Our 5 Slow Cooker Tips and Tricks ensure that you'll learn how to use your slow cooker in the best way possible! These helpful slow cooker tips are invaluable! Learn what types of meats to use, how to prep meat for slow cooking, slow cooker basics and more.

While operating a slow cooker might seem like a simple task, there are some tips for slow cooker meals that will make your slow cooking process run more smoothly. Slow cooking properly does not simply entail plugging in your slow cooker, selecting HIGH or LOW and hitting the "Start" button. We have some helpful slow cooker tips to properly cook and operate the slow cooker.

5 Slow Cooker Tips and Tricks

1. Browning meats and veggies--a must? It's not necessary to brown meats, poultry and veggies ahead of time. However, browning these items before cooking them in your slow cooker will lend more flavor.
   
    
2. Selecting Cuts of Meat: Because dishes cooked in the slow cooker often cook for a long period of time, one can make slow cooker beef recipes with tougher cuts of meat. Slow cookers trap moisture and break down tough meat until it's melt-in-your-mouth tender. If you're planning to cook a slow cooker beef recipe, save money by buying "less desirable" tough cuts of meat. We reccommend cuts such as chuck steak.
   
    
3. How full is too full? If you fill your slow cooker to the top, it might overflow. If you don't fill the slow cooker enough, your ingredients might cook too quickly, which can lead to food drying out, or even burning. As a rule of thumb, fill your slow cooker halfway or two-thirds full when the cooking process begins.
   
    
4. Chill out and relax: You can lengthen the cooking time for a desired recipe by placing your ingredients in the slow cooker overnight covered and refrigerating them. A chilled slow cooker needs to be cooked 1 1/2 more hours.
   
    
5. Trap the heat: Try not to lift the lid on your slow cooker while it's cooking (It's hard, we know!). Releasing heat during the cooking process can lengthen your cooking time by as much as 15 minutes. Sit tight!

If you like our slow cooker tips and tricks, put them to good use and check out our Slow Cooker Main Dishes for slow cooker beef recipes, slow cooker chicken recipes, and more.