Can I Put a Frozen Pork Roast in the Crockpot?

One of the best aspects of using a crock pot for cooking is the dump ‘n go aspect of it all. However, not every crock pot recipe is an easy dump ‘n go recipe, especially if meat is involved. The question is, can I put a frozen pork roast in the crockpot?

Can I put a frozen pork roast in the crockpot? Learn how to get the most from your easy crockpot recipes. What is a dump ‘n go crockpot recipe? The idea of a crockpot is to put ingredients into the crockpot, turn it on, and let it cook for hours.

That long cooking time frees us up to run errands, go to work, or just relax and do absolutely nothing. We can then serve ourselves once the recipe is done. That is a huge benefit for productive, busy, or unskilled home cooks.

However, not every crock pot recipe is that simple. In fact, some recipes require us to brown meat, steam veggies, or even bake something before starting the crockpot. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we lose the ability to just set it and forget it.

That is what makes a crockpot recipe a dump ‘n go recipe. Any slow cooker recipe that involves us just opening ingredients, dumping them into a crockpot, and then turning it on is a dump ‘n go recipe.

We all know that frozen meat should not be cooked straight from the freezer, but does the low and slow cooking method change that? Can I put a frozen pork roast in the crockpot?

What Happens if You Cook Meat That isn’t Fully Thawed?

We all believe that we can’t take meat from the freezer and toss it into an oven to cook. However, it isn’t that we can’t because we absolutely can put meat in the oven straight from the freezer. However, there are many reasons we shouldn’t.

The first is that it would take longer to cook using traditional methods. The meat is frozen inside and out, but it is almost never frozen to the same degree throughout. This means that cooking frozen meat could easily result in uneven cooking. Uneven cooking causes a problem, a bacterial problem.

Why Does it Say Not to Cook From Frozen?

Can I put a frozen pork roast in the crockpot? One of the biggest problems with cooking meat straight from the freezer is the cooking time. We have to double the cooking time, which is a pain, but that also means we may end up overcooked on the outside and still dangerous to eat on the inside.

What makes it dangerous to eat meat that is cooked unevenly? Time to get a bit on the gross side. Meat is home to plenty of bacteria that can cause illness or even worse. We cook meat to specific temperatures to ensure we’ve killed all of the bacteria on the outside and the inside.

Meat that is cooked unevenly may still contain bacteria, and no one wants that.

Foodborne Illness from Frozen Meat

We are searching for the answer to the question, “can I put frozen pork roast in the crockpot?” However, it is important to note why we don’t put frozen pork in an oven. Foodborne illness is the answer.

Raw meat can contain bacteria that cause illness, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, as well as a parasite called Trichinella. Fortunately, the parasite dies off when the meat is frozen for a while.

Unfortunately, the bacteria don’t. In fact, slowly heating up the meat allows bacteria to rapidly grow, increasing the odds of sickness.

Can I Put a Frozen Pork Roast in the Crockpot?

The answer isn’t so simple. Technically, yes, you can put a frozen pork roast in a crockpot since it cooks for a long period of time anyway. We did mention that you need to double the cooking time, so the crockpot seems like the perfect solution.

However, we are still increasing the risk of the meat cooking unevenly. This means the bacteria will grow faster, and we may get sick. Has it been done? Sure, there are even plenty of recipes that tell you to cook a pork roast straight from the freezer.

However, you are risking your health with every bite. There may be times when you get away safely, but is it worth the risk? That’s for you to decide. Can you put frozen pork roast in the crockpot? Yes. Is it safe to eat meat that was cooked from frozen? No. 

​Pork Recipes to Try

Easy Pork Loin Recipes For The Slow Cooker | Thaw the meat first, and then try it out in one of these delicious pork recipes.

Delicious Instant Pot Pork Roast Recipes With Potatoes | Pork roast can also be made in an Instant Pot. This is better for those nights when you’re short on time.

Crockpot Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe | Pulled pork is still one of the more versatile options out there. You could go with BBQ or try something new.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipes For A Party | Crockpots are great at making pork nice and tender, perfect for pulling. Of course, it needs to be thawed, first.

Instant Pot Frozen Pork Chops | Instant Pots don’t give bacteria enough time to grow. Cooking frozen meat this way is a lot safer.