Slow Cooker Time Converter
Enter the simmering or braising time from your recipe to get the slow cooker equivalent.
Use the simmering or braising time, not the browning time at the start.
Answer
10 to 12 hours on LOW, or 6 to 8 hours on HIGH
Before you leave it
- Long braises suit a slow cooker best. This is the conversion it does well.
- Reduce the liquid by about a third. Nothing evaporates from a sealed slow cooker, so oven quantities end up watery.
- Dried red kidney beans must be soaked and then boiled hard for 10 minutes before they go anywhere near a slow cooker.
- Add dairy, cream, fresh herbs and cooked pasta or rice in the last half hour, not at the start.
- Brown meat and onions in a pan first if you want any depth of flavour, a slow cooker cannot brown.
- Do not lift the lid to look. Every peek costs roughly 20 minutes.
- Frozen meat should be fully defrosted before it goes in, so it reaches a safe temperature quickly enough.
Conversion table
Next step
Source: Standard UK manufacturer guidance for slow cookers and pressure cookers · Reviewed 2026-09-10 · Guidance version 1.0.0
Reference and detail
Why it is a band, not a formula
A slow cooker does not simply stretch an oven time. It cooks at just below boiling point in a sealed pot, so the food breaks down differently. That is why these conversions are ranges from real cooking practice rather than a multiplier, and why you should check at the earliest time the first time you convert a recipe.
Cut the liquid
Nothing evaporates from a slow cooker. An oven recipe loses a good part of its liquid, so if you put the same amount in you end up with a thin, watery sauce. Reduce liquid by about a third, and thicken at the end rather than the beginning.
What converts well, and what does not
Stews, casseroles, curries, pulled pork, beef shin, lamb shoulder and dried pulses are exactly what a slow cooker is for. Anything that needs browning, crisping or a light touch (chicken breast, fish, pastry, green vegetables) does not convert. Brown meat in a pan first if the flavour matters to you.
Questions and answers
Questions about converting a recipe for a slow cooker
Do I need to reduce the amount of liquid when converting a recipe to a slow cooker?
Yes, reduce the liquid by about a third. Nothing evaporates from a sealed slow cooker, so quantities written for an open oven dish end up watery.
Can I put frozen meat straight into a slow cooker?
No. Frozen meat should be fully defrosted before it goes in, so it reaches a safe temperature quickly enough.
When should I add dairy, herbs or pasta to a slow cooker recipe?
Add dairy, cream, fresh herbs and cooked pasta or rice in the last half hour rather than at the start, or they will overcook or split.
Why does my converted slow cooker recipe taste flat?
A slow cooker cannot brown food, so if the original recipe relies on browning meat or onions for flavour, do that in a pan first before it goes into the slow cooker.
Is it fine to lift the lid to check on a slow cooker recipe?
Better not to. Every time the lid comes off, the slow cooker loses heat it takes roughly 20 minutes to recover, which throws out the converted timing.
Do dried kidney beans need any special treatment in a slow cooker?
Yes, dried red kidney beans must be soaked and then boiled hard for 10 minutes before they go anywhere near a slow cooker.
Safety guidance reviewed against Food Standards Agency sources on 11 September 2026. How we calculate cooking times and safety guidance.