Can I Convert Slow-Cooker Recipes to Stovetop?

Q: I see a lot of very good-looking, healthy recipes popping up on my Pinterest feed and also on The Kitchn, but a slow cooker is needed. I don’t own one and I’m not planning to buy one, due to lack of storage space, but I still would love to try some of the recipes.

Is there any way to convert slow-cooker recipes to make them in the oven or on the stovetop? (Of course, I would be making them when I’m around and not leave my stove running while at work.) Thank you in advance for all your tips and ideas!

Sent by Nicole

Editor: The explosion of slow cooking, or rather the resurgence of slow cooking over the last few years means that anything you would have normally made on the stovetop or oven now has been reworked for the slow cooker. This is good news for you, Nicole. It means many of those recipes you’re seeing probably have a stovetop or oven analog. Generally speaking, if it’s a slow-cooker recipe for a large, tough cut of meat, then you can braise it on the stove or in the oven. Veggies and beans lend themselves to the low-and-slow heat of braising as well.

Learn All About Braising: Cooking School Lesson: How to Braise

When the slow cooker is set on low heat, it’s mimicking a long simmer. Many soup and stews lend themselves to this process, and just like a slow cooker, you can do this on the stovetop just as well. The caveat here, and similarly the reason why so many people are charmed by the slow cooker, is the hands-off factor. You’ll have to do some babysitting with these cooking methods, but then again, there’s something very lovely about lifting the lid to peer into a pot that’s been bubbling away all day. That’s something you’re strongly advised against with the slow cooker.