51 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes for Set-It-and-Forget-It Meals
We can’t think of an easier way to get dinner on the table than using one of these slow-cooker recipes. While these countertop appliances won’tslice and dicefor you, they’ll handle pretty much everything else—just fill it up with all the recipe’s ingredients, select the appropriate level of heat, and let the slow cooker work its magic while you go about your day.
If it’s time for you to phase out an old hand-me-down Crock-Pot and upgrade to a newer model, start with ourslow cooker product reviews, then scroll down to find all of our favorite ways to use these machines, including perfectly cooked oatmeal and polenta, tender carnitas and pulled chicken, and hearty soups and other easy dinner recipes to feed you throughout the week.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Dawn Perry1/51Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder With Zesty Basil Sauce
The secret not everyone realizes about slow cooker recipes is that they're ideal for both cozy winter meals and dinners in the heat of summer when you can't bear to turn on your oven. This meltingly tender pork shoulder is the ultimate make-ahead main dish. It looks—and tastes—fancy, but it's really no-fuss.
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Photo by Katrina Meynink and Kait Barker3/51Slow Cooker Chipotle Tomato Beans With Prosciutto Crumb
Cook dried beans in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce, then top with crumbled crisped prosciutto that’s been tossed with breadcrumbs. Have time for a quick-cooked egg? You can let yourInstant Potdo that.
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Photo by Johnny Miller4/51Spiral Ham in the Slow Cooker
Yes, you can cook your holiday ham in the slow cooker. And yes, you should. This recipe from chef Alex Guarnaschelli adds flavor to a spiral-cut ham by cooking it in a bath ofmaple syrupand apple juice. Serve the tender meat on a bed of braised cabbage, if you like.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks5/51Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell6/51Slow-Cooker Oatmeal With Apples and Ginger
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Dawn Perry8/51Slow Cooker Amaretto-Poached Peaches
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Photo by JP Bevins, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone9/51Slow-Cooker Green Chicken Chili
Made with chicken, sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, and pinto beans, this easy game day chili is a cross between chile verde and white chicken chili. Top with creamy sliced avocado, cilantro leaves, sour cream, and/or finely chopped onion, and serve withcornbreadif you really want to go all out.
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Photo by Katrina Meynink and Kait Barker11/51Slow Cooker Potato, Leek, and Kale Gratin With Too Much Cheese
This cheesy gratin gets bold flavor from Gruyère, Parmesan, and blue cheese. You could serve this alongside aroast chicken(or store-bought rotisserie bird) or just offer a simple green salad with it.
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Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee12/51Slow Cooker Ribollita
Every winter, we crave hearty cannellini bean soup, thickened with torn country bread. This slow-cooker Italian dish is one of thosesoup recipesthat tastes even better as leftovers.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell13/51Slow Cooker Savory Oatmeal with Bacon, Scallions, and Cheddar
If you love cheesy grits, you'll adore this savory oatmeal. Top with a fried orpoached egg.
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Photo by Kristen Kilpatrick14/51Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Roast With Scalloped Potatoes and Easy Steamed Broccoli
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Photo by Erin Kunkel16/51Gingersnap Peach Upside-Down Cake
Starting with a rich brown sugar glaze that infuses flavor throughout, this slow cooker dessert recipe combines all of the elements that make a traditionalupside-down cakeso excellent.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele17/51Slow-Cooker Pork Roast
Drizzle Anna Stockwell'sPickled Peppercorn Vinaigretteover this tender slow-cooker pork dish, and your dinner guests are sure to ask for the recipe. Serve this pork recipe withblanched green beansor a salad.
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Photo by Erin Kunkel18/51Carolina-Style Pork BBQ Sandwiches
The extra stock created by this hands-off faux-barbecue recipe can be saved for future soups or used for cookinggrains.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson20/51Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken
Freeze small portions of this versatile, flavorful chicken to make easy work of chicken tacos,chilaquiles, salads, sandwiches, and any otherinstant dinnersyou can think of.
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21/51All-Day Slow-Cooker Cassoulet
This cassoulet is filled to the brim with white beans, lamb, garlic sausage, and smoked sausage (and breadcrumbs), but you can veer away from French tradition and make yours with any meat you like—with this recipe, you can’t lose. It's one of those slow cooker meals that works equally well for a dinner party or regular meal planning.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell23/51Slow-Cooker Chipotle-Orange Pork Tacos
For a weeknight comfort food feast, fill your favorite tortillas with this tender slow-cooked pork shoulder, lots of bright cilantro, and pickled red onions. Throwing a party? Pair withesquitesor your favorite Mexican sides.
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Photo by Catherine McCord24/51Herbed Chicken in the Slow Cooker
Steaming a chicken in a slow cooker produces meat that is ridiculously juicy and tender. Switch up the spices for whatever seasoning mix you like, and serve with side dishes like a simplecucumber saladorpotato salad.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton30/51Big Red Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
Combine a cult-classic soda with store-bought or homemadebarbecue sauceto create a braising liquid for spice-rubbed pork shoulder that's sweet, spicy, and uniquely delicious.
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Photo by Matt Duckor, Food Styling by Molly Baz31/51Slow-Cooker Asparagus and Zucchini Frittata
Debating what to serve forbrunch? Consider devoting your oven to bacon, and make the eggs in your slow cooker. With this frittata recipe, the eggs stay moist and tender thanks to the steady, low temperature.
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34/51Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts With Cranberries, Pecans, and Butternut Squash
This dish has majorThanksgivingvibes, but we plan on serving it throughout the fall. It's that good. Serve with any of your favoritechicken recipesif it's not quite turkey time.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell42/51Pulled Chicken With Cherry-Chile Barbecue Sauce
Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs are great for throwing in the slow cooker on Sunday, so you'll have pulled chicken sandwiches for later in the week. This version features a homemade barbecue sauce made with shallots, ginger, jalapeño, dark sweet fresh cherries, blackstrap molasses, diced tomatoes, chipotle, and apple cider vinegar.
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Leo Gong43/51Simple Poached Salmon
Poaching salmon, or any fish for that matter, in the slow cooker makes lots of sense—the low, even temperatures of the slow cooker means the fish comes out perfectly cooked. Poached salmon makes a great light lunch paired with rice, steamed vegetables, and salad, or a sumptuous dinner with herbed mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.
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photo by Michael Palumbo44/51Royal Street Red Beans
The classic Creole dish of red beans and rice is easy to make in a slow cooker. Combine a pound of red beans with onion, celery, garlic, smoked sausage, ham hock,Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Add a dash of hot sauce when it's done cooking.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell46/51Slow Cooker Miso-Butter Chicken and Potatoes
Slow-cooker chicken tends to have moist, juicy meat but flabby skin—the easy fix is to run drizzle the carved chicken with a luscious mix ofmisoand honey and run it under the broiler to crisp the skin before serving.
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Eric Medsker47/51Fudgy Brownie Cake
Get ready for this: you can cook brownies in a Crock Pot. Make your chocolaty batter with a mix of dark and unsweetened chocolate, and then let them cook for one to two hours, depending on the size of your slow cooker. The results are fudgy and rich—perfect for topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Christopher Hornaday48/51Cornish Hen in Port Wine and Fig Preserves
Cornish game hens are just the right size to serve two people. They also make an elegant and easy Crock Potmeal for one. Port is an excellent ingredient for slow cookers, as it always imbues the ingredients with rich color. For a darker skin, baste the hen during cooking with sauce from the bottom of the pot.
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50/51Chicken Paprikash With Sour Cream
Slow-cooking dark leg meat results in tender, flavorfulchicken. However, if you prefer white meat, you can substitute bone-in chicken breasts. Placing the onions on the bottom of the slow cooker will ensure that they become silky soft as the chicken releases its juices.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Catherine Campbell Pearson51/51Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Pile sandwich buns high with sweet-and-saucy pork that's cooked in cola (or root beer, or Dr. Pepper), plus coleslaw, crunchy bread-and-butter pickle slices, and hot sauce. Here are someoptions for appetizersto serve as your guests trickle into the party.
