Can You Fry In A Crockpot/ Slow Cooker?

Last updated on August 6th, 2022 at 05:19 pm

A crockpot was the original slow cooker. It is a portable device consisting of an insert which is held up by a case holding a heating device. It then heats the food evenly inside the insert, cooking it at low temperatures slowly. 

But, can you fry in a crockpot?

You cannot fry in a crockpot because it doesn’t reach the high temperatures of 350F needed to fry food. It is used to slow cook food by letting it sit for hours at a low temperature of around 200F. So, it is impossible to fry in a crockpot.

A crockpot uses a cooking technique called braising which involves a long and slow application of moisture at a low temperature. This breaks down meat and turns them tender and flavorful. It can also be used for veggies. 

A crockpot is commonly used for stews, soups, and chili. Slow cooking these foods give it  amazing flavor and texture. It is so easy and simple to cook in a crockpot. Just prepare your ingredients by cutting and slicing them into uniform pieces so they will cook evenly, then place them all in the pot. 

Veggies take longer to cook than meat does so if you’re fixing both in a crockpot, layer the veggies on the bottom and put the meat on top. Crockpots should be filled at least half full but not over ¾ full to cook evenly. So the food doesn’t burn or dry out during cooking, it is best to put some sort of liquid in with it as well. 

Some foods contain enough water to help them cook naturally but if you need to add some water or liquid, then add a little bit. Crockpots require less liquid than cooking on a stove. Generally, your crockpot recipe will call for a little bit of water to be added in. 

Then you just secure the lid, set the temperature and timer, and wait for your meal to cook. 

Crockpots work well to make roasts, pulled pork, soups, chili, etc. really anything that you want to be tender and juicy with a lot of bold flavor. Different types of meals are made by using the frying or slow cooking methods. 

Frying is the process of using heated oil to quickly cook breaded foods while slow cooking involves slowly cooking meat and veggies for a more savory meal. A crockpot is a slow cooking kitchen appliance and can only be heated to a low temperature of 200 F which then works throughout several hours to cook food. 

Because a crockpot doesn’t reach high temperatures, a crockpot cannot fry food. Frying requires high temperatures of 350F that will cook food quickly and this is opposite of what a crockpot does. 

So, it is impossible to fry or deep fry in a crockpot. Save the frying for air fryers, deep fryers, or frying pans on the stovetop.

Can You Cook Raw Meat In A Slow Cooker?

A slow cooker or a crockpot uses a low temperature to cook food slowly. Its gentle heat isn’t enough to fry food, but when sitting for several hours, it can cook food for a tender and juicy meal. These types of kitchen appliances are commonly used for dishes such as roasts, soup, and chili since it cooks it slowly for more flavor and tender meat. 

Now, some slow cooker recipes call for you to brown the meat before adding it into the pot. But, is this really necessary? If you’re in a rush, then you most likely will want to just throw raw meat into the Crockpot and let it cook all day. 

So, can you cook raw meat in a slow cooker?

raw meat can be cooked in a slow cooker/crockpot. However, it is recommended that you brown the meat before slowly cooking it. This step isn’t necessary as the raw meat will cook fine without it but it will give your food a richer and more bold flavor.

Crockpots are slow cookers but not all slow cookers are crockpots. Crockpot is a brand of slow cooker (although many people call all slow cookers crockpots).  When it was released as the original slow cooker, it was marketed toward working mothers who could put the food in it before leaving for the office in the morning and come home in the evening to a cooked meal. 

This product made their lives easier so they didn’t have to worry about cooking and could instead spend time with their families and work on other household tasks. Crockpot sold millions of units through the 70s and died down a little in the 80s probably because of the rise of the microwave. This could cook food in minutes instead of it having to cook all day. 

But, crockpots are still used and loved by many with about 83 percent of families owning one of these kitchen appliances. Their design has changed very little over the years but now the insert pot is removable. 

Chicken, beef, pork, etc., can all be placed in a slow cooker or crockpot raw. But, if you want to add some flavor to the meat, then it is advised to brown or sear it first. It is worth doing this step if you want to get the most taste out of your meal later on in the day. 

Once you have browned the meat on the stove, you can just throw it in the slow cooker to cook all day until you’re ready to eat. By browning ground beef before putting it into the crockpot, you can avoid adding grease to the dish which, along with resulting in better flavor, is why it is recommended to brown raw meat before cooking it. 

If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to brown the meat or want to skip the browning process, then you can. Raw meat can be cooked in a slow cooker or crockpot.

Final Thoughts

You cannot fry in a Crockpot. This isn’t possible because the appliance doesn’t heat up past 200F and you need high temperatures of 350F to fry food quickly. 

A crockpot heats food slowly for tender and flavorful meals you can enjoy later that evening for dinner.