Slow cookers are beloved for their set-it-and-forget-it style. The best slow cooker recipes require very little hands-on time and make the machine do all the heavy lifting. Naturally, most of us don’t think twice when a recipe tells us to start with frozen chicken. After all, that’s the point—to let the slow cooker do the work of thawing and cooking the meat. Right? We investigated whether or not you can put frozen meat in a Crock Pot and similar appliances, and the answers might surprise you.

Slow Cooker Safety Guidelines

According to the USDA’s Slow Cookers and Food Safety guidelines, you should always thaw meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker. The agency recommends storing the thawed meat in the refrigerator before adding it in. “The slow cooker may take several hours to reach a safe, bacteria-killing temperature,” the guidelines read. “Constant refrigeration assures that bacteria, which multiply rapidly at room temperature, won’t get a ‘head start’ during the first few hours of cooking.”

The primary concern is that putting frozen meat in the slow cooker increases its chances of entering the “danger zone,” the temperature range between 40° and 140°F where harmful bacteria grow exponentially. Slow cookers operate at temperatures between 170°F and 280°F—well above this zone—but it takes longer for frozen meat or poultry to reach those temperatures than thawed meat, giving it more opportunity to sit in that unsafe temperature range.

Instant Pot Safety Guidelines

Here’s where things get a little murky. The guidelines for the Instant Pot, which can function as a slow cooker, say there’s “no need to defrost the food in the microwave prior to preparing.” The Instant Pot guidelines recommend increasing the cooking time if you’re beginning with frozen food, but do not address any potential hazards. This is perfectly fine advice if you’re using the pressure-cooker function, because a pressure cooker can cook frozen chicken or meat fast enough to avoid the “danger zone.” Still, the Instant Pot’s website doesn’t specify which function the guidelines are referencing.

According to the Instant Pot website, you can cook foods from frozen if you’re using an Instant Pot Air Fryer device or the Instant Indoor Grill and Air Fryer.

Crock Pot Safety Guidelines

Crock Pot, one of the most popular brands of slow cookers, also gives a thumbs-up to the practice. “You can cook frozen meat in a Crock-Pot Slow Cooker, but suggested cook time may need to be increased.” They recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure the meat is well above 165 degrees Fahrenheit. What they fail to address is the time it takes to reach that temperature.

Tips for Cooking Frozen Meat and Chicken

No matter which of the above appliances you’re using—a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot—there are guidelines to keep in mind when cooking meat, chicken and even some fish varieties from frozen. Here are some tips:

• Add extra cooking time when cooking foods from frozen. Generally, you should aim to increase the cook time by about 50 percent.
• Ensure even cooking by adding enough liquid to your appliance to cover the frozen food. Broth works best, as it won’t dilute the flavor of whatever you’re cooking.
• Opt for smaller cuts or chunks of frozen meat or chicken. This will help the frozen food cook faster.
• Avoid any bone-in cuts of meat or chicken, as cooking them from frozen yields an unappealing final product.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure any meat or chicken you’ve cooked from frozen has reached a safe temperature. Approximately 165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safe internal temperature for chicken and turkey, 160 degrees is the safe internal temperature for ground beef, and 145 degrees is the safe internal temperature for pork.
• Don’t use the slow cooker setting on any of these appliances, as that function won’t bring frozen ingredients to a safe internal temperature in a safe amount of time.