Will meat cook inside of a rice cooker?

Question

I would like to use my rice cooker to cook one of those pre-packaged jambalaya mixes, and I've had good success with using prepackaged rice packets in my rice cooker. Sometimes there is a bit of sticking on the bottom but it comes right up and is never that bad.

My question is if it's safe to throw uncooked meat inside of the rice cooker. I'm talking about average sized chunks, but can cut them smaller to make sure they cook through.

Since water boils at 212°F, and the contents of the cooker are kept warm afterwards, I'm guessing that any meat you put in there (granted its cut thin enough) will cook straight through.

To be more specific, in this instance I am thinking about throwing cubes of deer venison which require much less cooking than say pork or poultry.

Answer 1

Anything will cook in a rice cooker, eventually. You will need to experiment with the size of the meat chunks. When the meal is done cooking, take them out and see if they are cooked and at the correct temperature. If not, finish cooking them and cut them up smaller next time.

What I would do however is cube the meat, sear it, and then throw it in to the cooker. You will end up with a better texture this way.

Answer 2

I've had success with wrapping oil, chicken, and peppers in tinfoil and placing it on top of the rice while it cooks; open the packet over the freshly-cooked rice for a quick meal. If you're worried about meat being cooked all the way through, I'd toss it in a packet -- that way it's easy to crack it open and check if the meat is cooked or needs a quick toss in a pan to finish it off (which has happened to me if my chicken chunks are too thick).

Answer 3

I've cooked lots of meat in my President's Choice rice maker, which comes equipped with a steaming tray. The rice cooks for about 50 minutes, and if it senses there's extra water or moisture in there, it will keep extending the time by 1 minute. I have literally thrown entire 1.5" thick pork chops in there, chicken leg quarters, a small sirloin roast, all kinds of stuff. I've never had an issue with anything being undercooked. I've never tried steak, but I'd just expect it to just look different, (ie a grayish brown color instead of that seared dark brown look). I'd expect the meat to come out very tender and juicy, as well WAY more nutrients are retained in anything you cook using this method. Soon I want to experiment with some bigger meats, like a flattened while chicken, but it might not fit into the steam tray lol. If I ever find one day by some fluke that something doesn't cook all the way through, then I would just throw it in the oven or on the bbq or frying pan and finish that bad boy off.