Convert any recipe to or from a slow cooker
A slow cooker holds heat gently for hours, so a dish that takes an hour in the oven or on the hob needs most of a working day on LOW. This slow cooker conversion calculator takes the time you have, from an oven, a stovetop pan or a slow cooker setting, and gives the equivalent LOW and HIGH time, the oven or stovetop equivalent, a rough pressure cooker time and the amount of liquid to use.
The bands come from the ranges commonly published by cooking guides and food banks, rounded into four steps; a 15 to 30 minute recipe becomes 4 to 6 hours on LOW or 1½ to 2½ on HIGH. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use the Slow Cooker Conversion Calculator
- Choose what your time is for: oven or stovetop, slow cooker LOW or slow cooker HIGH.
- Enter the hours and minutes. Add the liquid in the recipe, in cups, if you want the adjusted amount (fractions such as 1 1/2 work).
- Read the LOW and HIGH ranges and the oven and pressure cooker estimates.
- Cook, test with a thermometer, and write down what worked for next time.
Slow Cooker Conversion Calculator features
Four time bands
From a quick 15 to 30 minute dish to a three-hour braise, each with its own LOW and HIGH range.
LOW ↔ HIGH
HIGH takes about half as long as LOW, so 8 hours on LOW is about 4 on HIGH.
Slow cooker to oven
Enter LOW or HIGH and see the oven or stovetop time band it matches.
Pressure cooker estimate
A rough time at pressure, with a reminder to add the time to come up to pressure.
Liquid adjustment
Shows how much liquid to use in a slow cooker, or to add back when you move to a pan.
Conversion chart
These ranges are a starting point. Meat that is cut small, a smaller quantity, or a cooker that runs hot will finish sooner.
| Oven or stovetop | Slow cooker LOW | Slow cooker HIGH |
|---|---|---|
| 15–30 minutes | 4–6 hours | 1½–2½ hours |
| 35–45 minutes | 6–8 hours | 3–4 hours |
| 50 minutes to 3 hours | 8–10 hours | 4–6 hours |
| Over 3 hours | 10–12 hours | 5–6 hours |
Liquid, thickening and what not to convert
- Cut the liquid. The lid keeps steam in, so use about half to two-thirds of the liquid from a stovetop recipe. You can always thin the sauce at the end; thickening with cornflour (cornstarch) in the last 30 minutes on HIGH works well.
- Add delicate things late. Milk, cream, soft vegetables, fresh herbs, seafood and pasta go in during the last 15 to 60 minutes.
- Use tough cuts. Shoulder, thigh and shank turn tender; lean breast meat dries out. Brown the meat first for flavour if you have time.
- Do not convert dry-heat dishes such as roasted potatoes, crisp pastry or anything meant to brown: a slow cooker steams.
Slow cooker food safety
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advises: do not start from frozen meat or poultry (it spends too long in the unsafe zone); fill the cooker between half and two-thirds; keep the lid on, because every peek adds 15 to 20 minutes; cook poultry to 165 °F (74 °C); and keep cooked food at 140 °F (60 °C) or hotter, refrigerating leftovers within two hours. Dry red kidney beans must be boiled hard for at least 10 minutes before they go into a slow cooker. For other temperatures see the meat doneness chart, and to change quantities use the recipe scaler.
Slow Cooker Conversion Calculator FAQ
How do I convert an oven recipe to a slow cooker?
Match the oven or stovetop time to a band: 15 to 30 minutes becomes 4 to 6 hours on LOW or 1½ to 2½ hours on HIGH; 50 minutes to 3 hours becomes 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 4 to 6 on HIGH. Cut the liquid by a third to a half.
How do I convert LOW to HIGH on a slow cooker?
Halve the time: 8 hours on LOW is about 4 hours on HIGH. HIGH reaches the same temperature sooner, but LOW is more forgiving and gives more tender meat.
How do I convert a slow cooker recipe to the oven?
Choose LOW or HIGH, enter the time, and read the oven or stovetop band. An 8-hour LOW stew is roughly a 1 to 3 hour braise in a covered pot at 150 to 160 °C (300 to 325 °F), with more liquid because oven braising loses more.
How do I convert a slow cooker recipe to a pressure cooker?
Use about a quarter to a third of the stovetop or oven braising time at pressure, plus time to come to pressure and a natural release. It is only an estimate: check your pressure cooker’s manual for the food you are cooking.
Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker?
No. The USDA advises against it because the food stays too long at temperatures where bacteria multiply. Thaw it in the refrigerator first.
Why is my slow cooker dish watery?
Almost nothing evaporates under the lid. Use less liquid next time, cook the last 30 minutes with the lid slightly open, or thicken with cornflour.