The BEST Slow Cooker Recipes (Easy + Real Ingredients!)

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Beef Recipes

My favorite beef cut for cooking in the crock pot is a roast, and I always recommend using a chuck roast. Its generous marbling results in moist, tender meat at the end of a low, slow cooking time.

4. BEEF STROGANOFF

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff features tender chunks of beef and hearty mushrooms in an all-natural sour cream sauce for an easy, comforting, slow cooker dinner made with real ingredients! (May use beef stew meat instead of a roast.)

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5. BEEF STROGANOFF SOUP

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup

A classic comfort food recipe gets a soup lover's makeover in this warm, hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup, loaded with savory beef, mushrooms, and noodles…and your crock pot does all of the work! (May use beef stew meat instead of a roast.)

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6. BEEF STEW

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Crock Pot Beef Stew is comforting, delicious, and effortless to make in the slow cooker…loaded with vegetables, seasoned with herbs, and enhanced with a few special ingredients for deep, savory flavor! (May use beef stew meat instead of a roast.)

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Ground Beef

1. MEATBALL SUBS

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

Crockpot Meatball Subs effortlessly come together in the slow cooker for flavorful, saucy, cheesy sandwiches that the whole family will love! With just a few simple ingredients, this meatball sub recipe is homemade, easy, and delicious!

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2. BEEFY 3-BEAN CHILI

Slow Cooker Beefy 3-Bean Chili

3 Bean Chili is a chunky, flavorful, hearty bowl of comfort food goodness loaded with savory ground beef and three kinds of beans...and it's easy to make on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!

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Short Ribs

1. ASIAN BEEF SHORT RIBS

Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs

This savory crockpot meal of Asian Short Ribs comes together in minutes and features tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs in a flavorful cooking liquid of soy sauce, beef broth, garlic, fresh ginger, and sesame oil!

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Chicken Recipes

I always keep a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs on hand, and I prefer to toss in a combo when making most slow cooker chicken recipes. Chicken breasts are larger and have hardly any fat to trim, so just few of them yield more meat and are quick to shred. On the other hand, chicken thighs shrink up quite a bit and take longer to trim, but they also have more flavor and don't dry out as much. So I prefer using a combination for the best of both worlds, but either one will work beautifully.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts &/or Thighs

1. BUFFALO CHICKEN SOUP

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup

The bold flavors of Buffalo wings come together in this zippy, creamy, easy-to-whip-up Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup, perfect for serving on game day or for warming up on a chilly fall or winter evening!

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2. SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos are easy to make with just SIX simple ingredients. This flavorful, versatile recipe for shredded chicken tacos is both delicious and effortless, since the slow cooker does all of the work!

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3. CHICKEN BLACK BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Soup is a creamy, healthy, effortless crockpot dinner for those cold winter nights!

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9. WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili is a comforting crockpot recipe that’s loaded with tender chicken, dried beans, and tangy green chiles, slow cooked all day and then topped with your favorite garnishes!

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10. CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

The BEST Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

This wholesome, easy-to-make Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup is extra flavorful thanks to a few secret ingredients…and it's the perfect get-well-soon recipe for making it through cold and flu season! (Skin-on/bone-in chicken pieces are preferred for this recipe.)

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Chicken Drumsticks

1. SWEET CHILI DRUMSTICKS

Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken Drumsticks

Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks start with a simple marinade of soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and ginger then effortlessly cook in the slow cooker until tender for an effortless, sweet-and-savory, Asian chicken dinner!

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Pork Recipes

Would you believe that you can cook a decent-sized ham or even a rack of ribs in your crock pot? There are plenty of variations of pulled pork below as well. And anytime I have leftover ham, I dice it up and toss it in the freezer for future use in these slow cooker soups.

Pork Butt (Shoulder) Roast

1. CARNITAS

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Effortless, Caramelized, Succulent)

Slow Cooker Carnitas effortlessly come together in the crock pot, where pork is braised in an aromatic broth, cubed, and then finished off under the broiler. The result is succulent, caramelized, pork carnitas that are delicious in tacos or as a filling for burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and more!

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2. HONEY LIME PULLED PORK

Slow Cooker Honey Lime Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Honey Lime Pulled Pork Tacos feature tender, spicy-sweet pork piled on flour tortillas and topped with red cabbage, carrots, avocado, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro for an easy, effortless dinner...and the leftover pork is fantastic on nachos!

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3. PINEAPPLE PULLED PORK

Slow Cooker Pineapple Pulled Pork with Pineapple BBQ Sauce

Pineapple Pulled Pork is sweet and savory, with succulent pork slow cooked in pineapple juice and combined with a fantastic homemade Pineapple BBQ Sauce! It's versatile and delicious on sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, pizza, and more!

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Boneless Pork Loin

1. HONEY BALSAMIC PORK LOIN

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pork Loin

Crock Pot Pork Loin is a moist, juicy, effortless slow cooker dinner featuring a tangy, sweet and savory, honey balsamic glaze that's impressive enough for company!

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Whole Ham

1. BROWN SUGAR PINEAPPLE HAM

The BEST Slow Cooker Ham

This amazing Crockpot Ham is the BEST slow cooker ham recipe! It's cooked in pineapple juice with a brown sugar glaze featuring Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and honey for an EASY holiday dinner that practically makes itself!

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Diced Ham &/or Ham Bone

1. POTATO CORN CHOWDER WITH HAM

Slow Cooker Potato Corn Chowder

Potato Corn Chowder is creamy and comforting, loaded with sweet corn, hearty potatoes, and flavorful ham. It’s quick and easy to make on the stove or you can let your slow cooker do the work for you!

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2. HAM & WHITE BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is a hearty, wholesome, comforting crock pot recipe featuring creamy white beans that's perfect for using up leftover ham!

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3. SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Crockpot Split Pea Soup is warm, comforting, and hearty, loaded with ham, potatoes, and carrots. And best of all, it’s easy to make since your slow cooker does all of the work!

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Ribs

1. BABY BACK RIBS

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs are sticky, smoky, and fall-apart delicious...and nobody will ever believe that they're crock pot ribs!

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Bean Recipes

Unless specified, all of the slow cooker recipes below start with dried beans or lentils, and none of those recipes require pre-soaking (unless that happens to be your personal preference). I simply rinse and pick over my beans before letting them cook all day. Please keep in mind that old beans take longer to cook and soften...and sometimes, if they're really old, they never soften! So if your beans having been sitting in your pantry -- or in a grocery store warehouse -- for a long time, this can definitely lengthen required cooking time.

Dried Pinto Beans

1. CHARRO BEANS

Slow Cooker Charro Beans

Charro Beans are flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, and spices and cooked in the slow cooker to make them hands-off and truly effortless...the perfect side dish for Mexican food!

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2. RANCH STYLE BEANS

Slow Cooker Ranch Style Beans (Simple + Tasty)

Ranch Style Beans start with dried pinto beans that are effortlessly slow cooked in the crock pot for a simple, versatile, delicious side dish that’s perfect with burgers or BBQ!

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Dried Great Northern or Navy Beans

1. HAM & WHITE BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup is a hearty, wholesome, comforting crock pot recipe featuring creamy white beans that's perfect for using up leftover ham!

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2. CAJUN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Cajun Bean Soup

Cajun Bean Soup is a cozy slow cooker recipe loaded with white beans, andouille sausage, veggies, and a flavorful broth, with plenty of Cajun soup spices to warm you up!

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3. WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili is a comforting crockpot recipe that’s loaded with tender chicken, dried beans, and tangy green chiles, slow cooked all day and then topped with your favorite garnishes!

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Dried Black Beans

1. CHICKEN BLACK BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Soup is a creamy, healthy, effortless crockpot dinner for those cold winter nights!

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Dried Lentils or Peas

1. GERMAN LENTIL SOUP

Slow Cooker German Lentils with Sausage

Lentils, sausage, carrots, and a flavorful broth simmer the day away in this hearty, comforting, slow cooker soup.

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2. SPLIT PEA SOUP

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Crockpot Split Pea Soup is warm, comforting, and hearty, loaded with ham, potatoes, and carrots. And best of all, it’s easy to make since your slow cooker does all of the work!

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Canned Beans

1. BEEFY 3-BEAN CHILI

Slow Cooker Beefy 3-Bean Chili

3 Bean Chili is a chunky, flavorful, hearty bowl of comfort food goodness loaded with savory ground beef and three kinds of beans...and it's easy to make on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!

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2. SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos are easy to make with just SIX simple ingredients. This flavorful, versatile recipe for shredded chicken tacos is both delicious and effortless, since the slow cooker does all of the work!

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3. CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is brimming with chicken, beans, & corn and topped with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, and grated cheddar, making it a warm, hearty, effortless crock pot meal that's perfect for a chilly day!

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Vegetarian Recipes

These crock pot recipes on the site are not necessarily written as vegetarian recipes. However, they can easily be converted to vegetarian recipes by (1.) using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and (2.) eliminating any added ham, bacon, or sausage. Just keep in mind that if you eliminate ham, bacon, or sausage, you will likely need to increase the salt and/or other seasonings to make up for the missing flavor.

1. BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup is silky and delicious, packed with vitamins, and as effortless as tossing frozen butternut squash cubes into the crock pot!

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2. CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Pepper Jack & Bacon is a creamy, silky, crock pot recipe that balances healthy, vitamin-packed cauliflower with zesty cheese and decadent bacon...and since it starts with frozen cauliflower, it couldn't be any simpler to make!

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3. CHARRO BEANS

Slow Cooker Charro Beans

Charro Beans are flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, and spices and cooked in the slow cooker to make them hands-off and truly effortless...the perfect side dish for Mexican food!

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10. CAJUN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Slow Cooker Cajun Bean Soup

Cajun Bean Soup is a cozy slow cooker recipe loaded with white beans, andouille sausage, veggies, and a flavorful broth, with plenty of Cajun soup spices to warm you up!

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11. WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili is a comforting crockpot recipe that’s loaded with tender chicken, dried beans, and tangy green chiles, slow cooked all day and then topped with your favorite garnishes!

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Breakfast Recipes

You may not always think of breakfast when crock pot cooking comes to mind, but these options are tasty, wholesome, and fun.

1. SLOW COOKER GRANOLA

Slow Cooker Granola

Slow Cooker Granola is crunchy, golden, and delicious, combining oats, nuts, coconut, coconut oil, and honey in the crock pot for an effortless, wholesome treat!

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2. OVERNIGHT APPLE PIE STEEL CUT OATMEAL

{Overnight} Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal

Overnight Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal is easy to throw in the slow cooker before bed for an effortless breakfast the next day...and with a special, no-stirring-required trick, you won't have to worry about burnt edges in the morning!

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3. OVERNIGHT PUMPKIN STEEL CUT OATMEAL

{Overnight} Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal

Wake up to a warm, wholesome breakfast with this Overnight Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal...and don't miss the secret trick to prevent the edges from burning!

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Dessert Recipes

Sweets for the sweet. 🙂

1. CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FONDUE

Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Butter Fondue

Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Butter Fondue is a decadent, glossy, chocolate dip kissed with peanut butter, perfect for your favorite fruit and confections on Valentine's Day or any day!

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2. HOT CHOCOLATE (4 FLAVORS)

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

Crockpot Hot Chocolate is the easiest way to make a big batch of rich, decadent slow cooker hot chocolate for a crowd...and four flavor variations make it extra yummy!

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3. EGGNOG BREAD PUDDING

Slow Cooker Eggnog Bread Pudding

Delicious and decadent Slow Cooker Eggnog Bread Pudding effortlessly cooks up in the crock pot, freeing up the oven for other recipes. Studded with golden raisins, sprinkled with nutmeg, and drizzled with a silky eggnog syrup, it's a perfect holiday breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

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Holiday Recipes

When I cook a big meal for a holiday, I inevitably have every oven rack and stove burner accounted for. So pulling out a slow cooker or two means that it's no problem to add a few more dishes to the menu!

1. BROWN SUGAR PINEAPPLE HAM

The BEST Slow Cooker Ham

This amazing Crockpot Ham is the BEST slow cooker ham recipe! It's cooked in pineapple juice with a brown sugar glaze featuring Dijon, balsamic vinegar, and honey for an EASY holiday dinner that practically makes itself!

Get The Recipe

2. CREAMY CHEESY CORN

Slow Cooker Creamy Cheesy Corn

Slow Cooker Creamy Cheesy Corn is a rich, comforting side dish that's the perfect addition to your holiday menu...not only is this recipe delicious, but it also frees up the stove and oven!

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3. HONEY CINNAMON CARROTS

Slow Cooker Honey Cinnamon Carrots

Honey Cinnamon Crockpot Carrots are a sweet, buttery, and addictive slow cooker side dish...the perfect easy recipe for freeing up the oven and feeding a crowd, on Easter, other holidays, or any day!

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4. SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole is lightly sweetened with maple syrup and topped with toasted pecans, making it a delicious and effortless addition to Thanksgiving dinner, while freeing up the oven at the same time!

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5. EGGNOG BREAD PUDDING

Slow Cooker Eggnog Bread Pudding

Delicious and decadent Slow Cooker Eggnog Bread Pudding effortlessly cooks up in the crock pot, freeing up the oven for other recipes. Studded with golden raisins, sprinkled with nutmeg, and drizzled with a silky eggnog syrup, it's a perfect holiday breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

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