Will Ground Beef Cook In A Crockpot? (5 Tips)

Will ground beef cook in a Crockpot? (5 Tips)

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, ‘Will ground beef cook in a Crockpot?’. This question can haunt many because meat can take a while to cook or even burn. You can cook any cut of beef in your Crockpot, and that carries ground beef.

Will ground beef cook in a Crockpot?

There are various ways to cook beef in general. Cooking the beef in a Crockpot is one of the easiest ways to tenderize ground beef and make it as soft as possible. However, there are numerous ways to cook ground beef in a Crockpot as well.

Method 1

According to the first method, after ensuring that your ground beef is clean. Just put two to five pounds of beef meat into your Crockpot. Grind and break up your beef, adding a quarter cup of water for each pound of beef meat. In essence, five pounds of beef would require five quarter-cups of water or one full cup and a quarter cup of water.

Switch your Crockpot on, and cook the beef on ‘high’ for two to three hours. Alternatively, you can cook it on ‘low’, although then you will need to let it sit on the heat for four to six hours, depending on the amount of beef you have put in the Crockpot. Logically, of course, your cooking time will vary with the amount of food in your cooking pot.

While your beef slowly becomes tender and tastier in the Crockpot, stir the mixture every once in a while. Doing so ensures all the meat cooks evenly and prevents any meat from staying raw. It is common to find rare meat left on top while the meat towards the bottom has cooked.

Once your meat is cooked to your satisfaction, you can then go ahead and drain off the grease. Post draining; the possibilities of cooking beef are endless. The choice is up to you.

If the prospect of draining the grease from two to five pounds of beef cooked in a Crockpot seems daunting to you, fear not. It is quite an easy process.

Pour away the liquid left on the top of the meat, and then if you wish to be further thorough, use a slotted spoon to spoon out the meat and drain the grease that way. This added measure will prevent grease or fat in your packets of meat.

Method 2

The second method suggests that you use thawed ground beef for optimum results. If your ground beef is a solid chunk of meat, you can easily quicken the thawing process by letting it sit in a container of cold water. Once it thaws sufficiently, you may put it in your Crockpot.

Mix around the ground-up meat, so it isn’t just a solid hunk in the middle of your cooker. Leave it to cook on a higher heat, but keep coming back to mix it around. The meat on the outside will warm up and cook faster than the meat on the inside. Hence, the optimum result demands that the beef keep being mixed and broken up. Doing so will also prevent burning, as will it prevent your meat from turning out to be cooked uneven, as in some parts of it being raw and the other part becomes overcooked.

Other FAQs about Beef which you may be interested in.

Can ground beef be refrozen? (+3 ways to thaw ground beef safely)

Should I drain ground beef for spaghetti?

How do you add flavor to ground beef? (7+ tips)

A few Tips

The best way to monitor your beef would probably be through a meat thermometer. You want your meat to be preferably 160° F in the center. After it’s done cooking, let it cool for a while as a safety precaution. It reduces the chances of you getting burnt.

With a slotted spoon, put all of the meat into the colander and let the excess grease and fat drain away. Once it has sufficiently drained, you can have it as a meal, or put the remaining beef away.

Furthermore, if left with excess meat that you do not know what to do with, you can always freeze it. All you need to do is put portions of it into plastic bags or containers that are freezer safe and let your meat sit in the freezer. It will not spoil, and most importantly, it will be ready for the next time you need it.

Also, be sure to layer your meat pieces wisely, select the right temperature to set your Crockpot. Care for the Crockpot by avoiding over-filling the Crockpot. Do not expose it to temperature shifts as it can break the pot and deem it unusable.

In this brief guide, we answered the question, ‘Will Ground Beef Cook in a Crockpot?’. This question can haunt many because meat can take a while to cook. You can cook ground beef in a crockpot by following any method discussed.