SlowCookerConverter

Free cooking-time calculator

Slow cooker to oven converter, and back again

Turn hours on Low or High into oven minutes at 325°F, convert any oven recipe to slow cooker time, or get Instant Pot minutes from a slow cooker recipe. Pick a direction and enter the time.

45 min at 350°F in the oven is about

On High

1 h 30 min

usually 1 h – 2 h

On Low

3 h

usually 2 h – 4 h

Heat scale: slow cooker Low is about 200°F, a pressure cooker about 240°F, slow cooker High about 300°F, oven 325°F.

  • Liquid: Cut the liquid by about a third. A slow cooker lid traps steam, so a recipe written for the oven will come out watery if you use the full amount.
  • Heat: Standard 350°F oven heat converts well. High runs close to a 300°F oven; Low sits near 200°F, which is why it takes twice as long.
  • This dish: Tough cuts love the long Low setting. Sear first for color; the slow cooker won't brown anything.

The rules behind the numbers

Every slow cooker manufacturer prints the same conversion table, and it has held up for forty years: one hour in the oven is about two hours on High or four hours on Low. It applies to any pot of this kind, whether yours says Crock-Pot on the lid or not; crockpot is simply what most American kitchens call a slow cooker, after the brand that got there first. Going the other way, each hour on Low is worth 15 minutes in a 325°F oven and each hour on High is worth 30 minutes. The calculator applies those ratios, then adds a floor (a slow cooker needs 60 to 90 minutes just to reach cooking temperature, so nothing converts to less than 1.5 hours on High) and a cap by dish type, because chicken breasts do not get better after hour four no matter what the arithmetic says.

Slow cooker Low and High both end at the same simmer, about 209°F, and differ only in how fast they get there. That is why the two settings are interchangeable at a 2:1 ratio and why a covered 325°F oven, which holds the food at a similar gentle simmer, is the standard substitute for either. If a recipe says 400°F or above, it was relying on browning, which a slow cooker cannot do. Sear first.

Quick conversion chart

Oven or stovetopSlow cooker HighSlow cooker Low
15–30 min1½–2½ h4–6 h
35–45 min3–4 h6–8 h
50 min–3 h4–6 h8–12 h

The full version, including Instant Pot minutes and safe temperatures, is on the printable slow cooker conversion chart. Cooking in a Dutch oven instead? The slow cooker to Dutch oven converter covers the oven and the stovetop and tells you how much liquid to add.

Safe temperatures, whichever way you cook

Time is a guess; temperature is the answer. Whichever direction you convert, pull the dish when it reads these numbers on an instant-read thermometer.

FoodPull atNote
Chicken and turkey165°F / 74°CThighs are better at 175°F+
Pork chops, loin145°F / 63°CRest 3 minutes
Pulled pork, pork shoulder200–205°F / 93–96°CCollagen has broken down
Beef stew, pot roast, brisket195–205°F / 90–96°CFork-tender, not just 'safe'
Ground meat (chili, meatballs)160°F / 71°C
Casseroles with egg or dairy160°F / 71°CCenter should be set

Common questions

▸How do I convert slow cooker time to oven time?

Count 15 minutes of oven time at 325°F for every hour on Low, and 30 minutes for every hour on High. So 8 hours on Low becomes about 2 hours in a covered Dutch oven at 325°F, and 4 hours on High is also about 2 hours. Add a little extra liquid and check for fork-tenderness from the low end of the range.

▸What oven temperature equals a slow cooker on Low or High?

A slow cooker on Low holds the food at roughly 200°F (95°C); on High it reaches about 300°F (150°C). Both settings end at the same temperature, High just gets there faster. In an oven, 325°F (160°C) with a lid on is the standard substitute for either setting. A 300°F oven runs closest to Low; 350°F works if you want more browning and can shorten the time by about 15%.

▸What is 4 hours on High in the oven?

About 2 hours at 325°F, covered. Check at 1 hour 45 minutes. This is the classic window for pot roast, chili, chicken thighs and pulled chicken.

▸What is 8 hours on Low in the oven?

About 2 hours at 325°F in a covered Dutch oven, or 1 hour 45 minutes at 350°F. Pulled pork, beef stew and bean dishes written for 8 hours on Low all land here.

▸How do I convert an oven recipe to the slow cooker?

Multiply the oven time by 2 for High and by 4 for Low, with a floor of about 1.5 hours on High because the cooker needs an hour just to heat up. A 45-minute oven recipe becomes about 1.5 hours on High or 3 hours on Low. Cut the liquid by about a third, since nothing evaporates under a slow cooker lid, and sear meat first if the recipe relied on oven browning.

▸Is one hour on High the same as two hours on Low?

Close enough for planning. The 2:1 ratio is the rule every manufacturer prints, and our calculator uses it. For tough cuts the Low version usually tastes better because collagen breaks down more evenly over the longer time; for chicken and dairy dishes High is safer because they spend less time drying out.

▸Can I put my slow cooker's ceramic insert in the oven?

Most stoneware inserts are oven-safe to around 400°F, but not the lid (usually glass with a plastic knob) and never on a stovetop burner. Check the manual for your model. A cast-iron Dutch oven with a lid is the safer choice for oven conversions.

▸Why is my converted recipe watery?

Because a slow cooker lid traps almost all the steam. Recipes written for the oven assume evaporation. Reduce the liquid by a third when converting to the slow cooker, or leave the lid slightly ajar for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Slow cooker to oven, by the hour

Oven to slow cooker, by the minute