A slow cooker dinner earns its place when it can handle most of the cooking while still giving the table something worth talking about. These 17 recipes cover pork chops, pot roast, carnitas, meatballs, chicken, sausage, beef stew, and a hearty casserole, with sauces and seasonings that build during the long cook. Some need a quick browning step first, while others go straight into the cooker with only a few ingredients. The mix works for family dinners, weekends, and days when the main dish needs to cook mostly on its own.
Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Tender pork under a tomato-rich sauce gives Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops the kind of dinner that looks like more work than it is. Pork chops are browned first, then slow-cooked with beef broth, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 10 minutes. Spoon the blended sauce over each chop and add mashed potatoes, rice, or vegetables alongside.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops
Slow Cooker Carnitas Board
Built for passing around the table, Slow Cooker Carnitas Board turns tender pork into a full serve-yourself dinner. Pork shoulder cooks with cumin, ancho chili powder, Mexican oregano, broth, jalapeño or poblano, onion, and garlic before being paired with tortillas, guacamole, shredded cheese, pickled red onions, and salsa. The recipe serves eight in about 4 hours 20 minutes. Set everything out together so each person can fill tortillas or build a plate their own way.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Carnitas Board
Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
Savory beer and mustard give Slow Cooker German Pot Roast a deeper flavor than a standard beef-and-potatoes dinner. Chuck roast cooks with bacon, onion, dill pickles, German beer, mustard, garlic, thyme, carrots, baby potatoes, red cabbage, and sour cream. The recipe serves six and takes about 6 hours 10 minutes. Slice or pull apart the beef once tender, then spoon the cooking liquid and vegetables around it for an easy family-style supper.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker German Pot Roast
Birria de Res
Rich chile broth makes Birria de Res stand out from an ordinary slow-cooked beef roast. Chuck roast cooks with onion, celery, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, chipotle, guajillo, pasilla, ancho, and arbol chiles. The card lists 15 minutes of prep and five hours of cooking for eight servings. Serve the tender beef in bowls with its broth, or use it for tacos with onion, cilantro, and lime on the side.
Get the Recipe: Birria de Res
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Sweet and savory layers make Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples especially useful when one pot needs to cover both the meat and the sides. Pork tenderloin cooks with sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, apple juice, brown sugar, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 15 minutes. Slice the pork and spoon the fruit and vegetables beside it for serving.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes & Apples
Mississippi Meatballs
Tangy pepperoncini and buttery gravy give Mississippi Meatballs much more character than plain slow-cooker meatballs. Ground beef is mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, milk, garlic powder, and onion powder, then cooked with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, pepperoncini liquid, and butter. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 10 minutes. Serve the meatballs over mashed potatoes or noodles, or keep toothpicks nearby when they are part of a larger spread.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Meatballs
Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
A rich, tangy sauce does most of the work in Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken, which uses chicken breast, yellow onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, pepperoncini, pepperoncini liquid, and butter. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 10 minutes. Once the chicken is tender, shred or slice it and spoon the sauce over the top. It works especially well with mashed potatoes, rice, rolls, or a simple vegetable on the side.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Colorful peppers and savory sausage make Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers easy to serve as either a plated dinner or a sandwich filling. Italian sausage links cook with yellow onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce. The recipe serves six in about 3 hours 15 minutes. Spoon the sausage and peppers into rolls for a casual supper, or serve them over pasta or polenta when you want something more substantial.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers
Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Bold chile flavor keeps Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken from tasting like another plain shredded chicken dinner. Chicken breasts or thighs cook with Hatch chile salsa, onion, garlic, cumin, and smoked hot paprika or chipotle powder. The recipe serves six in about 4 hours 10 minutes. Shred the chicken into the sauce once tender, then use it for tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas, or plates with beans and a few simple toppings.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken
Authentic Hungarian Goulash
Paprika-rich broth gives Authentic Hungarian Goulash its deep color and long-cooked beef flavor. Stewing beef simmers with onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar, beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, smoked hot paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. The recipe serves six in about 6 hours 15 minutes. Ladle it into bowls once the beef is tender, then add bread, potatoes, or noodles alongside if you want something to catch the seasoned broth.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Hungarian Goulash
German Pork Loin
Brown mustard and white wine give German Pork Loin a savory sauce that develops while the roast cooks slowly. The pork is rubbed with German mustard, browned in a skillet, then cooked with onions, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. The recipe serves eight in about 4 hours 10 minutes. Flour is used to thicken the cooking liquid into gravy, which can be spooned over sliced pork and potatoes or vegetables at the table.
Get the Recipe: German Pork Loin
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Four main ingredients keep 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken especially practical for days when dinner needs almost no setup. Chicken breast cooks with cream of chicken soup, stuffing mix, and water or chicken broth, plus salt and pepper as needed. The recipe serves four in about 4 hours 5 minutes. The stuffing absorbs the savory liquid as everything cooks, giving you chicken and a built-in side that can be paired with green beans, peas, or another quick vegetable.
Get the Recipe: 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken
Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef
Slow-cooked beef and mushrooms give Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef a rich sauce without much last-minute work. Stew beef cooks with onion, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth, Maggi seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard before sour cream is stirred in near the end. The recipe serves six in about 7 hours 45 minutes. Spoon the finished stroganoff over egg noodles and add parsley if you want a little color on top.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef
Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Rice tucked inside the meatballs gives Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs their old-fashioned texture and makes the dish a little different from standard sauced meatballs. Lean ground beef, long-grain rice, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning cook in crushed tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil. The recipe serves four in about 3 hours 10 minutes. Spoon the tomato sauce over the meatballs and add a vegetable or bread alongside for dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs
Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
A full meat-and-potatoes dinner comes together in Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast with very little assembly. Rump roast cooks alongside yellow baby potatoes, baby carrots, beef broth, onion, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper. The recipe serves six in about 6 hours 10 minutes. Once the beef is tender, slice it across the grain and arrange the vegetables around it, then spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat before serving.
Get the Recipe: Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Smoky seasoning and barbecue sauce give Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken plenty of flavor while the cooker handles nearly all of the work. Chicken breasts are seasoned with brown sugar, smoked hot paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then cooked with barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar. The recipe serves six in about 6 hours 10 minutes. Shred the chicken for sandwiches, pile it onto baked potatoes, or serve it on plates with slaw and vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
Hearty layers make Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole the kind of one-pot dinner that can cover a hungry table without several side dishes. Ground beef cooks with corn, condensed cream soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, garlic powder, and a layer of tater tots. The recipe serves six in about 5 hours 10 minutes. Spoon it straight from the cooker once the potatoes are cooked through, then add green onions or another simple topping if you have them.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole