One of the most important kitchen appliances I own is a crock pot.
Now-a-days the “set it and forget it” appliances are quite popular, and that is why crock pots can be found in almost every household.
Crock Pot is a brand of slow cookers that made its first appearance in the market in the 1970s.
Their cookers have a stoneware pot surrounded by a heating element. The brand became so famous that now slow cookers are mostly known by its name!
Crock pots are pretty handy gadgets that make my hectic life easier.
I just load my meal before leaving for work and find a tasty meal waiting for me when I get back home.
Crock pots not only give me a set and forget convenience but also offer meals with advanced flavours and nutrition.
Their cooking style is different from conventional cooking.
The use of relatively low temperature preserves nutrients and thus, the food tastes better.
The flavours develop over time and I get a scrumptious meal as I get home from work!
Crock pots have many uses inside our kitchen but can you deep fry in a crock pot?
Let us take a look at this question in detail.
Can You Deep Fry In A Crock Pot?
Crock pots are slow cookers and designed for “set it and forget it” ideology. It may take four to six hours to just reach the optimum temperature for cooking depending on your settings.
The idea behind this technology is to just simmer or boil until the food is ready. Thus, after hours of cooking in this state you will obtain a nutritious meal full of advanced flavours as an end result.
If you leave your crockpot cooking for 8 to 12 hours and then come back, there will be no mess and you’ll find a well cooked nutritious meal inside. It is relatively safe to cook for much longer hours than pressure cookers.
Pressure cookers can be dangerous at times as there have been instances of exploding and serious injuries related to these.
The optimum cooking temperature in a slow cooker is between 175-200 degrees Fahrenheit while deep frying temperature is
350 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, it is impossible for crock pots to reach such high temperature conditions. Hence, you cannot deep fry in a crock pot!
It takes too long to even try reaching this temperature and even the temperature at their peak isn’t enough.
I was so sure about this until I found some recipes on the internet which were an exception! Do you want to know what deep fried recipes you can make using your crock pot?
Crunchy Crock Pot Fried Chicken Recipe-
Yes it is possible to make fried chicken in your own crock pot! This recipe is quite simple and if you follow it correctly, you can enjoy a scrumptious plate of crispy fried chicken at home.
Combine all-purpose flour, salt, garlic powder, oregano and power in a bowl. Pat the chicken dry and coat it evenly with this mixture. In a skillet, melt the better and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer it to your crock pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Voila! You can now savour your home-made delectable crispy fried chicken.
I’d like to suggest that you keep checking the chicken every now and then so that you don’t overcook your chicken.
Credit SpendWithPennies
Another recipe that completely took me by surprise was Crock Pot French Fries and Wedges!
Crock Pot French Fries and Wedges-
French fries can be made using your crock pot in just 40 minutes! All you need to do is put them in the pot and leave them for the allotted time.
Another similar recipe is of Potato wedges that can be deep fried too.
One important suggestion I would like to make is to use healthy oils like Vegetable oil, corn oil or olive oil because the oil tends to get more time which may result in it seeping into the food.
Thus you would like to make sure that the oil being used should be a healthy alternative.
Final Thoughts-
Crock pots are a brand of slow cookers that are used to cook delicious meals using non-conventional methods of cooking.
By using this kitchen appliance, you can ensure not losing the nutritious value of your meals.
Also, the meals that you prepare are not only loaded with natural flavours but are also quite healthy!
Basic crock pots come with two settings- low and high.
Over the years, newer models come with advanced technology and are equipped with digital timers and enhancements that make it possible for you to control them using your phone.
Crock pots take nearly four to six hours to make your food ready.
They were designed to simmer or boil the vegetables, soups etc.
Recently people have been curious about the other uses of crock pots.
One such use of crock pot that has always been questionable is deep frying.
Here’s the answer – You can’t use a crock pot for deep frying. I have already explained why. But there are some exceptions such as french fries, fried chicken and potato wedges.
So you must try these recipes at home and find out whether your crock pot is suitable for deep frying or not!