Rice cooker is a very useful kitchen appliance for every modern kitchen. Needless to say, you know almost every modern kitchen has at least a rice cooker, right? What you probably don’t know is that rice cookers are nowadays commonly known and used as multicookers.
That’s why you can cook a variety of food in a rice cooker instead of just cooking rice. They have the versatility and cook different foodstuffs evenly.
Can you cook meat in a rice cooker? Of course! You can. The Aroma Housewares ARC-6206C Professional Digital Rice Cooker & Multicooker allows you to cook meat in it. According to foodsafety.gov, ground meat and meat mixtures (lamb, beef, chicken, Turkey, etc) can be cooked at 160 degrees to 165 degrees temperatures. And the average temperature of current rice cooker models is 150 degrees to up.
It means the minimum temperature of the rice cookers has almost reached the necessity. While most rice cookers can be used to cook meat, there are some older models that won’t allow you to do the same job. So, you need to understand if your present rice cooker is ready to do the job.
Can You Cook Raw Meat In A Rice Cooker?
With a rice cooker, you can cook raw meat too. Even you can cook ground beef in a rice cooker to mix with rice and other spicy items. Raw meat gets easily cooked in a rice cooker compared to meatloaves.
What’s The Perfect Size Of A Loaf Of Meat When You Want To Cook In A Rice Cooker?
Have in mind that the rice cooker and the slow cooker are almost the same. So, when your intention is to cook meat in a rice cooker, make sure that the size of each loaf of the meat is perfect for the slow cooking process.
Too much large and fat meatloaf won’t cook properly in a rice cooker. Because, steam won’t get inside the meatloaf even if you cook for a long period of time.
Alternatively, too much thick meatloaf may overcook on a certain period of time which you don’t expect.
Another important matter is when you make meatloaf, make sure that each loaf size is almost the same in terms of size, shape, and weight. This simple rule of thumb will help you cook all the meatloaf exactly and evenly.
Can You Cook Rice And Meat Together?
Of course! You can.
Even, if you want, you can make different recipes mixing rice, meat, and delicious spicy items in a rice cooker. It goes without saying that there are tons of recipes available on the internet on rice and meat.
You can apply each recipe on a daily basis.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Meat In A Rice Cooker?
When it comes to cooking meat in a rice cooker, it’s important to have a clear idea about how long it takes to cook meat in it. And with a rice cooker, both time and temperature are equally important.
While you need between 25 minutes to 35 minutes to cook rice in a rice cooker, you have to consider a little longer time to perfectly cook the meatloaf. However, 45 minutes to 60 minutes is a super-extended time to cook the meat evenly in a rice cooker.
With 150 degrees temperature of a rice cooker, it takes between 30 minutes to 45 minutes to cook a medium size meatloaf. (I mean 3-7 lbs weight meatloaf). Here, what you need to make sure is that you have sized the meatloaf in the right way.
The general rule of thumb is if the temperature goes up gradually, then it may take less time to cook meat. And if the temperature flows following a certain curve, then it’ll be easier for you to understand when the meat is cooked perfectly.
While too much fat and large size meatloaf may take a little bit longer time, too much thin and small size meatloaf, on the other hand, may take less time.
My advice to you is that you measure the time with your rice cooker model. Using a meat thermometer, you’ll be able to make the right decision for you in the future time.
Can You Steam Meat In A Rice Cooker?
Steaming is another alternative method of cooking meat in a rice cooker. Almost every rice cooker comes with a steam basket to steam vegetables and other foodstuffs. However, you can steam meat with the same basket if you want.
Try this bang on!
How To Steam Meat In Rice Cooker:
To steam meat in a rice cooker, you can make different recipes with the meatloaves. No matter what recipe you make, I’m now going to share with you how to steam meat in a rice cooker.
- Wash The meatloaves With Clean Water: first of all, wash all the meatloaves with water so that you can apply them to different recipes.
- Pour Some Water: Now pour some water into the rice cooker. Apply your common sense. Don’t pour too much water in it. Similarly, don’t put a very little amount of water.
- Set The Steam Basket: after pouring water into the rice cooker, now set the steam basket on top.
- Put The meatloaves: Now put the meatloaves decorating on the basket. Apply some delicious spicy items to the meatloaves.
- Place The Lid: Once you’ve done all the job, now place the rice cooker lid.
- Start Steaming: now you’re ready to start streaming. Switch on the rice cooker and start steaming.
Here, if you want, you can set a meat thermometer to check the inside temperature in order to steam the loaf properly.
What To Do If Your Rice Cooker Doesn’t Have A Steam Basket?
Let me tell you that most of the present rice cooker models come with a steam basket so that you can easily steam meat and vegetables.
But the shocking news is that some of the oldest rice cooker models don’t come with a steam basket. And some of you are confused about what to do at this time.
However, if your rice cooker doesn’t have a steam basket, the right size plate can be a great alternative option for you to get the job done. Apply it now.
Can I Fry Meat In A Rice Cooker?
Many of the foodies are nowadays trying to fry meat in their rice cookers. Anyway, you’re never ever allowed to fry meat in a rice cooker. Reason is very simple.
As mentioned previously, a rice cooker is almost the same as a slow cooker so you cannot fry meat in them. To fry meat, oil needs to get hot enough which requires between 350 to 375 °F. A rice cooker will ever allow such high heat.
Overall, never try to fry meat in a rice cooker.
Final Words:
In a nutshell, you can cook, and steam meat in a rice cooker. But never try to fry meat in your rice cooker. There are many more alternative options to frying meat properly.
Feel free to let me know by commenting if you have any more questions that are related to the topic. I’ll help you with the related answer.
Have a nice day with your family members!
You may also want to read:
How To Use A Blender As A Juicer
Can A Blender Be Used As A Juicer
Are Mason Cash Mixing Bowls Ovenproof