Can I Turn My Crock Pot Up From Low To High While Cooking Meats

<i>Photo via Getty</i> — *Photo via Getty*

Crock-Pots, along with other slow-cookers, take fast become household favourites due to their simple cooking processes — simply sometimes taking kitchen shortcuts have their ramifications.

The internet is filled with boring-melt recipes that start with frozen poultry, for instance, but the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says tossing a frozen craven into the slow cooker isn't a practiced idea.

As we know, eating undercooked chicken can prove harmful because of microorganisms such as Salmonella, which alive in the flesh and can crusade food-borne illnesses.

"Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker," reads the Slow Cooker and Food Safe guidelines from the USDA'southward Food Safety and Inspection Service — a warning that protects confronting undercooked poultry.

ALSO SEE: Afterwards beingness fat-shamed on a flight, this woman dropped 71 lbs

If this training method is news to you, you're not solitary — despite the potential danger, Crock-Pots don't list the adventure on their labels.

Reverse to the USDA's guidelines, a Crock-Pot rep told TODAY: "You lot tin can melt frozen meat in whatever Crock-Pot brand product," but suggested melt time may need to be increased.

The company recommends using a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is "well higher up" 165 degrees before consumption, adding, "We recommend that you refer to your product'due south instruction manual besides for specific instructions and guidance."

As well SEE: The size blogger irresolute the way we experience most 'fatty'

Kitchenware manufacturers Instant Pot agree. When asked if it was OK to cook frozen craven in an Instant Pot, a visitor customer service rep said the practice is definitely safe as long as you add together an boosted five minutes to the cooking time.

And then who do nosotros believe? Turns out food experts have differing opinions. The National Chicken Council, says "it is entirely safety to prepare frozen chicken in a slow cooker or Crock-Pot as long are you are familiar with the make and model of the device."

"Information technology is safe to cook a frozen chicken in a slow cooker," Quin Patton, a food scientist formerly with PepsiCo, said. "You lot just demand to make sure the internal temperature gets up to 165 degrees at some point during the cooking procedure."

Notwithstanding, other experts say it's the fact that the craven doesn't estrus upward to a safety temperature quickly plenty that's the problem — if it spends too much fourth dimension thawing in the "danger zone" information technology tin can cause major problems.

"The danger zone is defined as the temperature range betwixt xl degrees and 140 degrees where leaner abound most rapidly — and can double in number in a matter of minutes. Pamela Ellgen, author of The Good for you Wearisome Cooker Cookbook cites salmonella and staphylococcus aureus equally mutual culprits and says they can fifty-fifty contaminate other foods cooked aslope the chicken in the tedious cooker," explains TODAY. "While the bacteria volition most probable be killed when the chicken reaches 165 degrees, the toxins they grow can be heat-resistant. According to the USDA, these toxins, not the leaner that produce them, crusade food-borne illnesses."

So while it might be tempting to toss frozen chicken into a slow cooker while monitoring temperature, following the USDA guidelines will aid cut down the likelihood of harmful bacteria developing in your dish.

Allow us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!