Slow Cooker Zucchini Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

The secret to zucchini with the best flavor and texture is roasting it in a 450°F oven. Roasting zucchini at a high temperature instead of baking or sautéing helps develop browning and a slight char on the outside, which keeps it from getting soggy.

Certain vegetables: Delicate herbs and veggies like fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and peas won't fare well in the slow cooker, as their individual textures may become mushy and flavorless if left for too long. If your recipe calls for these vegetables, try adding them close to the end of cooking time.

Because your slow cooker will have a tightly sealed lid, the liquid won't evaporate so if you're adapting a standard recipe, it's best to reduce the liquid by roughly a third. It should just cover the meat and vegetables.

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

The main problem that confronts the cook when preparing zucchini is its wateriness. Zucchini is 95 percent water (among vegetables, only lettuce contains more water) and will become soupy if it is just thrown into a hot pan.

Saute Quickly: Cook zucchini quickly over high heat to minimize the development of bitterness. Use Acidic Ingredients: Adding lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes to your dish can help balance out any bitterness.

If you cook zucchini until it releases its moisture and keep cooking until that moisture evaporates, you're left with buttery-soft pulp, which can add creaminess and sweet vegetal flavor when stirred into pasta or rice dishes, like this Skillet Chicken, Zucchini, and Cheesy Rice.

Tender vegetables such as zucchini and beans can be added to your dish in last ¾ - 1 hour of cooking when cooking on High, or 2 hours if cooking on Low. Hard, starchy vegetables like potato and carrots are best added around 3 hours before the meal is done if cooking on High, and 4 hours on Low.

Why are my vegetables still hard in the slow cooker? ›

Put your potatoes and carrots in a pressure cooker rather than waiting for the slow cooker. Carrots may remain firm in a slow cooker if they're not cooked long enough or if the temperature is too low. Ensure sufficient cooking time and consider cutting carrots into smaller pieces for even cooking.

Change cooking times depending on your schedule. One hour on HIGH generally equals two hours on LOW.

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 avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

Layer wisely: For even cooking, cut food into uniform-size pieces. Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top.

Delicate vegetables like asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, and peas, will overcook in a slow cooker. It's best to stick to sturdier vegetables like carrots and potatoes.

Vegetables cooked in a slow cooker or crock pot retain more of their natural vitamins and nutrients than harsher cooking methods – such as boiling – because the temperatures are lower.