So Your Slow Cooker Recipe Only Takes 4 Hours. Here’s How to Fix It. (2024)

FAQs

Is 4 hours enough to slow cook? ›

In general, it's best to stick to the indicated cook time on the recipe you're following. Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours.

If you want to crank up the speed your recipes cook, you can turn a regular slow cooker recipe into a pressure cooking recipe. For example, 4 hours on high in a slow cooker converts to 25 to 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

To reduce your slow cooking time you can adjust the time accordingly based on 1 hour on high is equal to 2 hours on low. Example: 8 hours could be cut to 6 by cooking 2 hours on high and 4 hours on low.

You may need to reset your slow cooker. To do this, simply hold down the mode and power buttons for 30 seconds while it is plugged in. You will then want to unplug the unit and plug it back in.

Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting. It's safe to cook foods on low the entire time -- if you're leaving for work, for example, and preparation time is limited.

Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

Switching from Low to High means bad—or even unsafe—results.

Switching to High for the sake of time savings can leave you with a roast that's dried out or even burned on the exterior, but undercooked and not at a food-safe temperature in the center. You'll have cooked a pork roast, but not one you'll want to eat.

Cut food into smaller pieces.

Stir-frying is one of the best quick-cooking techniques because the proteins and vegetables are cut down into small pieces, so remember that the smaller the pieces, the quicker the cooking.

Slow cookers are designed to do their own thing, so you don't need to keep checking the contents. Every time you take the lid off it will release some of the heat, so if you keep doing this you'll have to increase the cooking time.

If a recipe calls for cooking on the HIGH setting for three hours, you can cook it for seven hours on the LOW setting instead. Or if a recipe calls for eight hours on HIGH, it can be cooked for up to 12 hours on LOW.

Do bigger crockpots cook faster? ›

Size of your Slow Cooker

The size of your crockpot can affect the outcome of your meal. If your crockpot is smaller than what we recommend, you may need to cook your meal a little longer. If it's larger than what we recommend you may need to shorten the cooking time.

“Technically, you could stop and restart a slow cooker for a short period of time if you don't let the food get below 140 degrees Fahrenheit, but I wouldn't risk it.”

Slow cooker recipes are often designed for an eight-hour cook so that the food is ready when you return home after a long day. Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it.

On all CrockPot units you have usually three temperature settings. I for Low, II for High and the last symbol (it may be in the form of "squiggly lines" that look like SS) is the Warm setting.

How long should I cook a slow cooker recipe? If a dish usually takes: 15-30 mins, cook it for 1-2 hours on High or 4-6 hours on Low. 30 mins – 1 hour, cook it for 2-3 hours on High or 5-7 hours on Low.

Simply add the meat to your slow cooker with aromatics, stock and sauces and cook either on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 5-8 hours. How do you make meat tender in a slow cooker?

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.