How to Fix Tough Meat In Slow Cooker – 5 Easy Methods

If you are the type of person who likes to cook with your slow cooker but also needs to make sure that your meat is tender and juicy before it goes into the pot then this post is for you. How do you fix tough meat in a slow cooker? How do you get rid of tough meat in a crockpot? How can I fix my dried-up beef roast recipe in the crockpot? All these questions will be answered within this blog post!

Well, it was a bit of a headache, but not anymore. We’re here with two minutes of know-how to help you cook the perfect juicy meat and earn the title of pro-chef. So, without further ado, Let’s get started.

How to Avoid Dry or Tough Meat

In a slow cooker, how do you cook tough meat? The response is based on one of two scenarios: the meat is either undercooked or overcooked. Both methods produce meat that is dry and hard. It’s a challenge to tenderize the tough meat. However, a slow cooker will help you finish the job.

Slow-cooking meat can indeed be difficult. It’s impossible to know how to effectively cook tough meat in a slow cooker unless you’re an expert. If you want the heart to be juicy, there are a few things you can keep in mind. These suggestions can help you successfully cook tough meat in a slow cooker.

Method 1: Cook your Meat Again in a Low Flame

Cooking on low heat keeps the food from being overheated, preserving the nutrition and making them easier to digest and assimilate. The preparation of herbs into massage oils makes them more medicinal and demonstrates this low-flame cooking method.

• Braise the flame and place the meat at the bottom of your slow cooker
• Allow plenty of time to keep an eye on the liquid to ensure it doesn’t simmer. 
• Check the meat after 20 to 30 minutes by opening the lid of your cooker. The length of time depends entirely on how tender you want the meat to be.

This process will run the risk of overcooking, but if you keep vigilant, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked food.

Method 2: Sauté the Meat and Steam

Sautéing means rapidly cooking food in a small number of fats on a high flame. The taste of the meat is enhanced by the searing process, which often seals in the moisture.

If you’re preparing beef, pork, or chicken, this technique is a great way to answer the question, “How do I fix tough meat in a slow cooker?” 

• Everything you have to do is remove the meat from the oven and sauté it in a pan for a few minutes.
• After that, return the dish to your cooker and steam it for 15 to 20 minutes.

In the meantime, keep testing to avoid overcooking the meat. Otherwise, your efforts might be at waste.

Method 3: Don’t Open the Lid Instantly

Have you given your cooker enough time before opening the lid? If you haven’t done so already, place the lid, keep the slow cooker on high heat, and wait for 5 to 7 minutes. After that, remove the pan from the heat and leave the lid.

All of the juices, moisture, and heat are trapped as the meat is covered when cooking in the slow cooker. By wrapping the meat, you’re effectively steaming it and keeping the moisture inside. The meat cooks a little quicker because of the trapped heat than if it did not cover it.

The meat will be cooked entirely in vapor during this process. As a result, you’ll only be able to serve tenderized beef to your visitors. Of course, after the moisture has drained away, you must open the lid before serving. The trick is to let the meat soak up as much vapor as possible before cooking it.

Method 4: Add More Liquid to the Meat

If you don’t add enough liquid to the cooker early on, your dish will most definitely remain tough and dry. Furthermore, if you leave the cooker on the fire for an extended time, your food will get burnt. So, before you reignite the stove, make sure you’ve added the appropriate amount of water.

If you add so much water to your bowl, it will affect the flavor. As a result, you must be precise to get the food to look the way you want it.

Method 5: Use Wine or Broth Instead of Sauce

Several chefs consider using wine or broth as the fluid instead of sauce. The only explanation for this is that the sauce is quickly burned. So, if you’re going to cook the meat a second time to lessen the hardness, use wine or broth to save it from burning.

Here’s when to add the wine to get the best taste and ensure the alcohol is cooked out: After browning the meat and vegetables in stews, braises, or long-simmering tomato sauces, add wine early in the simmering period into the slow cooker. Allow the wine to decrease slightly before adding the remaining liquids.

Some Other Hacks to Fix Tough Meat

Before we get into how to fix tough meat in a slow cooker, it’s important to note that a slow cooker is used to tenderize the meat in most situations. However, in the worst-case scenario, it will not be able to tackle the emergency.

Here are a few tips for fixing and repurposing the tough meat in various meals in the following example.

The very first hack is to get your food processor out and correctly cut the meat. Then season the shredded meat with your seasoning and use it in some other dish.

The second suggestion is to pour a liquid sauce over the meat and set it aside for a while. After that, you fried it in a microwave. While frying loses some flavor, you can still enjoy the delicious roast with your favorite broth.

Cooking the meat in a stew is the third way to do it. Cut the tough meat into cubes and serve with tomato sauce or some other flavoring.

Last but not least, remove it from the tip. Meat is usually stiffer at the top and tender in the middle. So, cut the above section down, shred it, and use it however you like. For your favorite dip or sauce, choose the lowest soft meat.

How To Reuse Tough Meat?

One of the things you need to learn when using a slow cooker is how to reuse tough meat. If you don’t, it can lead to an unappealing meal and possible further cooking problems in the future. Here are some tips on what you should do:

A) Use a fork or spoon for tenderizing before adding other ingredients

B) Defrost meat first if frozen

C) Add vegetables towards the end of cooking time rather than beginning

D) Try not overcooking your food because this could make meats very chewy and dry out easily after being cooked with moist heat methods e.g., crockpot recipes, simmering over the stovetop, etc.

E) Keep liquids at a minimum level during cook time

F) Add salt, pepper, or other seasonings towards the end of cooking time because these dry spices won’t lose their potency. If you are planning to cook your meat overnight in the slow cooker, make sure it will be tender enough at the end of the cooking cycle and add more liquid if necessary for a better result.

BBQ Pulled Beef Recipe

This is a great meal for a family night. Pull the beef apart and serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw or potato salad. You can also add BBQ sauce if you want it to be saucier, but this makes for very good sandwiches that are not too messy.

This will work on pork shoulder as well – just cook about an hour less than called for since it tends to get tough faster so figure four hours instead of five. Slow Cooker Potato SoupIn our house we have been eating lots of soup lately!

There’s nothing better than when days seem colder and nights suddenly come earlier than expected….I made some slow cooker potato soup last week while my kids were at school, came home from the grocery store and dinner was ready! Slow Cooker Beef StewForget the can of beef stew.

Make this slow cooker beef stew instead! The meat falls apart, it’s loaded with vegetables, and potatoes will melt in your mouth…seriously amazing.

This is a great meal for a family night.

Pull the beef apart and serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw or potato salad. You can also add BBQ sauce if you want it to be saucier, but this makes for very good sandwiches that are not too messy.

At the end of 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious dish to serve with your favorite bread for a pulled beef sandwich. Enjoy it with your friends and family.

There’s nothing better than when days seem colder and nights suddenly come earlier than expected….I made some slow cooker potato soup last week while my kids were at school, came home from the grocery store and dinner was ready!

Forget the can of beef stew. Make this slow cooker beef stew instead! The meat falls apart, it’s loaded with vegetables, and potatoes will melt in your mouth…seriously amazing. Slow Cooker BBQ ChickenThis is the easiest way to make barbecue chicken.

Conclusion: 

Finally, we’d like to point out that if you execute the instructions right, fixing tough meat in a slow cooker is not a difficult challenge. It’s just expected that the meat stiffens as a result of thoughtlessness. However, there are a variety of tricks and options for tenderizing them.

You must make fair use of them while maintaining the meal’s flavor. Then it will be in order. If the meat is undercooked or overcooked, it can be easily repaired or reused. We hope you learned something from your experience. Have fun in the kitchen!