Want To Know How Long Does It Take To Cook Potatoes In A Slow Cooker At Home?

If you are new to using a slow cooker, you may be wondering how long it takes to cook some of your favorite dishes. I also felt the same when I bought my own slow cooker. I was doing a lot of running in those days and wanted to load up on carbs, so I was taking a lot of pasta and potatoes. This is what I found after some research:

On high heat, a large baked potato takes 4-5 hours to cook and 8-10 hours on low heat. But if the potatoes are smaller or cut into pieces, the cooking time is between 4 to 5 hours on low heat and 2 to 3 hours on high heat. In short, the answer depends on the power of your slow cooker and the size of the potatoes.

After knowing the answer to the question above, I wanted to learn more about how to make potatoes in a slow cooker. So I did some experiments and tried to make both larger baked as well as smaller baby potatoes. Continue reading to find out how this went and how to make the perfect potatoes in a slow cooker.

So, how long does it take to cook potatoes in a slow cooker?

As I mentioned earlier, this depends on two factors:

• How powerful the slow cooker is
• The size of the potatoes

It’s obvious that the bigger the size of the potato, the longer it will take to cook. I love to make large-baked potatoes in the crock-pot, which has a longer cooking time. It will take far less time to make smaller baby potatoes or those that have been cut into pieces.

Moreover, the power of your slow cooker will have an impact on cooking time. In this article, I talked about cooking on a low heat or high heat, but this depends on your slow cooker’s power and the number of heat settings it has.

Cooking larger ‘baked’ potatoes

Although I prefer baked potatoes, it is so annoying that I need to waiting hours for these to cook. So, I started looking for better ways to cook baked potatoes. After trying some other methods, I realize that the advice of cooking potatoes for 8-10 hours on a low heat and 4-5 hours on a high heat is on point. Here’s how I cook larger ‘baked’ potatoes:

1. You wash your potatoes and dry using a paper towel before putting them in the slow cooker.
2. Prick them all over with a fork. This is a crucial step in order to let the steam escape as the potatoes slowly cook.
3. You may want to apply some oil on the potato skins to give them that crisp texture you desire. I love using olive oil for this.
4. Before you put the potatoes inside your slow cooker, wrap them one-by-one in tin foil. Doing this can aid the cooking process.
5. Place the potatoes in the slow cooker and ensure that it’s covered with the lid. Cook them for about 8 to 10 hours on a low heat and 4 to 5 hours on a high heat.
6. Now, your potatoes should be done and ready to be eaten. Take off the tin foil and cut the potatoes open.
7. You can serve your tasty baked potatoes with anything you want!

Cooking smaller/chopped-up potatoes

It is also very easy to cook smaller potatoes in the crock-pot, and in my opinion, they taste better than baked ones! Since I purchased my slow cooker, I have been making my potatoes this way.

The cooking time of chopped-up potatoes is shorter than that of large potatoes. As I have already said, smaller or chopped up potatoes takes 4-5 hours to cook on a low heat and 2-3 hours on a high heat.

1. Since you are going to cook the potatoes with the skin on, first give them a thorough rinse. However, you can also peel them off if that’s how you like it.
2. Cut the potatoes into two, or leave them as they are if they’re small.
3. Use a non-stick spray to coat the inside of your slow cooker.
4. Cover your potatoes with a little amount of oil (I prefer olive oil).
5. Add seasoning to the potatoes. (Sometimes, I only add salt and pepper, and many times, I go with paprika)
6. Put the potatoes in the cooker
7. Cook for 4-5 hours on low heat and 2 to 3 hours on high heat.
8. Then serve the potatoes. Sometimes, I like to have these alone with cheese and butter.

Cooking mashed potatoes with a slow cooker

Aside from smaller potatoes and larger baked ones, a slow cooker can also be used to make mashed potatoes. I’ve done this a couple of times, and it’s simple to do. I realize that the potatoes can be mashed once they have cooked inside the slow cooker for some time.

1. First of all, peel off the potatoes since you will be mashing them directly in the cooker.
2. Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces, based on the size
3. Use a non-stick spray to coat the inside of the slow cooker
4. Place the potatoes inside the cooker and add little water and butter. You can also add some salt and water for seasoning.
5. Cook for 4-5 hours on low heat and 2-3 hours on high heat.
6. Next, mash the potatoes inside the slow cooker and add little milk to get a very creamy consistency.
7. Serve the mashed potatoes hot or keep on a low heat till you’re ready to eat.

These are ideal served with Meatloaf, as we suggested in this article here.

Related Questions

Do you need to boil potatoes before putting them in a slow cooker?

No. You don’t have to boil potatoes before you place them inside in the slow cooker. Although doing this will reduce cooking time, the purpose of using a slow cooker will be defeated. Boiling and then cooking potatoes inside a slow cooker would overcook them. So, it is not advisable.

Does a slow cooker require liquid to operate?

Generally, slow cookers don’t need liquid to work. If you want to cook potatoes, you don’t have to put any liquid inside the cooker aside from non-stick spray used to coat it.  Water doesn’t evaporate in a slow cooker as it does in an open pan, and cooking meat in a crock-pot containing a lot of water can dry it out.

Can I put aluminum foil in a slow cooker?

Sure. There is no harm in using aluminum foil in your slow cooker. You can use it to wrap big potatoes if you want to make baked potatoes. Doing this aids cooking and makes cleaning the cooker much easier.

Hopefully, now we’ve answered for you the question of how long does it take to cook potatoes in a slow cooker and you’re now better informed!