25 Slow Cooker Recipes

With school back in session and the days getting colder, fall simply calls for slow cooker meals. They're quick and easy to prep, use simple ingredients, and best of all, the slow cooker does all the cooking for you.

So whether you're busy and looking for a quick weeknight recipe, or you're just ready to embrace all the warm and cozy feels that slow-cooked foods offer, here are some of our favorite slow cooker recipes to enjoy all fall and winter long.

Slow Cooker Recipes: Soups & Stews

It always seems like the longer you let soups and stews stew, the better they get. So naturally, prepping them in a slow cooker makes sense!

chicken posole

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

A slow cooker riff on a classic Mexican soup, this chicken posole is warm and comforting with a subtle kick of spice.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon oregano

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 8 ounces red enchilada sauce

  • 1 lb. chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cubed

  • 1 28-ounce can hominy, drained

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Place the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chicken stock, and enchilada sauce in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken, hominy and salt, and stir to mix. Cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

  2. Serve with toppings (shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro), if desired, and top with lime wedges.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Co+op

slow cooker creamy chicken and corn soup

Photo Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken & Corn Soup

Veggie loaded with a creamy texture, this soup is sort of a chicken noodle meets corn chowder.

Carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cooked together until they're aromatic before being tossed into the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.

8 hours later, you've got a soup with perfectly tender chicken and creamy corn.

Serve it with some fresh parsley and a piece of soft, spongy bread.

Find the full recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction

Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili

Think chili, but healthier with ground turkey and white beans!

Made with your standard chili ingredients and spices, this slow cooker recipe starts with browning the ground turkey and onions before tossing it in the slow cooker with the other ingredients.

Cook your chili on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Find the full recipe at Half Baked Harvest

Slow-Cooker Spicy Barbecue Pork Stew

Spice up yo' life (and dinner routine) with this slow cooker recipe!

Pork shoulder is lightly seared before being combined with onion, poblano, pinto beans, roasted tomatoes, and some spicy bbq sauce.

Let the pork get nice and tender for about 8 hours before ladling them into bowls and serving them with some homemade cornbread.

Find the full recipe at EatingWell

More Slow Cooker Soups and Stews

Slow Cooker Recipes: Chicken & Pork

When chicken or pork is slow-cooked in liquid, it turns out moist, shreddable, and deeply flavored. So, tossing either of them into a slow-cooker just makes sense.

chicken cacciatore

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

If you're not sure about what to do with that value pack of chicken drumsticks, this slow-cooked chicken cacciatore is a flavorful, veggie-packed option to try!

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces diced canned tomatoes

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped

  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced

  • 2 ribs celery, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 4 ounces tomato paste

  • 6 chicken legs, skinless

  • 2 cups brown rice

Directions

  1. In a large slow-cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, zucchini, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, red wine, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir to mix, then add the chicken legs and press down to cover them with the vegetable and spice mixture as much as possible. Set the cooker on low and cook for 7 hours.

  2. Start cooking the rice about 45 minutes before the chicken is finished cooking.

  3. When chicken cooking is completed, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve a cup of cooked brown rice in a wide bowl or pasta plate, with a chicken leg and vegetable sauce.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Co+op

slow cooker butter chicken

Photo Courtesy of Spend with Pennies

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Your favorite take-out dish, but set it and forget it style!

Chicken thighs and a creamy tomato curry sauce come together wonderfully in this slow cooker butter chicken recipe, calling for just a handful of pantry ingredients and a few Indian spices.

Serve your butter chicken with some homemade naan and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Find the full recipe at Spend With Pennies

slow cooker honey garlic chicken

Photo Courtesy of The Chunky Chef

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

This sweet and savory honey garlic chicken might be the easiest slow cooker recipe on our list.

You quite literally toss it all in the pot, pop on the lid, and cook it for 4-6 hours!

Calling for just chicken thighs and a handful of simple sauces and spices, serve your shredded chicken over rice with a side of broccoli and sliced scallions for garnish.

Find the full recipe at The Chunky Chef

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Slow Cooker Recipes: Beef

For leaner, tougher cuts of beef like chuck roast and flank steak, slow-cooking breaks down the tough fibers and results in tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.

slow cooker orange chipotle beef tacos

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Slow Cooker Orange Chipotle Beef Tacos

All you'll need for these slow cooker tacos is a beef chuck roast, oranges, a handful of common Mexican spices, and of course, all the taco fixings you like.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 2 large seedless oranges, quartered

  • 12 taco shells or corn tortillas

  • 3 cups shredded lettuce

  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

  1. Place the beef in a slow cooker. Stir together the tomato paste, chipotle, cumin, oregano and salt in a small bowl, then rub the mixture over the beef. Place garlic cloves and oranges on top of the meat and cover the pot. Turn temperature to high and cook for 4 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours. When the meat shreds when pressed with a fork, turn off the cooker and take out the insert to cool. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a bowl to cool, and shred the beef.

  2. Place a strainer over a small pot and strain the liquids from the cooker into the pot. Squeeze the oranges over the strainer. Bring the juices to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Pour over the shredded beef and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning; add salt or more chipotle, if desired. Serve with taco shells or warm corn tortillas, lettuce, chopped tomato and shredded cheese.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Co+op

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Few things are more satisfying than a big bowl of warm pasta on a cold night.

What might be more satisfying though, is one that's made in your slow cooker!

Calling for flank steak and some pantry staples, this ragu recipe takes around 8 hours in your slow cooker but creates a tender tomato-y beef sauce that's delicious over pasta, polenta, or just a crusty piece of bread.

Find the full recipe at Gimme Some Oven

Tangy Spiced Brisket

When you think about beef brisket, you likely think about tender, but dry, BBQ food.

This brisket, however, is tender, moist, richly spiced, and extra saucy.

Though it'll take you 10 hours to slow cook it, some things are worth waiting for.

Find the full recipe at Smitten Kitchen

More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

Slow Cooker Recipes: Desserts

Slow-cooked desserts? Eh, why not?

If you've got any sort of gathering or event coming up, using your slow cooker to toss together a dessert is a quick and easy, and portable, way to go.

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Photo Courtesy of Co+op

Slow-Cooker Brownies with Walnuts

Cooking these brownies in your slow cooker makes them extra gooey and decadent. Top 'em with walnuts, or substitute in different nuts or chocolate chips instead.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unbleached flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa, sieved if necessary

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 stick unsalted butter

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

  1. Prepare your 4 quart, oval slow cooker for cooking. Either line the cooker with parchment (recommended for a neater presentation), or use a sliver of the butter to butter the bottom and 1 inch up the walls of the insert, then dust with the teaspoon of flour.

  2. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

  3. In a saucepan, melt the butter and then remove from the heat. Stir in the brown sugar, then the vanilla until well mixed. Beat in the eggs just to mix. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth, then fold in the walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the slow cooker and cook on High for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting. The brownies will cut more neatly if you let them cool completely, but they will be less gooey.

  4. If desired, use a fine sieve to dust cooled brownies with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Co+op

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

If there's one recipe you should try in your slow cooker, it's definitely apple crisp.

Slow cooking the apples gives them a melty, tender texture that contrasts well with the crispy oat and almond exterior of the dessert.

Save this recipe for Washington apple season and the holidays!

Find the full recipe at Gimme Some Oven

More Slow Cooker Dessert Recipes

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