EASY Slow Cooker Recipes

Jamielyn Nye
Updated August 26, 2021

25 comments

The perfect hands-free way to cook flavorful meals. When life gets hectic, let one of these easy slow cooker recipes do the work for you.

EASY Slow Cooker Recipes - I Heart Naptime (2)

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Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
Chicken Recipes
Recipes with Beef
Pork Recipes
Soups
Crockpot Side Dishes

I’m all about making recipes as easy as possible. Especially during busy weeknights – simplicity is key! That’s why I love to make easy crockpot recipes, as well as sheet pan dinners, 30-minute meals and freezer meals. Quick, simple and delicious!

Dinner is the one time every day our entire family gets to gather together and catch up. While having a meal together is something I look forward to, I don’t necessarily want to spend an hour prepping, chopping, and cooking dinner every evening.

Days like that are when crockpot cooking comes into play. I particularly love easy slow cooker recipes because I can simply add ingredients into the crockpot and let the cooking happen on my behalf while I get to spend time with my kids.

Here are some of the best slow cooker recipes—give them a try and you’ll love them too! Some of these are even 5-ingredient crockpot meals that we reach for again and again.

Chicken Recipes

Chicken is by far the most frequently consumed meat in our home. I particularly love slow cooker chicken recipes. Unless you are making something with ground chicken, you don’t need to cook the chicken beforehand–the crockpot will do all the work for you.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls

A delicious taco bowl loaded with cilantro lime rice, seasoned chicken, black beans and corn. Easily made in the slow cooker and dinner is ready when you are!

Total Time: 4 hours hours

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe

Easy shredded chicken made in the crockpot or instant pot. One of the most simple, versatile and tasty recipes out there. Perfect to put on salads, tacos, nachos…you name it!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken is one of my favorite crockpot chicken recipes that's quick, flavorful and absolutely delicious. It comes out perfectly tender every time!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

This creamy Italian chicken is made in the crockpot with just 4 simple ingredients. A family favorite meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 5 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

BBQ Pulled Chicken

This crockpot BBQ chicken is only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes prep! Tender, flavorful and juicy shredded BBQ chicken that's perfect for sandwiches, salads, tacos, pizza and more.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Ranch Chicken Tacos

A tried and true family favorite recipe that takes just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep! Quick, easy and healthy. These ranch chicken tacos are so juicy, tender and full of flavor!

Total Time: 6 hours hours

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Flavorful and easy teriyaki chicken made in the crockpot! Only 5 minutes of prep and an instant family favorite!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Chicken Tinga Tacos Recipe

A delicious crockpot chicken tinga tacos recipe that tastes like it came straight from a Mexican restaurant. So easy and only takes 5 minutes to prep. These tinga tacos are authentic and amazing!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Shredded Chicken Salad Recipe

Slow cooker chicken salad is a delicious make-ahead recipe that is perfect for lunches and potlucks. Made with some of the classic chicken salad ingredients but with a new spin!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Salsa Chicken Recipe

This crockpot salsa chicken takes just 2 simple ingredients and is one of the easiest recipes ever! Perfect on salads, bowls, tacos, burritos and more.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe

These Hawaiian haystacks are a family favorite dinner that's easy, inexpensive and completely customizable. Made in the crockpot and perfect for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe

The easiest salsa verde chicken made in the crockpot or Instant Pot. Use the flavorful, tender and juicy meat in tacos, tostadas, enchiladas or bowls!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Recipes with Beef

Beef is one of the most versatile ingredients out there—just think of the difference between ground beef and shredded beef. Each one of these recipes uses a cut of beef to create a filling (and tasty!) meal.

Insider’s Tip: Once I find a slow cooker recipe with beef that my entire family loves, I keep a close eye out to see when that cut goes on sale and stock up to make freezer meals.

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

This crockpot lasagna recipe is the easiest way to make lasagna! Simple to assemble with tender pasta noodles, meat sauce and cheese then it cooks hands off for busy days.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Shredded Beef Tacos

These shredded beef tacos are a great meal for busy school nights. They are so simple – the slow cooker does all the work for you. The whole family will love them!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

Tender and juicy Mississippi pot roast that's made in the crock pot. Just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep to make this easy dump and go dinner!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Forget takeout and make restaurant-worthy crockpot beef and broccoli at home. This easy recipe takes only 10 minutes to prep. Let your crockpot do the work for tender, flavorful beef and broccoli.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket Sandwiches

Sliced, tender brisket is cooked in the slow cooker to perfection then sliced and piled high on a soft roll. Top with coleslaw and extra sauce for the perfect summer meal.

Total Time: 5 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

This corned beef and cabbage recipe is an easy dinner for St. Patrick's Day made with tender corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes simmered in the slow cooker all day for the best results!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Taco Lasagna

Layers of tortillas, cream cheese, beans, taco meat, enchilada sauce and cheese. This slow cooker taco lasagna is perfectly creamy, cheesy and has tons of flavor.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Hawaiian Meatballs

These Hawaiian meatballs are easy, tasty and always a crowd pleaser. Meatballs are cooked in BBQ sauce with pineapple and ginger for the perfect appetizer or main dish.

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

This slow cooker beef stroganoff only takes 5 minutes to prep and is made with less than 10 ingredients! A classic comfort food dish that's packed with flavor in a creamy sauce.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Green Chili Burritos

Warm flour tortillas filled with tender slow cooker shredded beef and finished off with your favorite toppings. These green chili burritos are delicious, easy, andperfect for a weeknight dinner for busy families!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Chili

This crockpot chili is a hearty and flavor-loaded recipe that's cooked nice and slow so the flavors meld and each spoonful is better than the one before!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Pork Recipes

Pork slow cooker recipes are definitely underrated. In fact, these are some of the best recipes out there! Pork is another meat that can be used in so many different ways and with so many different cuisines.

Pulled Pork Recipe

This easy BBQ pulled pork takes just 5 minutes to prep with 5 simple ingredients. It's perfectly juicy and tender, with delicious BBQ flavor. Make it in the crockpot OR instant pot!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe

These slow cooker carnitas are super easy to make and taste great in tacos, nachos, enchiladas or burritos! So tender and full of flavor.

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Soups

Over the cooler months, these easy crockpot recipes are in constant rotation at my home. There is truly nothing like a steaming bowl of homemade soup to warm you right up!

Plus, this is a great way to add lots of fiber and protein to your day in an easy-to-digest form. The vegetarian slow cooker recipes on this list are absolutely incredible and are just the thing to make for Meatless Mondays.

Crockpot Potato Soup

The ultimate comfort food in a bowl! This simple crockpot potato soup takes just 5 minutes of prep and turns out absolutely amazing. Just throw it all in the slow cooker and forget it!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This slow cooker chicken enchilada soup is creamy, warm and absolutely delicious! One of my favorite 'set it and forget it' crockpot meals that's perfect for busy weeknights!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Cabbage Soup

This crockpot cabbage soup is not only delicious and flavorful but chock full of vegetables with lots of fiber and is very satisfying. All you need to do is dump everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work for you!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Mexican Chicken Soup

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole30 friendly! An easy crock pot soup recipe that takes just 5 minutes of prep. This Mexican chicken soup is packed with veggies and is healthy and delicious!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

This crockpot white chicken chili recipe is made with tender chicken, beans, flavorful salsa and a creamy base. Takes just 5 minutes of prep and is great for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Seafood Stew

A delicious seafood recipe cooked in a tomato-based broth with potatoes. This slow cooker seafood stew is comforting and is an easy-to-make dinner idea!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

An easy and hearty meal made with beef, burgundy wine, fresh vegetables, and herbs, all cooked to perfection within the slow cooker! In this beef bourguignon recipe, the alcohol is cooked out, leaving a rich and thick liquid for the beef and vegetables to cook in.

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Chicken and Rice Soup

This easy chicken and rice soup is a comforting and delicious one-pot meal loaded with tender vegetables, chicken and a flavorful broth that the whole family will love! Makes the perfect soup recipe for chilly weather!

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Chicken Vegetable Soup

This chicken vegetable soup is a simple yet hearty recipe that is easy to make in the slow cooker! Made with chicken breasts, vegetables, a flavorful broth and seasonings, it's comfort food in a bowl.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

This slow cooker green enchilada soup has everything you love about the classic green chile chicken enchiladas in the form of soup. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and then the crockpot does all the rest!

Total Time: 5 hours hours

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This easy crockpot lasagna soup is a meaty, saucy recipe that has all the delicious flavors we love in a traditionally baked classic lasagna but in the form of a comforting, hearty, soup!

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Crockpot Beef Stew

Crockpot beef stew has loads of chunky beef, tender vegetables, and a simple seasoning slow-cooked in a flavorful broth for a melt-in-your-mouth spoonful the whole family will enjoy!

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Crockpot Side Dishes

These are perfect to make for the holidays or for a dinner party where you don’t want to leave meal prep to the last minute. These slow cooker side dishes are completely portable too—just let it cook all day, then when it’s time to go take your crockpot with you, and plug it in to keep it warm.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe

Only takes 10 minutes to prep and is made with only a few simple ingredients! Pure comfort in a bowl and tastes absolutely amazing.

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These crockpot mashed potatoes are easy to make in your slow cooker and result in creamy, smooth and velvety mashed potatoes! Best of all there is no boiling on the stovetop involved.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Creamed Corn

This slow cooker creamed corn is made with a secret ingredient to give this classic dish a twist! Super creamy, rich and has amazing flavor.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Risotto

This butternut squash risotto recipe is a savory, good-for-you dinner that's loaded with veggies and bits of sausage, all cooked together in the slow cooker. This dinner practically prepares itself and everyone will clamor for seconds.

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Recipe

Using only 4 ingredients, these easy brown sugar glazed carrots are a definite crowd-pleaser. Coated in a butter and a brown sugar glaze, it's the perfect balance of tender and crunch in every bite!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

If you aren’t pulling your crockpot out of your cabinet right now, what are you waiting for? :) Give yourself a break and reach for any of these easy slow cooker recipes. Enjoy!

Categorized as: Crockpot, Crockpot, Dinner, One Pot, One Pot, Recipe Roundup

Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.

More about Jamielyn Nye

Add a comment

25 comments

- Kathleen McClellan
- November 12, 2020
awesome recipe’s thank you !!!
- Reply
- Margaret Vaughan
- April 4, 2020
Looks amazing
- Reply
- Candace
- July 26, 2015
Can’t wait to try these recipe
- Reply
- Mindy
- March 19, 2015
All I can say is – tasty, tasty, tasty! Images look awesome and mouth watering, I will try every single recipe as soon as I can!
- Reply
- Becca @TheDatingDivas
- September 25, 2014
LOVE using my slow cooker- especially in the fall! Pinned!
- Reply

EASY Slow Cooker Recipes - I Heart Naptime (2024)

FAQs

What is an alternative to slow cooking? ›

Oven-Baked Magic: Another option for slow cooking without a slow cooker is to utilise your oven. Choose an oven-safe dish with a lid or tightly cover a regular baking dish with foil. This method is excellent for roasts, casseroles, and baked dishes.

Can you go from slow cook to pressure cook? ›

In general, the liquid in the original slow cooker recipe should be reduced to 1 to 2 cups when converting to an electric pressure cooker. Exceptions to this would be: Grains and Beans– Use the exact amount needed to fluff up, with a small amount more for the other ingredients in the recipe.

Explore More ›

How easy is a slow cooker? ›

One of the main attractions for many people is the ease of a slow cooker, so when you're looking for recipes, avoid those that suggest a lot of pre-preparation. For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in.

Keep Reading ›

How to slow cook at home? ›

Just plug in your slow cooker, add your chosen recipe's ingredients, set the cooker to low or high, depending on the recipe's instructions, add the lid and let it cook. Once your dish is done cooking, you can either switch the slow cooker off to turn off the heating element, or warm if you're not ready to enjoy it yet.

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What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›

Food texture changes: Canned foods, such as vegetables, can become too mushy in a slow cooker. It's better to use them fresh or frozen. But, frozen veggies tend to make the texture of the dish more “watery”. Defrosting and draining the extra liquid before cooking can help minimize this.

Tell Me More ›

Can I use a crockpot instead of a slow cooker? ›

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

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Is it better to pressure cook or Slow Cook meat? ›

This completely depends on the type of meat you are planning on cooking. Because slow cookers take longer to cook, they are better suited to breaking down fat in meat while adding moisture. So if you are planning on cooking a whole rump beef, then a slow cooker is a better choice.

Read The Full Story ›

Does pressure cooker taste as good as slow cooker? ›

Pressure cookers are also better at breaking down tougher connective tissue and extracting flavors from bones for stock, while a slow cooker doesn't build enough heat to achieve the same results.

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How long does it take to cook in a pressure cooker vs slow cooker? ›

Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the difference between a slow cooker and a crockpot? ›

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

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What is the best meat to slow cook? ›

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

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Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

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Do potatoes go on top or bottom of meat in a crockpot? ›

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

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Can I put raw meat in a slow cooker? ›

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned.

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What vegetables are good in a slow cooker? ›

The best vegetables for a slow cooker are sturdier veggies like celery, carrots, tomatoes, onions, peppers and green beans, like we used in this recipe.

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What is faster than a slow cooker? ›

Time: The pressure cooking function of the Instant Pot allows it to cook food much faster than a slow cooker. For instance, a pork shoulder in a slow cooker takes at least 6 hours on high to become shreddable. In an Instant Pot, you can have pulled pork in an hour.

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What is the opposite of slow cook? ›

Pressure cookers

The pressure cooker is almost the opposite to a slow cooker. Meals that can take several hours in the oven, or even more in the slow cooker, can be whipped up on a week night in less than an hour.

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How healthy is slow cooking? ›

The low heat used in slow cooking destroys fewer nutrients than high-heat cooking. Meat and other ingredients are also cooked more safely since any remaining bacteria are killed off by the steam and tightly sealed pot. Slow cooking is also an excellent way to cook legumes, which are a staple in many healthy diets!

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Is slow cooking always better? ›

The Benefits of Cooking 'Slow-and-Low'

There are so many benefits to this cooking method. Not only does it make the meat far juicier and more tender but it also works with all kinds of meats. No matter your preference, this cooking method works well with whole cuts of pork, beef, lamb, and even veal.

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EASY Slow Cooker Recipes - I Heart Naptime (2024)

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