Avoid Soggy Slow Cooker Meals With This Easy Towel Trick

Slow cookers are a fabulous tool for whipping up everything from perfect baked potatoes to comforting and easy fall recipes with minimal effort and maximum flavor. However, one common complaint is that the moist, low-and-slow cooking method produces overly soggy meals. Slow cooker fare can turn out watery because the sealed environment means condensation tends to collect on the inside of the pot lid and then drip back into the dish. Luckily, this watery fate is totally preventable. Soggy slow cooker meals can be easily avoided with a simple towel trick, according to Susan "Lazy Susan" Goldenberg, owner, recipe tester, and blogger at The Lazy Slow Cooker. 

"Placing a towel under the lid of your slow cooker is a great idea when you are trying to reduce some of the moisture that settles on top of a typical slow-cooked recipe," Goldenberg told The Takeout. "The towel absorbs the moisture that would normally condense on the inside of the lid." This means the liquid won't drip back into your dish, resulting in thicker and more flavorful fare.

Placing a towel under the lid of your slow cooker is an incredibly low-effort way to prevent watered down food. A simple tea towel should do the trick, even just for the last couple hours of cooking, and you can replace it as necessary if it gets too wet. 

As simple and effective as this towel trick is, it's not necessary for every slow cooker dish. A little extra moisture is usually no sweat in soups and stews, but no one wants wet brownies (yes, you can make brownies and cinnamon rolls in your slow cooker). "I use this method most often for baking-type recipes," Susan Goldenberg noted. "This technique definitely dries out the cooking environment a bit."

In addition to the towel trick, Goldenberg offered another easy technique for avoiding soggy slow cooker food without lifting a finger. "Cook for the last hour or so with the lid slightly askew (or even off completely)," she advised. "This will allow some of the moisture in your dish to evaporate more naturally." With these expert tricks, you're ready to whip up perfectly moist (but never soggy) slow cooker meals every time. If you're looking for other ways to up your slow cooker game, avoid these common slow cooker mistakes that can ruin your food.