

@NeverDropYourMooncup - Not all white American cooking is filled with sugar, syrups, and a fear of salt. That’s southern and Midwestern cooking. In New England, oldYankees cooked like the traditional British, short the sprouts and swedes. Here, white turnips are for eating; yellow turnips are for livestock.

I’m a pretty good cook - usually - it’s possible I have repetitively failed to crack the slow cooker or it’s possible my palate just doesn’t buy it!

I hated one I had previously everything tasted of metal

however I’ve now got a ceramic one and I now understand all the raving. Really tender meats and casserole Rd etc and lovely flavours nice and thick , good quality herbs I use the bottled liquid ones

but the metal slow cooker ? Yuk no

Ooh @Wineat5isfine - I’d love some recipes if you could share any please??

Ive got a couple of slow cooker winners but I really do need to try and use it more (especially with upcoming kitchen renovation and no oven for a couple of months !!!)

I’d be really grateful for any recipe ideas!

I love doing honey chicken with noodles in mine and crispy rice. Delicious.
As everyone says op, not too much fluid. Just enough to partially cover what you're cooking in it, unless you're doing a stew, then use a thickened stock enough to just cover.
Evaporation on the lid goes back into the pot so it won't go dry.
Most foods can be cooked in six hours on a medium heat and four hours on a high heat.
I also use slow cooker liners, so no scrubbing the pot after, quick wipe and back in the cupboard.

i have used crockpots for 40 years and even my chef son loves what i make
main thing..spices could be added in the last hour of cooking/
second do not take top of except for added other stuff.spices rice etc

This evening's meal was slo-cooker gammon. Slice cooking apples and carrots, lay in the base of the pot. Take the gammon out of its soaking water, give it a good grind of pepper on all sides and put it on top of the apples. Add some juniper berries. No liquid at all.

Turn it on low. Go to karate class.

Three hours later, serve with mustard mash, green veg and the carrots from the base of the pot. The apples have turned into apple sauce. 😊

I always do casseroles and stews in the slow cooker, along with things like stroganoff, goulash etc

Apologies if this has been mentioned as I haven’t read the full thread, but the key to a thick, flavourful sauce is to stir a tablespoon or two of plain flour through the dry ingredients before adding any liquid. Thickens it up perfectly and you just add more liquid as needed.

That and more seasoning/herbs than you would normally use.

Slow cooker Mac and cheese is great too!

Minimal water , only certain meats cook well in the slow cooker things like beef , pork and lamb, the juicy fat adds flavour .I wouldn't bother with chicken.

I add one of the chicken casserole sachets (the brand is schwartz I think). Mines never been tasteless. I don't do anything to the chicken or vegetables beforehand, just chop and bung it all in with the seasoning. I might add a few gravy granules towards the end if it needs thickening but only a bit. I don't add extra water.

Everything I made in mine tasted the same. I literally could not differentiate the meals. I donated it to a charity shop.

Well I hate stew so can’t advise on that. I personally don’t like dishes that have meat and veg slow cooked together as I think the veg turns into slop. So I avoid those no matter how you cook them. I make a fantastic beef stroganoff in my slow cooker. You have to ‘aggressively brown’ the meat first which helps with flavour. Then you cook the mushrooms separately at the last minute and mix them through. I also make a really nice Greek lamb leg which you slash and rub in garlic, lemon and herbs and just use the smallest amount of stock to keep it moist. I roast the vegetables separately in the oven. Pulled pork is really nice as are spare ribs. I did a turkey breast one Christmas that was delicious. Definitely look for a better cookbook, I use a variety of websites.

Yep I'm another one that finds every dish tastes the same

If it's bland you are definitely doing something wrong. My slow cooker food is fabulous. Really deep flavour and tender meat.

Get a Ninja Foodie, you will never turn your oven on again.

I used to use mine every day when exh & I were both working full time, it was ideal as we both needed to eat at different times depending on his shifts, any leftovers I either froze or he took to work to warm up the day after.