How To Convert Slow Cooker To Stovetop? (4 Ways)

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All home cooks will agree. Anyone who enjoys or feels remotely good at cooking is usually guilty of hoarding multiple cooking appliances. Moreover, the particular appliance in question was most likely only bought for a specific reason or series of recipes.

In many instances, the user doesn’t even know what all the features of their appliances are. Furthermore, when it comes to cooking your favorite recipe, the good news is that it’s often very easy to amend the cooking method to suit the appliance you have on hand.

For instance, if you’re eager to try a new recipe meant for cooking in a slow cooker, it can be amended to be created on a stovetop. The good news is that the recipe will come out as well, if not better!

Convert Slow Cooker to Stovetop

It almost goes without saying that any who loves cooking also enjoys experimenting with a range of different cooking methods. For the most part, this is because different cooking methods impact the original taste of a specific recipe.

And who isn’t eager to see how a different cooking method will impact the taste of your favorite recipe?

It’s important to note that changing the recipe to sort a particular cooking method requires some precision and in some instances, a few adjustments. Fortunately, we’re going to share that information with you!

1. Soup

Soup is one of the most versatile dishes enjoyed by people the world over. That said, it’s no secret that soup can be cooked in several different ways using different appliances.

That means, if you’re using your slow cooker to make your favorite soup recipe, it can easily be amended to opt for a stovetop cooking method. In this instance, follow these few expert steps.

1. Always keep in mind that soup prepared on a stovetop will be ready in lesser time as compared to a slow cooker, promising quicker meal preparation.
2. Opt for a stockpot, ideally made of stainless steel or aluminum as this will enable heat distribution.
3. Keep the cooking instructions, steps and ingredients the same as the slow cooker process to ensure you achieve the same flavor on the stovetop.
4. Always keep the heat in the pot by ensuring your soup pot is covered with the right fitting lid.
5. Our experts recommend starting with the meat since in most cases it needs to be cooked a little longer.
6. Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces as pieces that are chopped too small will “cook away”.
7. You can add vegetables after meat as they don’t need to be cooked for as long.
8. Reduce the meat to a simmer when the meat and vegetables are almost done. You’ll know the soup is almost done when the meat is tender.
9. Dairy products such as cheese, milk and cream should always be added at the end of the cooking cycle since these ingredients only need to be lightly boiled.

2. Dutch Oven

Essentially, a Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. For the most part, a Dutch oven is made of seasoned cast iron. However, cast aluminum and ceramic are common alternative materials used to make Dutch ovens.

For optimal cooking results, always opt for a cast iron Dutch oven with an enamel interior. When it comes to the recipe, follow these few tips.

• Use the same ingredients and quantities that you would use in your slow cooker.
• Bake everything at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 or 1.5 hours.
• If the recipe involves a big piece of meat, you might have to increase the cooking time.
• Always keep in mind that you shouldn’t cook acidic food such as tomatoes, lemons and citrus foods in your Dutch Oven.
• Tough cuts meats cook exceptionally well in a Dutch oven. Examples of this include brisket and pork shoulder.

3. Casserole

Casseroles are another popular dish that’s versatile enough to cook in your slow cooker as well as on the stovetop. The pointers to follow when you’re switching your slow cooker casserole recipe for the stove top include:

• Ingredients and quantities remain the same.
• You might have to change the cooking time depending on the average temperature of your stovetop. You might have to increase or even decrease the temperature to ensure the ingredients cook evenly.
• Casseroles that are cooked in the oven can be baked using the same ingredients for one hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• While our experts recommend only cooking thinner cuts of meat in your casserole, a thicker cut may just need more time at a lower temperature.

4. Cooking Time

When changing your cooking appliance, considering the cooking time is one of the most crucial aspects. For the most part, this has to do with the slow pace at which a slow cooker takes to cook the food. This slower pace usually results in perfectly cooked meat.

Opting for cooking on the stovetop means you’ll be cooking at a faster pace. This in turn means that meat will cook quicker and in some instances won’t be evenly cooked. This is what happens when your meat turns out “tough”.

As you adjust your cooking time, you might have to adjust the temperature as well. In this regard, you should keep in mind that cooking on a low slow cooker setting for four to six hours is equivalent to cooking on a high stovetop setting for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours.

Ideally, one of the top reasons to switch a slow cooker recipe to your stovetop is because you want to cook the meal in considerably less time.

Final Thought

It’s very refreshing to know that you can cook your slow cooker recipes on your stovetop. This is especially the case if you don’t have a slow cooker. With our extensive tips, you’ll easily be able to adjust your slow cooker recipe to cook as well on the stovetop!