5-Star Reader Comment
“I made the pulled pork on a Tuesday and it was gone by Wednesday morning. My husband asked me to add it to the permanent rotation. Thank you for making my weeknights so much easier!”
Sandra
These Dinners Practically Make Themselves.
Between school pickups, work deadlines, and everything in between, dinner can feel like one more thing on an already full list. That is exactly why my slow cooker is the most-used tool in my kitchen.
I load it up in the morning. I walk away. I come home to a kitchen that smells incredible and a meal that is ready to go. No scrambling. No drive-through. Just a real, home-cooked dinner that my family is actually excited to eat.
Every recipe in this collection has been made in my own kitchen, many of them dozens of times. These are the ones I come back to week after week, and I know you will too.
Donya’s Best Tips for Slow Cooker Success
Do not peek. Every time you lift the lid, you add 20 to 30 minutes to your cook time. Trust the process and let the cooker do its job.
Layer in the right order. Dense vegetables like potatoes and carrots go on the bottom, closest to the heat. Proteins go on top. This keeps everything cooking evenly.
Skip the frozen protein. Always start with thawed meat. Frozen chicken or beef spends too long in the temperature danger zone before it gets up to a safe heat.
Low and slow wins. When in doubt, choose the low setting. A longer, gentler cook gives you that pull-apart tenderness you are after, especially with tougher cuts like chuck roast and pork shoulder.
Do not overfill. Fill your slow cooker between halfway and two-thirds full. Too much food prevents even cooking and too little can dry things out.
Finish with fresh. A squeeze of lemon, a handful of fresh herbs, or a drizzle of your favorite sauce right before serving wakes up all the flavors that have been building all day.
What You Need to Know Before You Cook
The right size slow cooker makes all the difference. Here is how I think about it.
A 3.5-quart is perfect for sides, dips, and cooking for two. A 4-quart handles most family-sized weeknight meals for four to six people. An 8-quart is what you want for big cuts of meat, ribs, or when you are feeding a crowd. If you are just getting started or thinking about upgrading, check out my complete guide to choosing a Crock Pot.
Warm Dips
Crock Pot Little Smokies
Little Smokies simmered in a sweet and tangy sauce are hard to resist and so simple to make! This 5-ingredient recipe is perfect for parties, game day, and the holidays.
Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs
Hawaiian Meatballs smothered in a sweet tangy sauce with pineapple and fresh ginger are cooked low and slow in the crock pot. These succulent meatballs are a slow cooker masterpiece and are great served as an appetizer or main dish!
Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs
Game Day Crock Pot Meatballs are a crowd-pleasing appetizer perfect to enjoy while cheering on your favorite team! Tender meatballs cooked low and slow in the Crock-Pot in a tangy, sweet sauce are super easy to make giving you more time to join in the fun.
Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken Sliders
With only 5 ingredients, Mississippi Chicken cooked in the slow cooker is tender, juicy, and packed with spicy flavors. Now, this mouthwatering chicken is turned into sliders!
Crock Pot Bourbon Meatballs
Crock Pot Bourbon Meatballs are tender, succulent, and loaded with irresistible flavors. These meatballs, prepped in just minutes, are cooked in the Crock-Pot and are perfect to serve as an appetizer for game day or lazy weekends.
Warm Dips
5-Ingredient Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
Enjoy this easy-to-make Buffalo Chicken on sandwiches, in dips, salads, sliders, or pizza! Buffalo Chicken made with just 5 ingredients cooked low and slow in the Crock Pot is a recipe with so many uses!
Crock Pot Beer Cheese Dip
Beer Cheese Dip made in the Crock Pot is creamy, rich, and loaded with ooey-gooey cheese. It’s a terrific appetizer for game day, movie night, or when you’re entertaining friends. Serve it with pretzels, chips, sausage, and even veggies for a warm, comforting bite that everyone will love.
Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach Artichoke Dip is rich, creamy, and super easy to make in the slow cooker. This cheesy, warm dip with swirls of fresh spinach and artichokes is a crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s perfect for your next party, game day celebration, or when you’re entertaining.
Slow Cooker Queso Beef Dip
Queso Beef Dip is creamy, cheesy, loaded with ground beef, and simple to make in the slow cooker! This velvety smooth dip with swirls of green chilies, salsa, and jalapeños is a crowd-pleasing appetizer at any party, game-day celebration, or when you’re entertaining.
Crock Pot Reuben Dip
All the flavors of a classic Reuben sandwich are loaded into this creamy, outrageously cheesy Crock Pot Reuben Dip! It’s a favorite at any party and perfect for entertaining. Made in the slow cooker or baked in the oven, this is one seriously delicious dip to serve any time of the year.
Main Dishes
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
Chicken Thighs cooked in the crock pot make a mouthwatering recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight or lazy weekends! Juicy chicken coated in a thick rich sauce flavored with garlic, honey, and soy sauce is a slow cooker hit.
Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast Recipe
With just a few minutes of prep, you can make this simple slow cooker pot roast recipe with amazing results! Thanks to the crock pot, it's fall-apart, tender, flavorful, and juicy. This is comfort food done right.
5-Ingredient Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
Enjoy this easy-to-make Buffalo Chicken on sandwiches, in dips, salads, sliders, or pizza! Buffalo Chicken made with just 5 ingredients cooked low and slow in the Crock Pot is a recipe with so many uses! It’s a must-make on game day, for parties, or a weeknight meal.
Crock Pot BBQ Beef Roast
Tender, juicy beef pot roast, cooked low and slow in homemade BBQ sauce, is one of life’s simple pleasures! Served as a sandwich or as a main dish with sides, rich, BBQ beef roast is a mouthwatering recipe that’s hearty and delicious.
Crock Pot Sweet And Sour Pineapple Pork
Crock Pot Sweet And Sour Pork has a bright burst of flavor from fresh pineapple, along with a savory sauce that's crazy delicious. It's perfect for a weeknight, a family meal, or when entertaining special guests!
6-Ingredient Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Easy to make with six ingredients, slow-cooked pulled pork infused with spices and brown sugar practically melts in your mouth with each tender bite! This simple barbecue-style recipe is great for serving piled high on sandwich buns or as a main dish, and is terrific when you're feeding a crowd.
Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken
Shredded chicken that’s been cooked low and slow in the crock pot, flavored with taco seasoning and salsa, is great for tacos, nachos, burrito bowls and salads. This easy-to-make, versatile recipe will quickly become your go-to when it’s time to serve up your favorite Mexican dishes!
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian-inspired meal that’s easy to make and perfect for busy days. This hands-off cooking method makes tender, juicy chicken that’s slow-cooked in Mariana sauce and then finished with a topping of rich shredded cheese. Serve it over pasta for a one-pot dish everyone will love!
Crock Pot Sweet and Savory Ham
With only three ingredients and your crock pot, you can turn a ham into something truly amazing! It’s sweet from an easy to make glaze and tender from being cooked low and slow.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Roast
Sweet, tangy balsamic vinegar, rich brown sugar, a few herbs and spices covering a lean pork roast, all cooked low and slow for a few hours make a main dish masterpiece. Served with your favorite sides, you’ll soon be saying – yes, more, please!
Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs
Slow-cooked country-style pork ribs are fall off the bone tender and juicy. Coated in a rich sauce flavored with garlic, honey, soy sauce, and chili powder, Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs are perfect for weeknight meals or weekend gatherings. Why head to your local BBQ joint when you can make delicious ribs at home!
Crock Pot Lemon Chicken
Lemon Chicken, cooked low and slow in the Crock Pot is succulent, juicy and fall off the bone tender. Flavored with garlic, lemon, and thyme, this recipe makes an impressive dish when entertaining yet it’s simple enough for a weeknight meal!
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is fall-apart tender and loaded with deep, rich flavor. It’s terrific for tacos, enchiladas, and nachos or piled over rice and beans for burritos bowls.
Busy Day Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Tender, juicy, slow-cooked pot roast is a lifesaver when your daily schedule becomes hectic. This is one of the simplest recipes I’ve ever made, yet, it’s also one of the most delectable.
Crock Pot Creamy Salsa Chicken Recipe (3-Ingredients)
Crock Pot Creamy Salsa Chicken is a simple 3-ingredient recipe that combines tender chicken, zesty salsa, and cream cheese into a main masterpiece! It's terrific served for tacos, nachos, over rice, and salads.
Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
Meaty Sloppy Joes made in the crock pot are easy to make and loaded with rich flavors. Slow-cooked with brown sugar, ketchup, tomato sauce and spices, this homemade recipe is a meat lover’s dream.
Slow Cooked Soups
Slow Cooker Ham & White Bean Soup
Tender, white beans, ham, and veggies, cooked in a rich broth with herbs make a soup that's hearty and satisfying. It's a great, no-stress meal on its own, especially when the slow cooker does all the work for you! This is how to stretch your food budget without sacrificing taste!
Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup is the perfect fall and winter comfort food recipe! Made with perfectly seasoned beef and loaded with veggies, this soup will become a family favorite in no time.
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Filled with all your favorite taco flavors, this soup will become a favorite with your loved ones! It’s easy to make since the slow cooker does all the work!
Crock Pot Ham And Potato Soup
Ham and Potato Soup is a classic rich, and creamy comfort food! It's easy to make, loaded with veggies, and super satisfying. This recipe is a must-make for soup season.
Easy Crock Pot Turkey Noodle Soup
This easy-to-make Crock Pot soup is the perfect recipe to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! It's a comfort food meal loaded with turkey, tender noodles, carrots, celery, and onions, all in a flavorful broth that's guaranteed to make you feel warm and cozy from the inside out.
Beef & Bean Slow Cooker Soup
Beef and Bean Soup is hearty, delicious, and easy to make thanks to the Crock Pot! Ground beef, tender vegetables, garlic, and cannellini beans cooked in a rich tomato broth make this soup extra flavorful. It’s great to serve any night of the week, for game day or when you’re feeding a crowd.
Crock Pot Potato Soup
Crock Pot Potato Soup is rich, creamy, and packed with amazing flavors. Topped with bacon, cheese, and chives, this easy-to-make soup tastes like a loaded baked potato, spoonful after spoonful!
Side Dishes
Crock Pot Maple Bacon Green Beans
Green beans are a classic side dish now made even easier thanks to the Crock Pot. Tender green beans, with a hint of sweetness from maple syrup and a bit of smokiness from bacon, are so good that this recipe is sure to become a favorite for years to come.
Easy Crock Pot Baked Beans
Slow-Cooked, sweet and savory baked beans with brown sugar and bacon is a side dish recipe that’s pure perfection! For any cookout, barbecue, or summer party, these Easy Crock Pot Baked Beans will be a hit.
Crock Pot Creamed Corn
This rich, creamy corn with a hint of sweetness might just the ultimate side dish. Not only is this creamed corn scrumptious, but it’s also easy to make since the slow cooker does all the work!
Slow-Cooked Seasonal Favorites
Slow Cooker Apple Butter Recipe
Rich, sweet Apple Butter cooked low and slow is one of life’s simple pleasures! Tart apples are turned into a warm spicy butter that’s delicious slathered on toast, biscuits, or sweet potatoes. This homemade recipe beats store-bought every time!
Crock Pot Mulled Cider
Mulled Apple Cider should be named the official drink of fall. This Crock Pot version is special since it keeps the cider nice and warm when you’re entertaining during the holidays, tailgating or just taking things nice and slow on a chilly day.
Crock Pot Applesauce
Crock Pot Applesauce is an incredibly easy recipe since all you do is load up the slow cooker and let it work it’s magic! It’s flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg is so delicious that once you taste homemade, you’ll never buy the stuff from the store again.
Crock Pot Fall Potpourri
Fill your house with the beautiful smells of fall with potpourri made in the Crock Pot. Fall Potpourri with the fresh scents of orange and rosemary, combined with warm cinnamon and clove is a wonderful, inexpensive way to make your home cozy and fresh.
Make-Ahead Tips for Easier Weeknights
Prep the night before. Chop your vegetables, measure your seasonings, and store everything in the fridge. In the morning, just dump and go.
Double the batch. Most of these recipes freeze beautifully. Make a double portion on Sunday and freeze half for a future week when things get even busier.
Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days. Store in an airtight container. Most of these reheat beautifully on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Pulled pork, pot roast, shredded chicken, and soups all freeze and reheat like a dream. Label everything with the date.
Questions You Might Have (Answered Before You Even Ask)
No. You can add most proteins straight to the slow cooker without browning. If you have an extra five minutes, searing adds a deeper, caramelized flavor. But skipping it will still give you a tender, flavorful result.
Yes, but the texture will be different. Low and slow gives you that pull-apart tenderness. High heat works in a pinch but can dry out leaner cuts. For the best results, stick with low for larger cuts of meat.
Between halfway and two-thirds full. Too little food can cause burning around the edges. Too much food prevents even heat distribution.
I do not recommend it. Frozen meat takes too long to reach a safe internal temperature, which increases food safety risk. Always thaw your protein overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Yes, that is exactly what it is designed for. Most recipes on the low setting are happy for 6 to 8 hours. If you are going longer than 8 hours, look for recipes written specifically for a longer cook time.
Already a fan of slow cooking? If you’re considering a new appliance or just want to learn more, get all the tips for choosing a Crock Pot in my complete guide.
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Top 25 Viral Recipes
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