Do I need to cook ground beef for chilli before i make it in my slow cooker?

Question

A lot of recipes call for the ground beef to be browned before i put everything in my crock pot... anyone know?

Answer 1

I do otherwise it could be extremly greasy i think that is why u cook it before hand to make sure u let out all the excess grease or it could be greasy chili... i always do and i use ground turkey in my chili instead of ground beef because it is healthier and cheaper to buy and no one knows the difference... that is what i like about it...

Answer 2

You definately need to cook ground meats before adding to crock pot/slow cooker. Otherwise you will end up with about an inch layer of grease and fat on the top of your chili. Season abd brown the meat, drain well, then add to rest of recipe in crock pot.

Answer 3

Yes you need to brown the hamburger and drain before putting it in the slow cooker. Every time I make chili it is always a little different, but always good! Add 3 cans of beans I usually use kidney, red, and chili beans. You can pretty much use whatever kind of beans you want though. one can of stewed tomatoes (or crushed) and one can of tomato sauce 1 - 2 cans of green chilies diced onion hot peppers if you like it spicy. sprinkle with cheyenne, chili powder, salt, pepper, and a little cumin. I would let this cook on low all day long. If you don't have all day turn the heat up a little and don't cook as long. The longer it cooks with all of the ingredients together the better it will taste! Good luck.

Answer 4

Technically, no, you don't have to brown it before you put it in the crockpot.
But I would recommend it.
Even when I make a pot roast, I pat a little flour on the roast and brown on all sides before I put it in the crockpot.
The browning makes a wonderful flavor.
So browning the ground meat would help you to break it up more and enhance the flavor and remove any excess grease.
But if you were just in a super hurry, it wouldn't hurt anything.

Answer 5

Ground beef should be cooked separate then drain off fatty oils then add to crock pot(slow-cooker). with other ingredients... whats better is use stewing meat! cooked ahead of time then add!

Answer 6

I would definately cook it first. It isn't a necessity because the meat will cook through in the cooker. However, if you do not, your meat will be grey colored as well as relatively flavorless. Plus the over all recipe will be much greasier and have a lot more fat content.

Answer 7

no not if your going to cook it for the 6-8 hours if you want to cook it first to drain off the grease,you could do that but in my opinion, the ground beef fat adds alot of flavor!~... but allow extra room for the grease from the meat...

Answer 8

I would. It will allow you to drain the extra fat out of the beef before adding it to the cooker.

Answer 9

No, but if you don't brown it first please use very lean ground beef. If you brown it first the color will be better and (Most important) browned meat has more flavor than meat that has just been simmered or boiled.

Answer 10

I always Do That way you can drain the Fat off !