How to Cook Ground Beef in a Crock Pot

See how easy it is to cook ground beef in a crock pot. Using your slow cooker to prepare ground beef is a smart way to meal prep and make family dinners easier.

Ground beef can be used for so many things, from soups to tacos. No matter what you are using your ground beef for, cooking it in a crock pot can be a really great way to bring out the flavors, and it’s not too difficult. Still, if you’ve never used a crock pot or it’s your first time using it for ground beef, you are probably wondering where to start.

The rest of this article gives you more insight into how to cook ground beef in a crock pot and how to know when it’s done so that you can get the best ground beef possible, even as a beginner.

This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

How long should you cook ground beef in a crock pot?

Generally, ground beef will need to be cooked for 2-6 hours in the crock pot. The amount of time it needs depends on the amount you are cooking and the setting you are using. If you are cooking it on the High setting, it will be 2-3 hours. If you use the Low setting, it will be 4-6 hours. 

How should you prepare ground beef for the crock pot?

When it comes to cooking ground beef in a crock pot, you don’t really have to do much preparing. Unless the ground beef needs to be thawed, you can simply break the raw meat up and put it straight in the crock pot, along with water and any seasonings you want to add. Then you turn the crock pot on and let it get to work.

Typically, you should be adding about 1/4 cup of water per pound of ground beef to your crock pot. So if you were using 3 pounds of ground beef, you would add 3/4 cup of water. Water is important to keep the meat tender and soft, and if you leave it out, you would end up with dry and tough ground beef.

When it comes to seasonings, you can add them in right away or wait until after the beef is cooked. Adding the seasonings right away will make them soak into the meat a bit more and leave you with a stronger flavor, but this isn’t completely necessary. If you’re adding the meat into another dish with its own seasoning, sometimes it’s best to just leave it unseasoned beforehand.

Other than this, there is no preparation involved to cook your ground beef in a crock pot. It doesn’t need to be browned beforehand, though some recipes will recommend it if you are looking for more of a caramelized flavor. 

Either way, preparing ground beef for the crock pot is really simple and doesn’t take up much of your time. You can make clean up even easier by using slow cooker liners each time you use your crock pot.

What are the benefits of using a crock pot to cook ground beef?

Crock pots will make the meat very tender and flavorful compared to if you were to cook it on a stovetop or oven. Despite the fact that crock pots are used for longer periods of time when cooking food, they actually take up less electricity than an oven. Plus, it’s easy to just put the meat in the crock pot and ignore it until it’s ready.

You may have heard that cooking “low and slow” makes meat taste better, and this really is accurate. Since crock pots cook for a long time on lower heat, it will make the meat more tender and bring out its flavors. This is great if you can’t seem to get the texture or flavor of the ground beef right when cooking it on a stovetop or in the oven. 

It may come as a surprise to you that crock pots actually use less energy than ovens. On average, a crock pot will use about 150-210 watts of power per use, whereas an oven uses about 1,000-5,000 watts. So this is a great energy efficient option if you are trying to conserve the amount of power that you use.

How do you know if your ground beef is cooked all the way?

Ground beef cooked in a crock pot should look similar to ground beef that was cooked on a skillet or in an oven. It will be browned all over and not have any pink spots. If you have a meat thermometer, you can use it and the beef should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to be considered done.

Using a thermometer is the best way to tell if meat is cooked all the way through. Just stick the thermometer into the middle of the meat, making sure that it’s in one of the thickest areas. If it says that the meat is 160 degrees Fahrenheit or more, it means that it’s definitely cooked all the way through and you can eat it.

Can you overcook ground beef with a crock pot?

You can definitely overcook ground beef with a crock pot. If it’s left in too long, it will not be as juicy or tender. It’s even possible to burn your meat in a crock pot, but this will only happen if you don’t add water or if you leave it in for a very long time.

If you leave your ground beef in the crock pot for too long, the most common thing that happens is that it will dry out. This is why it’s crucial to make sure that you take your beef out at the exact right time. Luckily it won’t get overcooked too quickly, but it’s still important to get it out before this happens so that it can be nice and tender.

Cooking your ground beef in a crock pot is super easy and can be a lot nicer than an oven or stovetop. It takes less power, doesn’t take much effort, and results in juicy and flavorful meat. Though it takes more time, it still takes minimal effort and is very worth it in the end.

We hope that this article has helped you learn all about cooking beef in a crock pot so that you can feel confident when you eventually try it out.

---

Charlie and Courtney founded Prepared Cooks in 2020 as an informational food blog that helps answer some of the most common food questions. They strive to publish content that focuses on the simple and essential tips for preparing cooks, from beginners to experts!