How To Fully Cook Ground Beef In A Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are one of the handiest kitchen inventions, especially for those of us that don't love a whole lot of active hands-on cooking. They do most of the work for us while we get on with our day, and all that's required is a bit of time for juicy and tender results. Plus, there are so many surprising foods you can make in the slow cooker that it's definitely worth the investment and extra kitchen space. 

If you have some ground beef waiting to be used, you can also use your slow cooker to transform it into a tasty and tender dish. It's a great way to cook a large batch in one go for meal prep, too. And it's perfectly safe, since ground beef needs to be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (per the USDA), and most slow cookers operate at 170 to 280 degrees Fahrenheit for a lengthy period.

Simply put the ground beef, optional seasonings, and water into the slow cooker and a few hours later, your beef will be slow cooked to juicy perfection. Break up the beef – a potato masher works well for this — then cook it, drain it, and voilà! Ready-to-serve meat. Unlike with larger cuts, you don't even need to brown it first. Depending on how much time you have, you can either cook the beef on high for around three hours, or on low for closer to six hours. Of course, this will also change depending on the quantity you're cooking.

If you want extra flavor in your ground beef, add in some seasonings depending on what you're planning to make with it. For Mexican inspired dishes, add in a pack of flavorful taco seasoning, or make your own with paprika, salt, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. To make the meat taste like homemade burgers, add in spices like paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. For something like Asian beef bowls, add some brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced ginger, and preferred spices.

While adding some water or broth is optional, it's definitely necessary if you're using lean beef — this is what will keep it nice and juicy. An occasional stir will ensure the beef is cooking completely evenly, but you won't ruin your dish if you have better things to do.

The slow cooker method is great for meal prepping and planning ahead, since the cooked beef will keep for three to four days in the fridge or up to four months in the freezer (per the USDA). A great space-saving tip is to place desired portions in sandwich bags and press them down before freezing. There you have it — another reason to love your slow cooker.