Meatballs coated in a reddish-brown sauce, being stirred with a wooden spoon in a white slow cooker.

19 Slow Cooker Picks for People Who Consider the Crockpot a Personality Trait Now

Some people own a slow cooker, and some people plan the week around what is going into it next. These 19 recipes cover pot roast, shredded chicken, pork, meatballs, potatoes, soup, and beef stew, with cook times that mostly leave the appliance to do the long part on its own. A few include quick browning or finishing steps, while others are closer to load, cover, and come back later. If the Crockpot already has a permanent spot on the counter, this list gives it plenty to do.

Honey-Garlic  Meatballs in a thick red sauce are being stirred with a wooden spoon in a white ceramic pot.
Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Meatballs. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Slow Cooker German Pot Roast

A plate of German pot roast beef with a sauce being poured over it.
Slow Cooker German Pot Roast. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Beer-simmered beef with cabbage and potatoes gives Slow Cooker German Pot Roast a full six-serving dinner in 6 hours 10 minutes. Chuck roast cooks with bacon, onion, dill pickles, German beer, mustard, garlic, thyme, carrots, baby potatoes, and red cabbage before the cooking liquid becomes gravy. The vegetables join partway through so they do not turn overly soft. Slice or shred the beef and spoon the sour cream gravy over everything at serving time.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker German Pot Roast

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken garnished with chopped parsley in a white bowl on a light wooden surface.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Smoky-sweet sauce turns Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken into six servings of shreddable chicken after 6 hours 10 minutes. Chicken breasts are seasoned with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, then cook directly in BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar. Once tender, the meat is pulled apart and stirred back through the sauce. Pile it onto buns, spoon it over rice, or tuck it into wraps for an easy dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast

A plate of slow cooker rump roast with potatoes, carrots, onions, and a sprig of rosemary on a white dish.
Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Tender roast with potatoes and carrots makes Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast a six-serving dinner in 6 hours 10 minutes. Rump roast cooks with yellow baby potatoes, baby carrots, beef broth, onion, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper until the meat can be sliced or shredded easily. The vegetables stay right in the cooker with the beef. Serve everything together and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the roast so the plate stays juicy.
Get the Recipe: Easiest Slow Cooker Rump Roast

4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

4 ingredient slow cooker chicken on a black platter.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Stuffing on top and gravy underneath make 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken a four-serving dinner in 4 hours 5 minutes. Chicken breast cooks with cream of chicken soup, boxed stuffing mix, and water or chicken broth, with salt and pepper used for seasoning. The chicken stays underneath while the stuffing mixture sits over it and absorbs moisture. Spoon the chicken and stuffing onto plates together, then use the gravy from the bottom over each serving.
Get the Recipe: 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken

Birria de Res

Two white bowls filled with slow cooker birria garnished with fresh lime wedges.
Birria de Res. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Chile-rich broth gives Birria de Res deep flavor across eight servings without a long list of last-minute steps. Chuck roast cooks with onion, celery, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, Mexican oregano, chipotle, guajillo, and pasilla chiles. The card lists 15 minutes of prep and 5 hours of cooking separately rather than one total. Shred the tender beef and serve it with the strained consomé, tortillas, or taco toppings.
Get the Recipe: Birria de Res

Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers

Slow cooker sausage and peppers garnished with grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Sausage links surrounded by peppers and tomato sauce make Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers a large 10-serving batch in 6 hours 15 minutes. Italian sausage slow-cooks with yellow onion, garlic, red, yellow, and green peppers, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce after a quick browning step. The onions get a brief sauté first as well. Serve the sausage and peppers with pasta, rice, crusty bread, or tucked into hoagie rolls.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers

Mississippi Meatballs

A close-up of a meatball on a fork, with more meatballs in the background.
Mississippi Meatballs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Tangy pepperoncini and buttery gravy give Mississippi Meatballs six servings of meatballs in 4 hours 10 minutes. Homemade ground beef meatballs are browned first, then slow-cook with au jus gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, pepperoncini liquid, water, and butter. The low setting can run longer if you have the time. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or rice, or set them out with picks for a casual spread.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Meatballs

Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

A hand holds a serving spoon with cheesy scalloped potatoes above a dish, showing layers of sliced potatoes topped with melted cheese and herbs.
Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Creamy layers of potatoes and Gruyère make Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe an eight-serving side after 6 hours 5 minutes. Russet potatoes and yellow onion cook slowly with heavy cream, Gruyère cheese, salt, and black pepper until the slices are tender and the sauce thickens around them. The slow cooker handles the long cook without taking up oven space. Spoon them beside roast meat, chicken, or another main when the oven is already busy.
Get the Recipe: Vintage Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken

Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken topped with sliced jalapeños and cilantro on a white plate, next to a stack of tortillas.
Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Smoky green chile salsa gives Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken a six-serving batch in 4 hours 10 minutes. Chicken breasts or thighs cook over sliced onion and garlic with Hatch chile salsa, cumin, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika or chipotle powder. Once tender, the chicken gets shredded directly into the sauce. Use it for tacos, rice bowls, burritos, or a simple plate with beans and tortillas on the side.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Hatch Chili Salsa Chicken

Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

Bowl of Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde with toppings and a spoon on a white wooden table.
Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Tangy salsa verde surrounds tender pork in Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde, a six-serving dinner in 6 hours 15 minutes. Pork shoulder cooks with onion, green chiles, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cilantro, chicken broth, salt, and pepper until it can be pulled apart easily. The sauce stays bright and savory around the meat. Serve it over rice, inside tortillas, or in bowls with sour cream and cilantro if you have them.
Get the Recipe: Classic Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

Two servings of Cowboy Cornbread Casserole on plates.
Cowboy Cornbread Casserole. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Cornbread over a beef-and-bean filling makes Cowboy Cornbread Casserole an eight-serving slow cooker meal in 4 hours 10 minutes. Ground beef cooks with onion, taco seasoning, Rotel, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper, and Cheddar before the cornbread mixture finishes the top. The cooker handles the baking-style finish without turning on the oven. Scoop from the bottom so each serving gets both the savory filling and cornbread.
Get the Recipe: Cowboy Cornbread Casserole

Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

A white rectangular plate with slow cooker porcupine meatballs, garnished with fresh herbs.
Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs. Photo credit: Retro Recipe Book.

Rice tucked inside the beef gives Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs their familiar texture, with four servings ready in 3 hours 10 minutes. Ground beef is mixed with long-grain rice, egg, onion flakes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning before the meatballs simmer in crushed tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil. The rice cooks inside the meatballs as they soften. Spoon the tomato sauce over each serving and add bread or vegetables alongside.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

A close-up of a spoon holding a meatball in a bowl of Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup.
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Small meatballs and pasta make Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup substantial enough for six bowls in 5 hours 10 minutes. Frozen meatballs, chicken broth, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder cook first, then small pasta goes in near the end before fresh spinach wilts through. Adding the pasta late keeps it from sitting in the broth all day. Ladle the soup hot and serve with bread or crackers if you want something alongside.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup

German Pork Loin

German Pork Loin on a platter with a gravy boat nearby.
German Pork Loin. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Mustard gravy gives German Pork Loin plenty of savory depth in 4 hours 10 minutes for eight servings. Pork loin is seasoned and browned, then slow-cooks with German mustard, onions, garlic, white wine, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Flour is used later to thicken the cooking liquid into gravy. Slice the pork once tender and spoon the sauce over the top, with potatoes, noodles, or vegetables making easy sides.
Get the Recipe: German Pork Loin

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

A black bowl containing egg noodles topped with Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken and garnished with parsley, accompanied by a pickled pepper.
Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Buttery pepperoncini sauce makes Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken a six-serving dinner in 4 hours 10 minutes. Chicken breast cooks with chopped onion, chicken gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, pickling liquid, and butter until tender enough to shred. The briny peppers keep the rich sauce from tasting flat. Pull the chicken apart and serve it over mashed potatoes or rice, or pile it into rolls for a sandwich-style dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken

Authentic Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash in two white bowls.
Authentic Hungarian Goulash. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Paprika-rich broth surrounds tender beef in Authentic Hungarian Goulash, which serves six after 6 hours 15 minutes in the Crock Pot. Stewing beef cooks with plenty of sliced onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar, beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, smoked hot paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. The long cook softens the beef while the onions melt into the sauce. Serve it in bowls or over noodles, potatoes, or another simple starch.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Hungarian Goulash

Slow Cooker Carnitas Board

A platter of pork carnitas board on a wooden table.
Slow Cooker Carnitas Board. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

A whole table of build-your-own options starts with Slow Cooker Carnitas Board, an eight-person spread with 4 hours 20 minutes on the card. Pork shoulder cooks with cumin, ancho chili powder, Mexican oregano, chicken broth, chile pepper, onion, and garlic until it shreds easily. Tortillas, chips, guacamole, cheese, pickled onions, and salsas turn the meat into tacos or nachos. Set everything out separately so people can build their own plates.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Carnitas Board

Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef

A wooden spoon holds a serving of beef stroganoff with mushrooms and creamy sauce above a pot filled with the dish.
Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Mushroom-rich sauce makes Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef a six-serving dinner after 7 hours 45 minutes. Stew beef cooks with onion, mushrooms, garlic, beef broth, Maggi seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard until tender, while sour cream finishes the sauce later. Egg noodles are cooked separately for serving. Spoon the beef and creamy mushroom sauce over the noodles once everything is hot and the sauce has come together.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe With Stew Beef

Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Meatballs

Honey-Garlic  Meatballs in a thick red sauce are being stirred with a wooden spoon in a white ceramic pot.
Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Meatballs. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Sticky sweet-savory sauce coats Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Meatballs, a 12-serving batch that takes 4 hours 5 minutes. Fully cooked frozen meatballs go straight into the cooker, then ketchup, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, and minced garlic are whisked together and poured over the top. The sauce thickens as the meatballs heat through. Serve them over rice for dinner or keep them warm in the slow cooker with picks for a larger spread.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Honey-Garlic Meatballs

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