40 Cozy Slow-Cooker Recipes You'll Love Cooking in a Crock-Pot
Simplify family suppers with these comforting dishes!
When life gets busy and making dinner for the family turns into a daunting task, all you need to do is reach for your Crock-Pot, and you’ll have a full, flavorful meal ready to go come mealtime! Yes, this handy kitchen gadget makes cooking a virtually hands-off activity, so it’s a game changer for weeknight suppers in the midst of jam-packed schedules. For Ree Drummond, who grew up without a slow cooker, the concept is essentially mind-blowing. "You literally throw everything in, turn it on, then go live your life until it's done," she marvels.
Not only does a Crock-Pot make meals a breeze, but it also churns out the coziest, most comforting recipes, thanks to its low-and-slow method of cooking. After tossing all the ingredients in the pot, you’ll step away for several hours, letting it simmer until it becomes incredibly tender and undeniably tasty.
Whether it's an easy chicken dinner or a hearty pasta dish, this list proves that a Crock-Pot might just be the most versatile cooking appliance out there. With a slow cooker, you can make family favorites like pork chops and bolognese sauce without all the manual labor. You can also use the tool to meal prep a big batch of barbecue chicken or pulled pork to pile onto sandwiches or bowls throughout the week. Of course, Crock-Pots are also conducive to comfort-food classics, such as soups, chilis, and mac and cheese. And don't forget Crock-Pot appetizers for a crowd-pleasing first course!
If you aren’t sure what to make, our roundup of 40 Crock-Pot recipes is a great place to start!
Discover more delicious dinner ideas for the family:
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
You'll want to slurp down this chicken tortilla soup served straight out of a slow cooker. Shredded chicken, tender veggies, and hearty black beans in a tomato-based broth makes for a soothing, flavorful family meal.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.
Slow-Cooker Ribs
These smoky-sweet ribs taste like you spent hours over the grill, but the recipe comes together in a Crock-Pot—which means minimal time and energy on your end! Seriously, the ribs are so tender that they simply fall off the bone!
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Ribs recipe.
Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes
You can never go wrong with sloppy Joes, especially when the recipe requires just one pot to whip up! In the slow cooker, the ground beef becomes so juicy, and the sweet-tangy sauce tastes even more irresistible.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs
With this Crock-Pot recipe, you'll have a fully balanced, flavor-packed meal on the dinner table without very much labor: The crispy chicken, soft carrots, and tender potatoes are all prepared in the same slow cooker!
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo is a timeless dish, and this Crock-Pot recipe slashes the effort without sacrificing the creamy, cheesy deliciousness. After 15 minutes of prepping the ingredients, you’ll let your slow cooker do its thing for the rest of the day.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken Alfredo recipe.
Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket
Thick slices of mouthwatering brisket are a crowd pleaser through and through, and when cooked in a Crock-Pot, the tough cut becomes unbelievably tender and flavorful. Serve it with mac and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread for the most divine spread.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Beef Brisket recipe.
Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
If you’re looking for an easy appetizer to feed a crowd, this Crock-Pot recipe will do the trick! Made with a mix of cheeses, this easy dip might just be the creamiest version ever. Thanks to a slow cooker, it basically cooks itself!
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos
Take your Taco Tuesdays to the next level with this slow-cooker recipe. Juicy pieces of chicken are cooked in a spicy tomato sauce that’ll melt in your mouth. Stuff it in tortillas and top it with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos recipe.
Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil
Want to make a seafood boil a lot more manageable? Just toss all the ingredients into a Crock-Pot! This slow-cooker recipe has shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes, plus all the Creole flavor.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Your family will love sinking their teeth into these sticky-sweet drumsticks made in a slow cooker. After they're done cooking in the Crock-Pot, you’ll pop them under the broiler for golden, crispy skins and a caramelized sauce.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
Slow-Cooker Bolognese
The only thing better than bolognese is a virtually hands-off recipe for it! This timeless Italian meat sauce will taste incredible with any type of noodle, whether you use fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti.
Get the Slow-Cooker Bolognese recipe.
Slow-Cooker Green Beans
Made in a Crock-Pot, green beans and tomatoes turn into a luscious vegetable side dish. (The bits of crispy bacon also help!) As if this slow-cooker recipe couldn't get any easier, you can use frozen green beans.
Get the Slow-Cooker Green Beans recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
This recipe uses two hacks to make comforting chicken and dumplings an easy weekend meal. For starters, the dumplings are made using store-bought canned biscuit dough. Then, you just set everything in the slow cooker and let the appliance do the work!
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings recipe.
Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
Ree says this slow cooker pulled pork "goes along way," which means you can use it for multiple dinners throughout the week! Pile it onto a plate of nachos or use it for taco night with charred pineapple and pickled onions on top.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Chili
This chili recipe goes big on flavor thanks to the meltingly tender beef, chipotle chiles in adobo, and smoky bacon. The corn chips on top are optional, but highly recommended.
Get Ree's Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Chili recipe.
Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken
Make any night a barbecue chicken night with this easy, hands-free recipe. You can use the saucy, smoky shredded chicken as a topping for salads, sandwiches, nachos, and more.
Get the Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe.
Queso Dip
No game day or movie night would be complete without a pot of queso! The best part is that using the slow cooker method means you can keep it warm until your guests arrive.
Get the Queso Dip recipe.
Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
The flavor of this beef is boosted even more thanks to red wine, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms and fresh thyme. You'll want to spoon it over noodles or mashed potatoes to soak up all that goodness.
Get the Slow-Cooker Beef Stew recipe.
Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
This shredded pork gets its flavor from apple cider, brown sugar, mustard, thyme, and a slow cooking method using your Crock-Pot. Pile it onto pretzel buns or serve it up with a plate of mashed potatoes.
Get the Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork recipe.
Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese
Looking for a dish that both kids and adults will love? You can't go wrong with mac and cheese! This version is extra gooey and melty thanks to a combination of cheddar, gouda, and American cheese.
Get the Slow-Cooker Mac and Cheese recipe.
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