15 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes that Practically Make Themselves

Slow cookers are the time-saving kitchen tool that can make even the most hectic day feel like a total success. For most slow cooker recipes, you simply pop a few ingredients into a crock pot, add liquid, push a button, and then – here’s the magic – do anything else you please for several hours! When you finally saunter back into the kitchen and lift the lid off the cooker, your house will smell like you’ve slaved in the kitchen all day and you’ll have an incredible meal that’s ready to serve. Bonus: when you’re done, there’s just one pot to clean.

Meals cooked in slow-cookers tend to be hearty and comforting, and even the toughest, least expensive cuts of meat become melt-in-your-mouth tender. A single recipe can make so many servings that you’ll have meals for days, and enough left over to freeze for busy weeknights in the future. Use these tips to help keep those leftovers from spoiling.

We’ve gathered 15 of our favorite slow cooker recipes that will make your life easier and more delicious. With a few minutes of prep in the morning or the night before, you can wake up to the sweet, sweet scent of breakfast that’s ready to eat or come home from a busy workday and sit right down to dinner. Let us know in the comments which of these you like best!

 

Slow Cooker Banana Bread Oatmeal

With this slow-cooked steel-cut oats recipe, breakfast can taste like a luscious slice of banana bread while still being a wholesome and nutritious way to fuel your day. There’s probably plenty of room in your slow cooker to double the recipe!

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Banana Bread Oatmeal:

• 3 cups water
• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup dry steel-cut oats
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 6 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 6 Tbsp. chopped raw walnuts

 

Fruity Whole Grain Breakfast Porridge

Basic oatmeal gets a bold makeover in this sweet, spiced breakfast porridge with hearty whole grains, dried cranberries, and apricots. A slice of orange peel and a cinnamon stick make it taste, and smell, like a special breakfast treat.

Here’s what you’ll need to make Fruity Whole Grain Breakfast Porridge:

• ¾ cup dry steel cut oats
• ½ cup dry wild rice
• ¾ cup dry pearl barley (or dry farro)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 2-inch slice dry orange peel
• 1 Tbsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots (or dried cherries, dried apples, or raisins)
• ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup chopped raw walnuts (or almonds, pecans, or cashews)
• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk

 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

This healthy take on a favorite Mexican dish is quick to put together, and it makes enough servings to feed a family or fill up a meal prep menu. The finished dish tastes just like cheesy chicken enchiladas.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and deveined, finely chopped
• 1 lb. raw ground chicken breast
• 1½ cups dry farro, rinsed
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 (15-oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes (or diced tomatoes), no salt added
• 1 cup water
• 1 (10-oz.) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
• 1 cup shredded jack (or cheddar or Mexican blend) cheese
• 3 medium green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Once you’ve tasted these homemade slow cooker refried beans, and see how effortless they are to make, you’ll say buh-bye those mushy canned refried beans for good.

What you’ll need Slow Cooker Refried Beans:

• 1 lb. dry pinto beans (about 5 cups), rinsed, sorted
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 sprig fresh espazote (or fresh oregano)
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
• 6 cups hot water
• 1 tsp. olive oil

 

Slow Cooker Garlic and Herb Mushrooms

Love those buttery sautéed restaurant-style mushrooms? We found a way to make them much healthier. Ours cook slowly with garlic and herbs, giving them time to absorb tons of flavor.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Mushrooms with Garlic and Herbs:

• 1 lb. whole mushrooms (like brown, button, or cremini), stems trimmed
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup low-sodium organic vegetable broth
• Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (for garnish; optional)

Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa with Spring Vegetables

This slow cooker recipe uses quinoa and spring vegetables to make a light but hearty dish that pops with color and flavor. The chicken gets extremely tender and juicy as it gently cooks for hours, but it’s the quinoa that’s the real surprise in this dish.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa with Spring Vegetables:

• 1½ cups dry quinoa
• 1 lb. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 7 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. dried basil (or chives or parsley)
• Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
• 6 tsp. prepared pesto sauce
• 3 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups shredded (or grated) carrots
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Have a fajita fiesta with maximum flavor and minimal effort. Each bite of these chicken and vegetable fajitas is bursting with bold taste – and they have an impressive 31 grams of protein per serving.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas:

• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chiles), no salt added
• 1 medium onion, cut into quarters, sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 tsp. ground chile powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 lb. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced
• 8 6-inch whole wheat flour tortillas, warm
• ½ cup fresh tomato salsa
• 8 tsp. low-fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt
• ½ medium avocado, sliced
• Finely chopped cilantro

 

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

There’s nothing better than coming home to the smell of a delicious dinner that’s been slowly cooking all day, especially when it’s these tender turkey meatballs in a aromatic tomato sauce. Try them on zucchini noodles for a lean, high-protein dinner.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs:

• 1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup whole grain panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, crushed
• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

 

Savory Slow Cooker Beans with Rice

These creamy red beans get tons of flavor from celery, garlic, and diced green chiles. Served with brown rice, they make a complete vegetarian meal. And, at about 70¢ per serving, this is a tasty dinner that fits any budget.

What you’ll need to make Savory Slow Cooker Beans with Rice:

• 1¼ cups dry red beans (or dry red kidney beans), rinsed
• Water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
• 1 cups water
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles, undrained
• Hot sauce (like Tabasco) (to taste; optional)
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, warm

 

Crunchy Spicy Shredded Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Sweet pineapple and crunchy radishes go perfectly with tender, slow-cooked pork loin in these mouth-watering tacos that take 10 minutes to prep. The leftover meat tastes great stirred into scrambled eggs!

What you’ll need to make Crunch Spicy Shredded Pork Tacos:

• 1 lb. raw pork loin, boneless, visible fat removed, cut into 4 large pieces
• 1 (7-oz.) can sliced jalapeños (optional)
• 1½ cups tomatillo salsa (or salsa verde)
• ½ cup finely cubed fresh pineapple
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• 8 corn tortillas (or 6-inch whole wheat tortillas), warm
• ½ cup thinly sliced radishes

 

Beef Bone Broth

Whether or not you partake in the trend of sipping a mug of bone broth for its numerous health benefits, or you just want a delicious base for soups and to add flavor to whole grains, this recipe is a great place to start. The result is a large quantity of marvelously flavorful broth that tastes great on it’s own and can be used in any recipe that calls for broth, like this Beef Pot Roast With Root Vegetables.

What you’ll need to make Beef Bone Broth:

• 5 lbs. beef back (or neck) bones (or chicken carcasses or lamb bones)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
• 2 medium onions, cut into quarters (or 2 leeks, coarsely chopped)
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium celery stalk ends, coarsely chopped
• 2 to 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
• Cold water

 

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

If you’re craving a hearty bowl of traditional beef chili, this easy recipe really delivers! It keeps things simple, without bells and whistles or special ingredients, but in the slow cooker, the meat becomes fall-apart tender, and develops deep and satisfying flavor.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Beef Chili:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1½ lbs. extra lean beef chuck, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
• ¼ cup tomato paste, no sugar added
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• ¾ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

 

Slow Cooker Baked Apples

Indulge in buttery baked apples with this lowfat option that’s just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. And thanks to the apples, you’ll get a full serving of fruit.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Baked Apples:

• 5 medium Cortland (or Honey Crisp, Macintosh or Mutsu) apples
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• 2 tbsp. organic grass-fed butter, (or extra-virgin organic coconut oil)
• ¾ cup water

 

Slow Cooker Chai Apple Butter

It takes only a handful of ingredients to make this simple, but show-stopping, Slow Cooker Chai Apple Butter. Chai tea, spiced with cardamom, ginger, clove, and black pepper, gives it a punch of flavor that will make you look like a culinary genius.

What you’ll need to make Slow Cooker Chai Apple Butter:

• 5 medium cooking apples, cored, cut into quarters
• 5 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored, cut into quarters
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 2-inch slice lemon peel
• 10 bags chai tea

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