It all began back in 2006, when Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, moved to the middle of nowhere- Oklahoma, and then returned to the city. The move helped Ree get creative and inspired, and so in 2006, Ree decided to start a blog to post all of her recipes, life experiences and advice for others.
Chill your cinnamon roll dough
Drummond receives this question a lot - "how do I get my cinnamon rolls to not flop, to look like a cinnamon roll spiral?" The trick? Chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before you roll it, bake it, and get it ready to come out as cinnamon roll circles of glory. Just remember, they will need a bit longer in a warmer space than the normal recipes that go directly into the oven, and then from there.
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Add barbecue sauce to ribs after cooking
Hands down, the easiest way to end up with barbecue ribs that fall off the bone is to use a slow cooker. The key, according to Drummond, is to actually sauce them toward the end of cooking, though. While the ribs will naturally give up liquid during the slow cooking process, if you sauce early, the liquid could dilute your barbecue sauce, making it thin. For perfectly sauced ribs, drain all liquid from the slow cooker, then add your saucy masterpiece, ensuring each rack of ribs gets evenly slathered.
Remove cookies from the oven before they’re done
"The secret to good cookies is to not overbake them," writes Drummond in her triple chocolate cookies recipe. She tells readers to remove the cookies from the oven slightly earlier than you would typically think, and the residual heat will finish cooking them. Here are some other tips to make next-level cookies.
Jazz up frozen bread rolls
No time for Homemade dinner rolls? Save a few frozen unbaked rolls to create your own signature flavors. Drummond suggests that you put the unbaked rolls in a butter-skillet, then cover them until they have risen for a few hours, and brush them with melted butter, sea salt, and chopped rosemary before putting them in the oven to bake.
Soak fries overnight and fry them twice
Drummond's advice for the ultimate fries involves a lot of steps, but it is definitely worth doing. First, she slices her potatoes into thinner sticks so that the potatoes will come out crispier, and then she covers her potato slices in water overnight and proceeds to deep-fry them not once, but twice (and after completely drying the potatoes, too!).
Stick to the rice pudding rules
First, she strictly uses only medium grain rice. As she explains, "It's in the rulebook, but trust me: I've made it with long-grain and it just isn't the same." Second, she uses the same pan. "Without fail, overwhelmingly, nonstick makes my rice pudding come out better."
Give pancakes extra zest
Serve your pancakes with a delightful zing by adding fresh lemon zest and tangy lemon juice to the batter before you fry them – the juice will also give your batter a fluffy texture similar to that of buttermilk. And always, always fry your pancakes in rich, creamy butter! Read even more pancake flipping tips here.
Add oats to meatballs
Drummond suggests you add some liquid smoke (around a tablespoon) to the marinade, alongside beef consomm, lemon juice, minced garlic, and soy sauce to give your slow-cooked beef brisket a hint of hickory. Let it marinate in the fridge for 24–48 hours to let the flavors soak through.
Don’t cook potatoes in a pot roast
Drummond says that it'll save you time, but insists that you don't add potatoes while the pot roast is in its slow cooker because it can make your potatoes mealy. Instead, she calls mashed potatoes your "best friend" with it. See all of our favourite ways to top mashed potatoes here.
Swap butter for vegetable shortening when making pie crust
As loyal Drummondistas will know, Ree loves a stick or two of full-fat butter, but it doesn't quite cut it when you're aiming for the flaky goodness of homemade pie crust. In that case, the Pioneer Woman author prefers to use vegetable shortening like Crisco. "For once in my life, I'm going to say this. And then it will never, ever happen again," Drummond boldly writes. "You will use Crisco and nothing but Crisco. Butter simply does not work."
Cook the perfect sunny-side up eggs
According to Drummond, for the ideal sunny-side up eggs, you should heat a non-stick pan on medium heat with some canola oil (often referred to as vegetable oil) to allow the egg whites to clear up for a couple of seconds when you add them to the pan. Once the eggs begin to solidify, you should baste the whites in the pan juices until they have cooked through. Then, after a couple of minutes, you can baste the yolks. Once you are finished cooking, carefully take the eggs out of the pan and blot any excess oil on a paper towel.
Conclusion
Ree Drummond’s transition from city life to an Oklahoma ranch didn't just spawn a blog—it built a cooking style defined by practical, reliable shortcuts. These classic Pioneer Woman techniques come down to simple adjustments in timing, temperature, and ingredients: chilling dough, swapping butter for shortening in pie crusts, or pulling cookies out a minute early. Mastering these easy tweaks keeps comfort food straightforward, reliable, and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why should I chill my cinnamon roll dough before baking?
Chilling the dough overnight in the fridge helps it hold its shape so the rolls keep their defined spiral when cut and baked.
2. What is the secret to keeping pot roast potatoes from getting mushy?
Cook your potatoes separately rather than adding them to the slow cooker with the meat. Slow-cooking potatoes with the roast makes them mealy; serving the roast over fresh mashed potatoes yields much better texture.
3. Why use shortening instead of butter for pie crust?
Shortening (like Crisco) creates a flakier, hold-together crust. While butter adds flavor, shortening provides the structure needed for a crisp, flaky texture.
4. How do you get extra crispy homemade fries?
Cut the potatoes thin, soak them in water overnight, dry them thoroughly, and fry them twice.
5. When is the best time to add barbecue sauce to slow-cooker ribs?
Add the sauce near the end of the cooking time. If you sauce them at the start, the juices released by the meat will dilute the sauce and make it watery. Drain the liquid first, then slather on the sauce.
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