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23 Crock Pot Recipes for Easy Dinners

This collection of 23 Crock Pot Recipes is filled with fabulously easy slow cooker dinner ideas for every taste. Whether you’re here for set-it-and-forget-it meals, mouthwateringly tender braises, or family-friendly classics, you’re sure to find something you love!

pouring gravy over slices of turkey breast made according to crock pot recipe


 

Easy, Healthy Crock Pot Recipes with Tons of Flavor

What does your crowd love to eat? Maybe you find that Mexican recipes get all the love, or that American meat-and-potatoes is a winner every time. Or maybe your menu skills are already killer, but you’re wondering if you can delegate some of the work to that slow cooker in your cabinet. 👩‍🍳

Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy browsing through this collection of crock pot dinner recipes. From beef barbacoa to buffalo chicken, French onion soup to Cajun jambalaya, there’s all kinds of easy, cozy inspiration here. BUT, the best part? Each and every slow-cooker favorite is healthy, hearty, and designed with a busy cook in mind.

What Makes These Recipes the Best?

  • Wholesome. For a recipe to really qualify as a “best of,” I think it should not only taste great – it should be good for you, too. That’s why these recipes are made with wholesome, real ingredients. They taste like homemade, from-scratch cooking because that’s what they are!
  • Easy. At the same time, they are easy to make. You won’t see hard-to-find ingredients or complicated cooking techniques here. Just simple, healthy meals that you can pull together even with a busy schedule. The slow cooker makes all of that even more possible.
  • Delicious. Finally, yes, these taste great! With real food and really easy techniques, it’s totally possible to make a meal that can win over even the pickiest eaters. These fun and flavorful crock pot recipes will show you how.
collage with nine images of slow cooker recipes.

Slow Cooker Tips

Like most cooking methods, crockpots, aka slow cookers, work even better when you have a few tricks up your sleeve. These are my top tips for making the most of that slow cooker:

  • Get a Head Start: If you have time, you can prep most crock pot recipes the night before, by chopping up any veggies, cutting up and trimming meats, and even mixing sauces. Store everything in zip-top bags in your fridge overnight. In the morning, toss it in the slow cooker and go!
  • Take Advantage of Tough Cuts: While you can slow cook just about anything, roasts, tough steaks, bone-in poultry, and other flavorful cuts of meat really shine in the slow cooker. The long, low cook time allows plenty of time for flavor development and breaking down connective tissue.
  • Caramelizing Adds Flavor: It’s definitely not necessary to brown or caramelize your ingredients for most crockpot recipes, but if you have time for that step, it can boost the flavor quite a bit. Just give your roast, chicken, onions, or other ingredients a quick browning on the stove before transferring the to your slow cooker. Easy!
  • When Possible, Cook on Low. Many cooks swear by cooking on LOW instead of HIGH, for a truly slow-cookng result and flavor. This is especially the case with modern crockpots, which tend to cook at higher temps than vintage models.
  • Thicken the Sauce Easily: If you like serving your pot roasts or other saucy dishes with a thick, gravy-like consistency, you might wonder how to achieve that in a slow cooker. No worries – it’s easy! Just make a slurry of cornstarch and water, or arrowroot powder and water, and mix it into your dish about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. It will thicken slowly but surely, into a fantastic sauce.
  • Keep the Lid On: Speaking of adding things to the crockpot, try to keep that to a minimum. Taking the lid off of a slow cooker allows a lot of heat to escape, and since you’re using such a low temperature, it can take quite a while to heat back up.

Crock Pot Recipes You Have to Try

Okay, let’s talk recipes! These easy favorites are loaded with flavor, and are sure to bring a boost to your menu rotation. Each one is simple, wholesome, and above all, mouthwateringly good.

Slice of meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella cheese.

Crockpot Meatloaf Recipe

Easy, juicy, and delicious Crockpot Meatloaf stuffed with melty cheese and prepared in the slow cooker! 
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Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers - Loaded with spicy pork sausage, rice and tomatoes, these hearty and flavor-loaded peppers are the easiest and most perfect meal to serve to your family, and are also great for game day parties!

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

These Crockpot Stuffed Peppers are loaded with spicy pork sausage, rice and tomatoes. It's the perfect easy and hearty meal for any day of the week!
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Crockpot French onion soup in a spoon.

Crockpot French Onion Soup

This crockpot French onion soup is an easy take on a French favorite with the same buttery goodness. Add bread and cheese for a fancy meal!
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Three Korean beef tacos filled with shredded BBQ beef and veggies, served on a plate.

Sweet Korean BBQ Beef Tacos

Sweet Korean BBQ Beef Tacos made with amazingly tender, super flavorful Korean beef prepared in the crockpot!
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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Packed with chunks of tender chicken, tomatoes, beans, red enchilada sauce, and corn, this chicken enchilada soup is the perfect easy and filling weeknight meal. 
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Crock Pot Honey-Garlic Chicken | www.diethood.com | Easy crock pot recipe for chicken thighs cooked in an incredibly delicious honey-garlic sauce.

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

You’ll love this easy crock pot recipe for chicken thighs cooked in honey garlic sauce. Only 5 ingredients + a couple seasonings. Super easy chicken recipe!
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Sliced pot roast with veggies on a plate.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast is a melt-in-your-mouth, tender pot roast with balsamic gravy made in a slow cooker with potatoes and carrots!
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Potato Leek Soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Slow Cooker Leek And Potato Soup

This Slow Cooker Vichyssoise Soup is perfect for a cozy winter meal. Also called potage parmentier, this leek & potato soup is a nutritious vegetarian dinner idea that the whole family can enjoy.
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side view of a bowl with slow cooker grits topped with shrimp, bacon, and green onions

Slow Cooker Grits and Shrimp

Easy Slow Cooker Grits and Shrimp is a Southern-style recipe featuring creamy cheese grits, crispy bacon, and succulent shrimp sauteed with garlic, lemon, and green onions.
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Vegetable Soup served in a white bowl.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup is the ultimate comfort dish, packed with fresh vegetables and rich flavors. Let the slow cooker work its magic as the aroma fills your kitchen and delivers a hearty and healthy meal.
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Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos - Packed with amazing flavors, healthy, and very easy to make Salsa Chicken Tacos! Arrange all ingredients in the crock pot and walk away!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

These Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are packed with fresh and healthy flavors and are very easy to make. Just arrange all the ingredients in the crock pot and walk away!
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spiral cut ham with honey glaze

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Glazed Ham

Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Glazed Ham – Perfect for entertaining, this ultimate Holiday Slow Cooked Ham is deliciously sweet, tender, and incredibly juicy!
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Dipping chicken drumstick into bleu cheese dip.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe is fantastic. It features slow-cooked chicken drumsticks simmered in a delicious homemade buffalo sauce.
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overhead shot of pork salsa verde served over rice and with flour tortillas

Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

Slow cooker pork chile verde is a deliciously easy, Mexican-inspired slow cooker recipe for pork loin cooked in a flavorful chile verde sauce.
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Beef Chili in the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Comforting, DELICIOUS, and warm beef chili packed with beans, vegetables, and spices, and cooked in the crock pot. It’s a great choice for a weeknight dinner, but just as good for a crowd-pleasing tailgate dish! 
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Pulled beef barbacoa served in a large bowl with lime wedges.

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Tender, juicy, slow cooker beef barbacoa is a fiesta of flavors! It's perfect wrapped up in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings and a squeeze of fresh lime.
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A pair of hands holding a large bowl containing Crock Pot rice and chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

Get ready for a classic chicken dinner packed with more flavor than ever before! This healthy Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice will have everybody reaching for a second helping.
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overhead shot of a ladle inside a pot of chicken stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Enjoy the comforting flavors of this Slow Cooker Chicken Stew packed with tender chunks of juicy chicken, sweet potatoes, and carrots simmered in a rich, creamy tomato broth.
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overhead shot of red wine braised beef short ribs in a slow cooker

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

This slow-simmered, luxurious main course of Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Ribs is a knockout! Made with red wine, garlic, herbs and mushrooms, it’s super fancy, but also super easy to make.
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Slow cooker crack chicken topped with bacon and herbs

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken is the most creamy and delicious chicken you will ever eat. Top it with melted cheddar and bacon for all the comfort food feels.
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pouring gravy over slices of turkey breast.

Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Get ready for effortlessly delicious turkey, thanks to the magic of the slow cooker! With minimal prep and maximum flavor, enjoy this juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast without the fuss.
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side shot of Jambalaya in a slow cooker studded with shrimp and garnished with green onions

Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe

This easy slow cooker jambalaya is an authentic Cajun classic featuring chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage simmered in a spicy, tomato-based sauce with rice.
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Beef stew in the crockpot.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This hearty slow cooker beef stew recipe is packed with tender veggies, red wine, and aromatics for a comforting weeknight dinner. 
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