A busy weeknight gets easier when the main part of dinner has already been cooking for hours without much help from you. These 19 slow cooker recipes cover chicken, beef, pork, turkey, soups, meatballs, casseroles, ribs, roasts, and mac and cheese, with most of the work happening behind the lid. Some need a quick stir, shred, sear, or finishing step, but the long cooking stays largely hands-off. By dinner time, most of the hard work is already out of the way.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage
Fork-tender slices surrounded by potatoes and vegetables make Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage a full dinner that spends most of the day handling itself. Beef brisket cooks with broth and pickling spice before carrots, red potatoes, and cabbage go in near the end. The recipe serves eight, with six to eight hours of slow cooking after brining. Slice the rested beef and spoon some broth over the meat and vegetables before serving.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Creamy mushroom sauce makes Slow Cooker Chicken Breast look like a more involved dinner than the 10 minutes of prep suggest. Chicken breasts cook with mushrooms, garlic, Marsala, chicken broth, heavy cream, paprika, and garlic powder before a cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce. The recipe serves four in 2 hours 40 minutes. Spoon the chicken and sauce over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice when you want an easy plate with plenty of sauce.
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Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese
Creamy pasta coated in two cheeses makes Slow Cooker Mac n Cheese useful when you want dinner to stay almost entirely in one appliance. Uncooked macaroni cooks with cheddar, mozzarella, whole milk, evaporated milk, butter, paprika, and optional mustard. The recipe serves eight in 3 hours 10 minutes. It needs a couple of stirs while cooking, but the cooker still handles the bulk of the work while you focus on the rest of the evening.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Rich sauce and tender chicken give Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs the kind of finish that usually looks like much more work. Bone-in thighs cook with sweet onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 15 minutes. Searing first adds color but is not required, so you can keep prep simpler when the day is packed. Serve with rice, pasta, or bread.
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Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Thick gravy clinging to tender meatballs makes Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs a handy shortcut when shaping and browning meatballs is not on the schedule. Frozen meatballs cook with beef broth, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce before a cornstarch slurry thickens everything. The recipe serves six in 6 hours 5 minutes. Spoon them over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice for a filling dinner with very little active work.
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Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
Tangy cooking juices soak into Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken while the slow cooker turns the meat tender enough to shred with a fork. Chicken breasts cook with au jus mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini juice, chopped pepperoncini, and butter. The recipe serves four in 4 hours 5 minutes. Shred the chicken directly in the cooker and stir it into the juices, then spoon it over mashed potatoes or rice or pile it onto toasted buns.
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Slow Cooker Ribs
Sticky barbecue glaze and tender meat make Slow Cooker Ribs possible without standing outside beside a grill all afternoon. Baby back ribs slow-cook with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and barbecue sauce. The recipe serves four in 4 hours 20 minutes, including a short broil at the end. The cooker handles the long tenderizing step, leaving only the quick finishing blast needed to caramelize the sauce before dinner.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Tender beef in creamy mushroom sauce gives Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff plenty of payoff after a long stretch with the lid closed. Stewing beef or chuck cooks with onion, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire, and garlic powder before sour cream is stirred in near the end. The recipe serves six in 6 hours 10 minutes. Cook the egg noodles separately, then spoon the finished stroganoff over them just before serving.
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Pulled Pork Sliders
Soft buns piled with saucy shredded pork make Pulled Pork Sliders easy to put together once the slow cooker has handled the meat. Pork shoulder cooks with barbecue sauce, beer, ketchup, and brown sugar for six hours, then gets paired with coleslaw and a tangy mayonnaise sauce. The recipe makes 16 sliders in 6 hours 15 minutes. Keep the buns and toppings separate until dinner so everyone can build theirs without the bread getting soggy.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf
Cheesy taco flavor tucked into a sliceable loaf gives Slow Cooker Taco Meatloaf a different direction from the usual ground beef dinner. Lean beef combines with onion, green chiles, taco seasoning, crushed nacho cheese chips, Monterey Jack, eggs, and milk before cooking under taco sauce and Colby Jack. The recipe serves six in 6 hours 10 minutes. Add avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, or jalapeño at the table if you want extra toppings.
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Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Creamy broth filled with chicken, beans, and corn makes Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili substantial enough to stand alone as dinner. Chicken slow-cooks with white beans, corn, green chiles, onion, broth, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder before cream cheese and cream go in near the end. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 25 minutes. Put out avocado, tortilla chips, cilantro, or shredded cheese so everyone can finish their bowl their own way.
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Crockpot Turkey Breast
Juicy slices with a sweet-savory sauce make Crockpot Turkey Breast useful far beyond holiday cooking. Boneless turkey breast slow-cooks with cranberry sauce, dry onion soup mix, and orange juice for a short ingredient list that does not need much attention once everything is combined. The recipe serves six in 6 hours 15 minutes. Slice it for dinner with potatoes or vegetables, then save any extra turkey for sandwiches or another easy meal later in the week.
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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
Glossy juices around sliced pork give Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin a finished look even though most of the work happens unattended. Pork cooks with smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. The recipe serves six in 4 hours 15 minutes. A quick sear and flour slurry add a little hands-on work, but the slow cooker handles the long stretch. Serve with rice, potatoes, or vegetables.
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Thick spoonfuls topped with cheese make Slow Cooker Potato Soup an easy bowl dinner for evenings when nobody wants to manage several pans. Potatoes cook with chicken broth, bacon, onion, and garlic before butter, flour, and milk thicken the soup. The recipe serves six in 3 hours 10 minutes. Cheddar, sour cream, and green onions finish each portion, so the only real decision at dinner is how much of each topping goes into the bowl.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Tender strands soaked in savory-sweet cooking juices make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork useful for more than one kind of dinner. Pork loin cooks with olive oil, brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves, and dark beer. The recipe serves 12 in 6 hours 10 minutes. Shred the meat once tender, then use it in buns, tacos, baked potatoes, or bowls depending on what else is already in the kitchen that night.
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Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Big pieces of beef, potatoes, and carrots make Slow Cooker Beef Stew one of those dinners that does not need much beside it. Chuck roast cooks with onion, carrots, russet potatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and thyme. The recipe serves eight in 8 hours 10 minutes. Ladle it straight into bowls once the beef is tender, then add bread if you want something to soak up the broth.
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Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole
A layer of soft tater tots over cheesy beef makes Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole feel more like a full casserole than a basic slow cooker mixture. Ground beef cooks with corn, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, cheddar, onion, garlic powder, and frozen tater tots. The recipe serves six in 5 hours 10 minutes. A brief broil can crisp the top afterward, but the casserole is fully cooked before that optional finishing step.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Little meatballs floating with pasta and vegetables make Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup a lighter dinner that still has enough substance for a full bowl. Frozen meatballs cook with chicken broth, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder before small pasta and fresh spinach go in near the end. The recipe serves six in 5 hours 10 minutes. Add grated Parmesan or bread at serving time if you want something extra alongside the broth.
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Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Fork-tender beef surrounded by potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms gives Slow Cooker Pot Roast the look of a full Sunday dinner without requiring Sunday-level attention. Chuck roast cooks with onion, garlic, tomato paste, beef stock, red wine, thyme, and rosemary, with potatoes and mushrooms added during the last hour. The recipe serves 12 in 5 hours 10 minutes. Spoon the cooking juices over each plate and dinner is essentially complete.
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