Every Single Slow Cooker Recipe You Could Ever Need

updated Dec 21, 2021

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Buttery Slow Cooker Chicken & Potatoes

The slow cooker is the MVP of all my kitchen appliances. No matter the season, time of day, or your schedule, there is almost nothing your slow cooker can’t do. Whether you need a recipe that cooks all day, or drop dinners that don’t require any prep and practically cook themselves, or quicker-cooking meals that simply don’t require your attention at the stove, the slow cooker has your back. But that only scratches the surface of what this ultra-handy appliance can do for you.

The slow cooker truly has something to offer everyone. From fluffy egg casseroles to comforting soups and chilis to an impossibly chocolaty lava cake (yes, really!), we’ve got more than 90 easy slow cooker recipes to share with you today.

Crock-Pot Cook & Carry 6-Quart Oval Portable Manual Slow Cooker

Easy Dump-and-Go Slow Cooker Recipes

Meet some of the easiest slow cooker recipes you’ll ever make. Aside from maybe chopping an onion or measuring out some broth, these meals require virtually no prep work. Like the name suggests, you’ll dump all the ingredients into the slow cooker and come back when dinner’s ready.

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Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

Slow cooker baked ziti is just like the traditional casserole with tender noodles swimming in marinara & mixed with a double dose of gooey, melted cheese.

2 / 10

Little Smokies Recipe

Let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting in this easy and crowd-pleasing cocktail appetizer classic.

3 / 10

Slow Cooker Shredded Balsamic Beef

In classic drop-dinner fashion, you’ll add the beef and a simple five-ingredient pantry sauce straight to the slow cooker in the morning, then leave it to cook all day so that it’s waiting for you when you come home.

4 / 10

Easy Slow Cooker Potato Soup

This slow cooker twist on classic potato soup is the perfect fall dinner for for the whole family.

5 / 10

Slow Cooker BBQ Shredded Chicken

Slow cooker BBQ shredded chicken is an easy weeknight dinner that can be made with chicken breasts, thighs, or a combo of the two.

6 / 10

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

a low, slow all day simmer rewards you with a full-flavored broth loaded with soft, tender beans and all the spiced undertones you expect from black bean soup.

7 / 10

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

This three-ingredient slow cooker root beer pulled pork will totally convince you to give this Southern combination a try.

8 / 10

Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

These meaty thighs practically fall apart with the touch of your fork, so in the name of keeping dinner as simple as possible, skip the cutting board and shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.

9 / 10

Sausage and Lentil Stew

The recipe calls for andouille-style chicken sausage because it's so flavorful, but any variety will work here.

10 / 10

Crock-Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Mixed with bell pepper & onion and coated in a thick, glossy sauce, slow cooker sweet & sour chicken comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients.

Easy Slow Cooker Soups

Consider the slow cooker for making a rich, full-flavored soup without standing over the stove all afternoon.

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Slow Cooker Cream of Chicken Soup

This creamy, dreamy slow cooker soup has all the comforts of chicken pot pie without any of the effort.

2 / 13

Slow Cooker Easy Lentil Soup

Wholesome and deeply satisfying, this vegetarian lentil soup is one of the easiest you'll ever make.

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The Pioneer Woman's Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Leave it to the Pioneer Woman to come up with a recipe that officially counts as a serving of vegetables while also appealing to a major love for cheese.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

A warm bowl of chicken enchilada soup, made in the slow cooker, tastes like you're eating an enchilada with a spoon.

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French Onion Soup in the Slow Cooker

This blissfully delicious French onion soup made from start to finish in the slow cooker. Just wait until you see how easy it is to pull off.

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Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup

This is wholesome comfort food at its finest, with a taste and texture that's equal parts hearty as can be, yet bright and totally nourishing.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

If what you crave in a soup is pure comfort, then this is the soup for you.

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Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

This easy slow cooker lasagna soup is everything you love about the classic Italian casserole, but it's so much easier to make.

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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Soup

Starting with a whole chicken guarantees a soup that has plenty of flavor and lots of meat to shred to keep things nice and hearty, plus you’ll produce quarts of soup of stash away in the freezer for later.

10 / 13

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

The key to packing this hearty soup with even more flavor and keeping the chicken tender and juicy is starting with a pack of chicken thighs.

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Gingery Tofu Slow Cooker Soup

A slow cooker’s ability to hold a steady simmer makes it ideal for brewing the most intensely flavorful broth.

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Slow Cooker Cream of Mushroom Soup

A mix of fresh and dried mushrooms give this soup a rich, earthy flavor.

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Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

This hearty root vegetable soup that's incredibly versatile — and perfect for meal preppers.

Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes

Did you know that your slow cooker is also a whiz at making meat-free mains and sides? Everything from veggie casseroles (hi, pot pie!) to burrito bowls to French-inspired vegetable stew.

1 / 10

Slow Cooker Hominy Squash Casserole

Here, plump, juicy hominy stars in a cozy slow-cooked casserole. The hominy, Mexican squash, onions, diced tomatoes, oregano, crema, and plenty of cheddar cheese are cooked low and slow until the squash is tender and all the broth is absorbed.

2 / 10

Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls

Veggie burrito bowls are a one-stop shop, delivering the best part of a burrito — the filling! — with tender brown rice, smoky pinto beans, and fresh veggies, all topped with a dollop of citrusy sour cream.

3 / 10

Easy Slow-Cooker Ratatouille

Ratatouille, the classic French vegetable stew, is a perfect candidate for this hands-off cooking method.

4 / 10

Mac and Cheese in the Slow Cooker

This slow cooker mac and cheese is so easy! With dry pasta, milk, and cheese, you'll be enjoying warm macaroni and cheese in just a few hours.

5 / 10

Slow Cooker Veggie Pot Pie

This easy, deconstructed veggie pot pie is made in the slow cooker, so you can come home to healthy comfort food even on a busy weekday.

6 / 10

Freezer-to-Slow-Cooker Vegetable Tagine

Starting with a variety of frozen vegetables means there's almost no prep for this spiced tagine.

7 / 10

Slow-Cooker Dal

Packed with a bouquet of warm spices, this hearty dish is best spooned over a bed of steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or partnered with some naan.

8 / 10

Slow Cooker Cheesy Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Move over roasted sprouts! These slow-cooked Brussels sprouts are deliciously tender and coated in a velvety garlic and Parmesan cream sauce, for a wildly delicious side. Spoon it over rice, pasta, polenta, or cauliflower rice to turn it into a main.

9 / 10

Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers in Marinara Sauce

These protein-packed and fiber-rich stuffed peppers are the perfect vegetarian meal.

10 / 10

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Mapo Tofu

Typically made with ground pork, this plant-based version swaps in shiitake mushrooms for a lighter dinner option with just as much umami flavor.

Slow Cooker Chicken

It doesn’t matter whether you have a pack of lean chicken breast, meaty bone-in thighs, or the whole bird — we’ve got a lot of great ideas on the best ways to turn it into dinner.

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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken in Coconut Milk

Inspired by Jamie Oliver's popular chicken in milk, this recipe uses coconut milk and tons of fresh basil, ginger, and garlic to make a whole chicken that tastes like Thai basil chicken.

2 / 18

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Both orange juice and zest pack this slow cooker dinner with way more fresh flavor than you'll get from takeout.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Spooned over some steamed rice, this easy slow cooker tikka masala is about to make your busy days very happy indeed.

4 / 18

Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Chicken Breast

With a handful of ingredients you are treated to tender chicken gilded with a velvety lemon sauce infused with a richness reminiscent of roasted garlic.

5 / 18

Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

With a short two hour cook time, this simple and elegant chicken Marsala recipe is a weekend favorite for a date night at home.

6 / 18

Slow Cooker Salsa Pulled Chicken

Our best recipe for shortcut salsa chicken in the slow cooker.

7 / 18

Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata

This piccata will win your heart not only for its bold layers of flavor, but also for how simple it is to pull together.

8 / 18

Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken

Homemade pesto is mixed with hearty chunks of chicken in the slow cooker, ready for a week's worth of salads, wraps, and grain bowls.

9 / 18

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ragù

A bed of buttery mashed potatoes or creamy polenta is just right for cradling this homestyle chicken ragù.

10 / 18

Slow Cooker Spinach and Artichoke Chicken

Poached in a luxurious lemon broth with wisps of green spinach and forkfuls of tender, nutty artichokes, this chicken dinner is light, fresh, and totally delicious. The recipe calls for breasts, though boneless thighs work nicely, as well.

11 / 18

Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes

These butter-bathed chicken and potatoes might just be our most favorite slow cooker chicken dinner yet.

12 / 18

Slow Cooker Chicken Parm Meatballs

Made with ground chicken, these juicy meatballs packed in all the comforting flavors of chicken Parm. You can't go wrong whether you stuff them into rolls as subs, ladle them onto pasta or soft, creamy polenta, or serve them over a bed of sautéed greens.

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Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

A secret sauce and crisp veggies bring this takeout classic to the next level.

14 / 18

Slow Cooker Creamy French Mustard Chicken

This braised chicken dish puts the classic French combination of mustard, white wine, shallots, and cream to work in a slow cooker to create tender, saucy chicken ready to be served with some good bread to drag through the last drops of sauce on your plate.

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Crispy, Juicy Chicken Thighs in the Slow Cooker

Slow-cooking chicken thighs without any cooking liquid on low heat, crisps the chicken’s skin while slowly braising the thighs until juicy and tender.

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Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken

Ready your rice and your slow cooker for this better-than-takeout slow cooker General Tso's chicken at home.

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Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken

The teriyaki sauce is what you're here for, and don't worry — there's plenty of it.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga

This slow cooker chicken tinga is swimming in a full-flavored tomato-chipotle sauce, studded with sliced onions, and has just enough heat to keep you on your toes.

Slow Cooker Beef

Brisket, beef stew, braised short ribs — all of these meaty mains benefit from a stint in the slow cooker.

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Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

Learn how the slow cooker can take beef stew from weekend fare to an everyday dinner dish.

2 / 9

Slow Cooker Brisket and Onions

The classic flavors of brisket you crave with the ease of the slow cooker. This recipe produces the most crowd-pleasing, tender pot of brisket you've made.

3 / 9

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

In this beef stroganoff, hearty pieces of inexpensive beef cook alongside mushrooms, onion, and broth in the slow cooker.

4 / 9

Better-than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli in the Slow Cooker

A savory combination of tender beef, sweet broccoli, and vibrant carrots cooked in an umami-rich garlicky sauce is pure comfort in a bowl.

5 / 9

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Forget Chipotle, here's the easiest to make your own barbacoa beef at home. The hardest part is deciding whether to stuff it into tacos or burritos, pile it into a bowl or salad, or top it on nachos.

6 / 9

Slow Cooker Beef Tips With Mushroom Gravy

If you’re a fan of beef stroganoff, this comforting stew is for you. The slow cooker works all day, tenderizing the beef and creating a flavorful sauce, and all you have to do is figure out if you’d rather serve it over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

7 / 9

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

This 5-ingredient, shortcut slow cooker recipe is going to completely change how you think about pot roast.

8 / 9

Slow Cooker Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

The slow cooker yields tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs swimming in a savory broth, made deeper and richer thanks to several glugs of Cabernet.

9 / 9

Sweet & Tangy Slow Cooker Brisket

This meaty brisket is simmered in the slow cooker with a sweet and tangy tomatoey sauced laced with tender onions and just the right amount of spices.

Slow Cooker Pork

The slow cooker is one of the easiest ways we know to transform a big, tough pork shoulder into saucy pulled pork or richly flavored curry. It makes for a totally foolproof and juicy pork loin roast, and even pork chops.

1 / 9

Slow Cooker Pork & Cider Stew

Pork and apple is such a classic pairing, and this slow cooker stew gets not one, but two doses of apple mixed in.

2 / 9

Slow-Cooked Hoisin and Ginger Pork Wraps with Peanut Slaw

Juicy pulled pork and a crunchy peanut slaw, all ready to be wrapped up.

3 / 9

Crock-Pot Pork Roast

If you've struggled to cook a pork loin roast that isn’t bland or dry, this recipe is for you. It's a foolproof, straightforward technique that uses the slow cooker to cook a pork loin roast to perfect juicy tenderness without any hands-on effort.

4 / 9

Slow Cooker Maple-Mustard Pulled Pork

Transform everyday pulled pork with your slow cooker and the sweet and tangy flavors of maple syrup and mustard.

5 / 9

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

This isn't your traditional carnitas recipes, though trust me that this unconventional and slightly spicy derivation is totally delicious in its own right.

6 / 9

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Save the lean loin chops for the oven. Bone-in blade, sirloin, or even rib chops are the very best choice for slow cooking.

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Slow Cooker Coconut and Green Curry Pork

Not only is this one of the easiest Thai-inspired curries you’ll ever make, but it also delivers the deep, spiced flavor you expect.

8 / 9

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops

These seasoned pork chops fit the bill perfectly with their sweet and savory cranberry riff.

9 / 9

Slow Cooker Pork Loin

This slow cooker pork loin is cooked over a bed of thick-cut carrots and red potatoes with a sweet and tangy sauce to bring it all together.

Slow Cooker Chili

When you’re craving a really good batch of chili, pull out your slow cooker. A low, slow simmer means it will be packed with flavor and you won’t be stirring a pot on the back of the stove all afternoon.

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Simple & Tasty Slow Cooker Chili

Invest your prep time in chili powder from scratch and you'll have the best bowls of simple, tasty chili waiting in the slow cooker when you get home.

2 / 11

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

This is a hearty slow cooker chicken chili with white beans, Southwest spices like cumin and coriander, and a few cans of fire-roasted green chilis.

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Slow-Cooker Vegan Lentil Chili

The easiest slow cooker chili you'll ever make, thanks to the power of lentils. Dump everything in the slow cooker, walk away, then eat it up.

4 / 11

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

You only need six ingredients for this super-easy turkey chili, and the slow cooker practically does the work for you.

5 / 11

Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili

One bite into this ultra-hearty slow cooker chili and you just might question if it's really vegan after all.

6 / 11

Slow Cooker Vegan Chili

This hearty vegan chili starts with a classic tomato base and chili powder, but the addition of green lentils, sweet potato, and kale make it a little earthy, slightly sweet, and substantial enough to keep you full.

7 / 11

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Chili is a thick, hearty one-pot meal best cooked low and slow, so put away the Dutch oven and plug in the slow cooker for this vegetarian number.

8 / 11

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

When you're ready to go beyond white chicken chili, here's an easy tomato-based recipe that's bound to be a new family favorite.

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Slow Cooker Chili Mac and Cheese

Chili meets mac in cheese in this hearty and satisfying mashup.

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

This hearty six-ingredient vegetarian chili doesn't skimp on flavor, thanks to smoky ancho chili powder and two types of beans. Plus, the slow cooker does all the work for you.

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Slow Cooker Chili Verde

Chile verde is a pork-based stew simmered with green chiles and tomatillos. Sometimes called Colorado or Denver Green Chili, this stew gets its emerald hue from two types of green chiles (jalapeño and poblano).

Slow Cooker Breakfasts

The slow cooker also happens to be one our favorite tools to make hot breakfasts a reality on weekday mornings.

1 / 9

Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole

This slow cooker take on a classic hash brown casserole is creamy, cheesy, and packed with potato flavor.

2 / 9

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Think slow cooker oats are just for utility? Think again. These are the ultimate rich and creamy oats that you'll want to savor.

3 / 9

Slow Cooker Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls

There's no need to keep an eye on the oven, plus slow cooker cinnamon rolls cook up with a ultra-moist and tender center.

4 / 9

Slow Cooker Breakfast Burrito Bowls

With some help from the slow cooker, you can turn your dream of a hot, homemade breakfast burrito bowl into a totally attainable reality any day of the week.

5 / 9

Slow Cooker Creamy Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Stir everything into the slow cooker before going to bed and come morning, your kitchen will smell like pumpkin spice and you'll feel like you hit the breakfast lottery.

6 / 9

Slow Cooker Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole

Thanks to the slow cooker, you can wake up to a hearty sausage and spinach egg casserole that will feed the whole family.

7 / 9

Slow Cooker Migas Casserole

We took the classic skillet migas and transformed them into a low-and-slow, cheesy migas casserole.

8 / 9

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Thanks to a buttery cinnamon-sugar drizzle and cream cheese icing swirl, this slow cooker oatmeal tastes just like a cinnamon roll.

9 / 9

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole in the Slow Cooker

We took everything there is to love about a really good sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich and turned it into a warm, family-friendly breakfast casserole.

Slow Cooker Desserts

Please don’t forget that your slow cooker also has the ability to turn out some totally irresistible desserts, from impossibly creamy cheesecake to fruit crisps and cobblers that won’t heat up the kitchen.

1 / 5

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

Thanks to its low, even heating, the slow cooker makes for a lava cake that's moist and tender, with an ultra-velvety, almost pudding-like molten center.

2 / 5

Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp

With the help of the slow cooker, you can have delicious, fuss-free apple crisp.

3 / 5

Slow Cooker Cheesecake by Martha Stewart

This dessert finishes with a perfectly creamy, silky, almost custard-like texture.

4 / 5

Slow-Cooker Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

In the midst of summer, when it's too hot to turn on the oven, here's how to bring one of the season's favorite dessert to life.

5 / 5

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Pie

Slow cooker apple pie dump cake is everything you love about warm apple filling with a gooey, cake-like topping, and it comes together with 3 ingredients.

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