How do I keep beef from drying out in a slow cooker?

I made a hunk of beef last night in the slow cooker, with some seasonings, carrots, celery, and onions, all according to a recipe I found. But after cooking it on low for 8 hours, it was incredibly dry. What went wrong, and how do I fix it for the future?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Flenflyys · 31-35, F

Instead of water you should use broth or even a can of cream soup mix works amazingly well. Sounds like you didn’t have enough moisture in there. If you’re home though braising yields way better results though. Could be your cooker also.

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Flenflyys It was a brand new cooker with the idea of turning it on in the morning and having it finished by the time I get back from work. Cream soup sounds interesting though.

Flenflyys · 31-35, F

The it was probably just a crappy recipe. If you have some cooking experience you can tweak it or just find a new one. You can make some really good roasts in a slow cooker just make sure to brown it until a nice crust forms before you put it in for max flavour

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

Ooh, that sounds like a good idea!

CountScrofula · 41-45, M

@FaeLuna If you can spare the five minutes in the morning, browning the sides makes a huge difference for flavour.