Slow cooker → Oven
Slow cooker to oven conversion
No slow cooker, or no time? Enter the hours and the setting from the recipe and get the oven time at 325°F, covered.
8 h on Low is about
In the oven at 325°F (160°C)
2 h
usually 1 h 40 min – 2 h 20 min
Or at 350°F (175°C)
1 h 40 min
Hotter oven, shorter time, more browning
Heat scale: slow cooker Low is about 200°F, a pressure cooker about 240°F, slow cooker High about 300°F, oven 325°F.
- Use a lid. A covered Dutch oven or a foil-covered dish is what makes this conversion work. Uncovered, the liquid boils away.
- Liquid: add about a third more than the slow cooker recipe calls for. Ovens lose moisture even under a lid.
- Check early. Ovens vary more than slow cookers. Start checking at the low end of the range and pull it when a fork goes in without resistance.
The full Low and High table
Every row is the same arithmetic the calculator uses: 15 minutes per hour on Low, 30 minutes per hour on High, never less than 30 minutes, at 325°F with a lid.
| Slow cooker | On Low → oven | On High → oven |
|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 30 min | 30 min |
| 2 h | 30 min | 1 h |
| 3 h | 45 min | 1 h 30 min |
| 4 h | 1 h | 2 h |
| 5 h | 1 h 15 min | 2 h 30 min |
| 6 h | 1 h 30 min | 3 h |
| 7 h | 1 h 45 min | 3 h 30 min |
| 8 h | 2 h | 4 h |
| 9 h | 2 h 15 min | 4 h 30 min |
| 10 h | 2 h 30 min | 5 h |
| 11 h | 2 h 45 min | 5 h 30 min |
| 12 h | 3 h | 6 h |
Every time on Low and High, in detail
One row per recipe time. The range is when to start checking and when it should be done; 350°F is about 15% shorter and browns more. The last column is what recipes of that length typically are.
On Low
| Recipe says | Oven, 325°F covered | Check from – done by | At 350°F | Typical dishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h on Low | 30 min | 25 min – 35 min | 25 min | warm dips and queso, meatballs in sauce, glazed carrots |
| 2 h on Low | 30 min | 25 min – 35 min | 25 min | warm dips and queso, meatballs in sauce, glazed carrots |
| 3 h on Low | 45 min | 40 min – 50 min | 40 min | chicken breasts in sauce, creamy pasta bakes, sausage and peppers |
| 4 h on Low | 1 h | 50 min – 1 h 10 min | 50 min | chicken breasts in sauce, creamy pasta bakes, sausage and peppers |
| 5 h on Low | 1 h 15 min | 1 h 5 min – 1 h 25 min | 1 h 5 min | chicken thighs, chili, pulled chicken |
| 6 h on Low | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 15 min – 1 h 45 min | 1 h 15 min | chicken thighs, chili, pulled chicken |
| 7 h on Low | 1 h 45 min | 1 h 30 min – 2 h | 1 h 30 min | pot roast, beef stew, pulled pork |
| 8 h on Low | 2 h | 1 h 40 min – 2 h 20 min | 1 h 40 min | pot roast, beef stew, pulled pork |
| 9 h on Low | 2 h 15 min | 1 h 55 min – 2 h 35 min | 1 h 55 min | pork shoulder, brisket, short ribs |
| 10 h on Low | 2 h 30 min | 2 h 10 min – 2 h 55 min | 2 h 10 min | pork shoulder, brisket, short ribs |
| 11 h on Low | 2 h 45 min | 2 h 20 min – 3 h 10 min | 2 h 20 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 12 h on Low | 3 h | 2 h 35 min – 3 h 25 min | 2 h 35 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
On High
| Recipe says | Oven, 325°F covered | Check from – done by | At 350°F | Typical dishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h on High | 30 min | 25 min – 35 min | 25 min | warm dips and queso, meatballs in sauce, glazed carrots |
| 2 h on High | 1 h | 50 min – 1 h 10 min | 50 min | chicken breasts in sauce, creamy pasta bakes, sausage and peppers |
| 3 h on High | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 15 min – 1 h 45 min | 1 h 15 min | chicken thighs, chili, pulled chicken |
| 4 h on High | 2 h | 1 h 40 min – 2 h 20 min | 1 h 40 min | pot roast, beef stew, pulled pork |
| 5 h on High | 2 h 30 min | 2 h 10 min – 2 h 55 min | 2 h 10 min | pork shoulder, brisket, short ribs |
| 6 h on High | 3 h | 2 h 35 min – 3 h 25 min | 2 h 35 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 7 h on High | 3 h 30 min | 3 h – 4 h | 3 h | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 8 h on High | 4 h | 3 h 25 min – 4 h 35 min | 3 h 25 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 9 h on High | 4 h 30 min | 3 h 50 min – 5 h 10 min | 3 h 50 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 10 h on High | 5 h | 4 h 15 min – 5 h 45 min | 4 h 15 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 11 h on High | 5 h 30 min | 4 h 40 min – 6 h 20 min | 4 h 40 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
| 12 h on High | 6 h | 5 h 5 min – 6 h 55 min | 5 h 5 min | bone broth, overnight oats, large brisket |
How to cook a slow cooker recipe in the oven
- Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Use a Dutch oven or a deep baking dish you can cover tightly. (Cooking in a Dutch oven? The slow cooker to Dutch oven converter also works out the liquid, and covers the stovetop.)
- Brown the meat and soften the onions on the stovetop first if the recipe skips it. The oven will brown a little on its own, but a sear adds the flavor a slow cooker never gets.
- Add the liquid from the recipe plus about a third more. It should come a third to halfway up the solids, not cover them.
- Cover and cook for the converted time. Do not open the oven for the first hour. For a converted time of 2 hours or more (8+ hours on Low, 4+ on High), check the liquid once at the halfway mark; shorter conversions mostly heat through, so the risk is drying out, not undercooking.
- Check from the low end of the range. Meat is done when a fork twists in without resistance; for poultry and casseroles use a thermometer (165°F and 160°F).
- Too thin at the end? Lid off, 15 more minutes, or reduce the sauce on the stovetop.
Common questions
▸Is the crockpot to oven conversion different from a slow cooker?
No. Crock-Pot is a brand name that became the everyday American word for the appliance, so a crockpot to oven conversion and a slow cooker to oven conversion are the same calculation: 15 minutes at 325°F for every hour on Low, 30 minutes for every hour on High. Brands differ a little in how hot High runs, which is why you check with a thermometer rather than trusting the clock, but the arithmetic does not change.
▸What temperature should the oven be when converting from a slow cooker?
325°F (160°C) with a lid on. It holds the food at about the same gentle simmer as a slow cooker. Use 350°F if you want more browning, and shorten the time by about 15%. Avoid going above 350°F: the outside dries before the inside is tender.
▸Do I need to add liquid when cooking a slow cooker recipe in the oven?
Yes, roughly a third more. Even a covered Dutch oven loses moisture, while a slow cooker loses almost none. If the sauce is too thin at the end, take the lid off for the last 15 minutes.
▸Can I use a baking dish with foil instead of a Dutch oven?
Yes. A deep baking dish covered tightly with foil works for casseroles, chicken and most stews. For long braises (over 2 hours) a heavy pot with a real lid gives more even heat and less scorching at the edges.
▸How do I convert slow cooker time on Warm?
You don't. Warm holds food at about 165°F and does no cooking. If a recipe says 'then Warm for 2 hours', ignore that part when converting to the oven and simply rest the dish, covered, on the counter for 20 minutes.