These satisfying suppers are perfect for your busy schedule. Just toss in the ingredients and let your slow cooker do all the work. And if you thought Crock Pot recipes are all soups and stews? Think again. Our slow cookers also came in handy for prepping and serving tender meats and flavorful pulled chicken and pork recipes that are ready for a tortilla shell or a bun. You can slow-cook everything from classic comfort food (think meatloaf and macaroni and cheese) to regional specialties like Slow Cooker Cornbread Stuffing, BBQ Brisket, and Chicken and Dumplings, to name a few.
There’s nothing better than easily prepped, fix-it-and-forget-it slow cooker recipes to make weeknight suppers—and even weekend entertaining—a snap. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just making a meal for your family, check out our extensive collection of delicious dinners. Your slow-cooker menu can be virtually limitless—and effortless.
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Thanks to your slow cooker, this recipe has all the flavor of the classic dish with only 15 minutes of work. “Easiest way to make French onion soup and its so delicious. Will never make it any other way,” says reader Suzy O’Connor.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Salty and sweet come together for an impressive and easy-as-can-be dinner. We recommend serving the tender chicken over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes to soak up all the flavor. For a lighter meal, a pile of greens works too.
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Red beans and rice is traditional Cajun cuisine combination, but every iteration is a little different whether it’s the type of meat or level of spice. We think this one strikes the perfect balance. One reviewer even said: “One of the best Cajun beans & rice recipes I’ve tried!”
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
We like to call this recipe comfort in a bowl. It has all the components of Grandma’s stovetop version: tender dumplings, creamy broth, and shredded chicken, just without all the effort.
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This nostalgic dinner couldn’t be easier thanks to your handy slow cooker. After just 20 minutes of hands-on prep, place the meat in your pot and let it cook low-and-slow for a few hours. The result is a delicious and easy dinner.
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
If you’re not sure what to do with any venison stew meat in your freezer, this recipe is for you. Full of hearty flavors and filling vegetables, this rustic, comforting dinner comes together swiftly thanks to your slow cooker.
Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
There’s no lack of flavor in this well seasoned dish thanks to spices like turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Apricots and honey provide a subtle sweetness to balance the spices while cilantro and fresh lemon juice brighten the dish. One reviewer raves: “This one gets a full 5-star review. It is absolutely delicious and so easy to make.”
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This slow-cooker chili recipe is as easy as it is delicious. Plus, it makes use of leftover turkey with minimal cooking prep required. Cornmeal helps thicken the chili and adds a hint of toasty corn flavor. Choose fine, rather than coarse, cornmeal for the smoothest texture.
Caitlin Bensel
Store-bought salsa has never been more versatile. Pile this slow-cooked, pulled chicken into a tortilla or on top of a Tex-Mex grain bowl for a supper so flavorful that the family might mistake it for restaurant takeout.
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
The only prep for this simple vegetable soup? Microwaving your bacon. That’s it. Otherwise, just dump all of your ingredients into your slow cooker and go about your day. This hearty soup packed with veggies and flavored with a little bacon will be ready and waiting for a taste before you know it.
Jennifer Causey
Perfect for chilly nights, this long-simmered beef stew is made with a boneless chuck roast, fire-roasted tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. Serve atop noodles for a bowl full of comfort you can rely on time after time.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you thought you couldn’t make an impressive piece of meat in your slow cooker, think again. Whether you’re planning this dish for Friday night tacos or an easy Sunday supper, there’s little work to be done.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
The name of this dish doesn’t deceive. With a handful of canned ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time, you hardly have to lift a finger. Enjoy a warm bowl of the chili as is, sop it up with homemade cornbread, or pile it atop a baked potato.
Iain Bagwell
No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup. For this recipe, simply toss in the ingredients, switch on your slow cooker, and then walk away. You’ll savor this soup, seasoned with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf. We love old-fashioned, wide egg noodles for this recipe. To make sure they aren’t mushy and overcooked, don’t leave them in the slow cooker for more than 10 minutes.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Salmon likely isn’t top of mind when you think about what can be made in your slow cooker, but we’re proving why it should be. This easy meal makes for a standout weeknight dinner.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Expect bold flavors from this Latin American beef stew. Fresh herbs, spices, peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, beef stock, and even beer ensure your tastebuds will be satisfied.
Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Begin with a whole chicken, cut-up, and seasoned with salt, paprika, and garlic powder. A little cola will make your sauce Southern from the outset, and ketchup will keep it simple. Five to seven hours later, you will be waiting for the mouthwatering, sticky-sweet chicken to come out of the slow cooker so the juicy, falling-off-the-bone meat will be ready to go.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
You’d never guess that this sophisticated dish was made in a slow cooker. Tender lamb shanks over creamy parmesan grits makes for a great weeknight meal or dinner party standout.
Hector Sanchez
Cooking this macaroni and cheese in a slow cooker gives it just the right baked-crust goodness that everyone loves. It is rich, creamy, and delicious, and gooey with the tangy taste of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese. This recipe yields enough to serve as a side dish for a crowd, or it could be the perfect dinner for a family of four.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
All you need to make the best-ever collard greens is a few minutes of prep, a handful of ingredients, and nine hours of patience. “These collard greens came out as the most tender I have ever made and very flavorful,” says one reader.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Nothing hits the spot quite like chicken soup on a cold day, and this one raises the bar on a bowl of comfort. A grownup spin on the childhood classic, this recipe has a fresh flavor profile that is just what the doctor ordered.
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This recipe will give you a great-tasting pork that you can use to fill tacos shells for a casual dinner delight. Start by seasoning and browning your pork shoulder before slow cooking it. Meanwhile, prep a homemade salsa for an extra special touch. Then shred the meat and set out a taco bar full of fresh flavors, bright colors, and crunchy textures.
Jennifer Davick
All your favorite spaghetti ingredients are featured in this easy slow-cooker version. When you layer the ingredients, then let them cook for a few hours, you get a great combination of flavors that truly have time to blend together. Here, you will really appreciate the subtle, smoky flavors of the fire-roasted tomatoes and the aromas of the basil and the Italian seasoning.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
This fun dish is two recipes in one: delicious, easy meatballs and a slow-simmered tangy tomato sauce. The secret here is the meat mixture—half ground chuck, and half ground pork. You can enjoy these bite-size delights with dinner rolls, or slider buns: whichever you prefer. Topped with half a slice of provolone cheese, each meatball is like a mini Italian cheeseburger.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This slow-cooker recipe means you can relax to the savory smells of everything simmering in the kitchen. If you prefer pork or chicken sausage, you can easily swap out the turkey sausage or use forgo black-eyed peas in favor of frozen peas or beans instead.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
After 20 minutes of prepping the hearty sauce, let it simmer for eight hours. You’ll love the flavors of shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomato sauce, and bold, earthy flavor of the kalamata olives. Cook pasta separately then combine before serving.
Slow-Cooker Cowboy Beans
While canned beans are a quick solution, this recipe calls for overnight-soaked pinto beans. Serve this stick-to-your-ribs dish over hot rice, with garlicky slabs of thick Texas toast, or alongside a green salad.
Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton
This comforting dish is synonymous with Sunday supper for a good reason, but the convenience of a slow cooker makes it easy to enjoy this classic any day of the week. What’s even better is that you can make it in advance, or easily save any leftovers that you have.
Iain Bagwell
This dish gets touches of sticky sweetness from both honey and the apricot brandy that forms part of its delicious broth. Even after simmering for hours, this liquid is the foundation for a reduction that is whisked with butter, then poured over the chicken just as it is served. Serve with hot basmati rice.
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
The secret to this flavorful dish is browning the pork in a skillet before transferring to the slow cooker. This brings out more flavor and gives the meat a great color. Sit back and savor the aromas while this simmers for seven hours, then serve with fresh radish slices, cilantro, and lime for the ultimate finishing touch.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
The true challenge with this dish is patience. To achieve a fall-off-the-bone tender result, the coffee-and-beer braised dish needs to cook on low for eight to ten hours. We suggest you serve this with some hot, cooked grits to capture every delicious drop of juice from the sauce—you won’t want to let any go to waste.
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Beef nachos are a go-to, simple meal, and you can dress them up however you like. For this recipe, we take them to the next level by starting with a boneless beef rump roast rather than ground beef. Top your tortilla chips with the beef, cover it all with your favorite toppings like beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
The big, bold taste you get after slow-cooking this delicious cut of beef low and slow for several hours is more than worth the wait. The beef will cook in a vinegar barbecue sauce for about 8 hours before it’s seasoned to perfection with chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon the pan juices over the meat just before serving.
Emily Laurae / Southern Living
Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner or warm soup to fight off a chilly day, a handful of pantry staples make this dish a cinch to pull together.
Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Serve this delicious stew with crusty bread to soak up every last bite. “I saved this beef stew recipe because I will definitely be making it again. I cooked on low for 8 hours and the beef was very tender and the stew was flavorful,” says one Southern Living member.
Iain Bagwell
Make a classic chicken and dumplings recipe even more Southern by topping the vegetable-and-chicken-packed stew with cornbread dumplings.
Photo: Victor Protasio
Made in the usual loaf shape, but prepared in a slow cooker, this savory meatloaf recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This simple recipe uses one and a half pounds of ground chuck or round, and is seasoned with fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and ketchup. You will love the aromas as this cooks, and the slow cooker makes it to perfection.
Alison Miksch
Seasoned with adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, honey, and Worcestershire sauce, the brisket is not lacking great flavor. Topping your tacos with more of the incredible, homemade sauce, then add a spoonful or two of the summer salsa, creating a delicious meal.
Hector Sanchez
This is how a chili should be: spicy, savory, and delicious. Pork rib pieces are the savory meat that makes this chili so delicious. Then, we add in fresh tomatillos. (If you can’t find them fresh, look for them canned on the Latin aisle at the grocery.) Let the pork, tomatillos, and some spicy poblano peppers simmer for eight hours until everything has cooked to a rich and tender perfection.
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Taco Tuesday just got easier than it’s ever been before. Pork carnitas, the Mexican version of pulled pork, can also be used in enchiladas, sliders, and quesadillas, but we particularly enjoy this taco interpretation.
Alison Miksch
These lettuce cups pair the freshness of a salad with the heartiness of a taco. You can serve them as an appetizer or dress them up for a light dinner. Top these with green onion slices mini pepper slices, or spicy pickles. If you want to bring a little more heat to each bite, sprinkle on some dried crushed red pepper or drizzle of hot sauce.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
This one will easily become your new go-to pork shoulder slow-cooker recipe, thanks to the sweet and tangy soy-and-vinegar flavor profile. Serve it Southern-style over grits or sandwiched between buns, and ladle on plenty of sauce. You’ll simply love the flavors of the garlic—there are a dozen cloves in here—as well as the bay leaves, the onion, the brown sugar, and the soy sauce. It all goes to give this pork the perfect glaze.
VIANNEY RODRIGUEZ/JASON DAVID PAGE
Turkey and dressing is a comfort-food classic, and this recipe makes it easy to enjoy the taste of Thanksgiving during the festive season or at any time of year. This comforting slow cooker dish is a simple as it sounds. It achieves the same classic Southern flavor you crave with so much less effort. Full of chopped onion and celery, it tastes just like your favorite holiday meal.
Southern Living
Each spoonful is full of hearty beef and rich vegetables. You can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months. Be sure to add a bit of canned broth when reheating to reach the desired consistency. Enjoy a scoop right out of the slow cooker or serve in toasted bread bowls.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Classic chicken piccata in a slow cooker? You better believe it. We found a way to make this tangy, bright dish with less effort than ever before.
Jennifer Causey
Lentils are the the ideal match for a slow cooker, because they require little preparation. Lentils don’t need soaking, so once your ingredients are prepped and ready, simply toss them in your slow cooker before going about your day. Freeze your leftovers for an even easier meal on a later date.
Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
Alison Miksch
Sweet potatoes are a super side dish, and this recipe puts a spin on the classics. For sweetness, you’ll find a little orange juice, and crumbled bacon adds a savory crunch. Rosemary has its own delightful fragrance. Combined into one, this side dish is easy to make at any time, and perfect for a holiday table.
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Loaded with bacon, potatoes, and onions, all you need is a hunk of bread to finish this slow-cooked meal. Enjoy a bowl any time of year, but it’s particularly delicious when fresh summer corn is at the store.
Photo: Jennifer Davick
For this recipe, you cook the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker, keeping all of the richness and juiciness together in a delicious broth. After cooking low and slow, the vegetables will be done to perfection, and the chicken will be flavored with salt, pepper, and paprika, and infused with the flavors and aromas of garlic and thyme.
Southern Living
Get ready for some serious Southwestern aromas to start wafting from your slow cooker. This black bean soup may sound simple, but its flavors are bold and delicious. Instead of a creamy black bean soup, this one is more broth-y, like a savory stew.
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-cooked to perfection, this party-worthy main is dressed up with a bright, tangy sauce (inspired by spiked sweet tea) and a fresh, herbal topping.
Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Great for a game-day get-together, this hearty and creamy soup feeds a crowd with little hands-on time required. Plus, it’s a classic dump recipe, meaning there’s no prep required. Everything goes straight into your slow cooker for you to set and forget.
Photo: Iain Bagwell
This beautiful main only takes 10 minutes out of your day. The rest of the work is all left to your handy Crock Pot. Simply throw a boneless pork shoulder roast and some sweet onions with a bit of Southern seasoning in a slow-cooker, and come home to a ready-to-eat meal.
One bite of this classic sandwich just might take you back in time to the days of schoolhouse cafeterias and boxed lunch trading sessions. Kid-friendly and simple to make, you won’t regret making this weeknight hero the whole family will enjoy.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
This one-step chicken chili couldn’t be easier if we tried. Simply gather all the ingredients, pile everything into your slow cooker, stir, and set. The hardest part might be deciding which toppings you want to use to garnish your bowl.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Even the cornbread topping on this dinner is made in your slow cooker. Just mix together a can of enchilada sauce, black beans, corn, chicken, salsa, cilantro, and diced green chiles and let sit in your slow cooker for a few hours before adding in the topping to create a beautiful cornbread crust.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Think beef bourguignon is reserved for dinner parties only? Think again. With the help of your slow cooker, this elevated supper can be served any time. Ours is layered with rich flavor from carrots, mushrooms, red wine, tomato paste, chicken broth, pearl onions, thyme sprigs, thyme leaves, and of course, cubed boneless chuck roast.
Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Low and slow is how this slow-cooker barbecue chicken gets its flavor. While you can use the meat for many different dishes, we love loading it up with homemade slaw between two pieces of cornbread.
