So-Good Slow-Cooker Recipes
Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos [1]
Cumin- and orange-perfumed pulled pork tastes great topped with sliced green onion, jicama and our salsa verde.
Cheesy Potato Soup [6]
Potato, bacon and cheese--all the flavors you love in a bowl of soup! The American cheese keeps the soup from curdling while it slow cooks. Mashing cooked potatoes a bit gives the soup some body, while the bacon adds a smoky-salty taste.
Italian Beef Sandwiches [11]
Chuck roasts come out so tender in the slow cooker, and this cheaper cut of meat is easy on the budget. For dinner, spoon the beef onto hoagie buns and top with provolone, onions and peppers, then pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese.
Download a printable collection of 10 top slow-cooker recipes [13]
Chocolate-Caramel Fondue [16]
Just three ingredients go into this quick dessert: sweetened condensed milk, caramel ice cream topping and chocolate. Vary your dippers to match the mood of your party.
Angel Chicken [20]
Chicken and fresh mushrooms slow-cook in cream cheese, wine and soup. It's easy to put together but tastes like chicken in a complex cream sauce -- smooth with delicate seasoning.
Angel Chicken [21]
Short Ribs over Cheesy Polenta [24]
Put in a slow cooker, short ribs give you a delicious, dressed-up dish with hardly any work. A hint of licorice from fennel accents the recipe.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer [28]
A surprise ingredient, root beer, adds sweetness to this roast and its dark sauce. Try leftover pork in quesadillas or stir it into ramen noodles.
Southwestern Potato Sausage Chowder [32]
Vary the heat of this easy chowder by choosing sweet or hot sausage and serrano or jalapeno pepper. Cumin adds subtle Southwest character.
Swiss-Artichoke Dip [36]
Artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes and sauce combine for a rich, creamy dip. Our recipe calls for processed Swiss cheese because it melts smoothly, but regular Swiss cheese will work fine, too. The dip will have a more stretchy, less creamy texture, but it tastes just as good.
Swiss-Artichoke Dip [37]
Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs Appetizer [40]
Shape and bake the chicken meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in your slow cooker with cranberry and barbecue sauces.
Wild Rice and Chicken Soup [44]
Mix a can of cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, veggies and rice mix for the soup base. Any boneless cooked chicken works in this recipe, but chicken thighs, with more moisture from fat, slow-cook the best.
Hominy-Pork Stew [48]
Boneless pork shoulder, navy beans, hominy and salsa blend into a zesty slow-cooker dish. Serve with lime wedges, if you like.
Hominy-Pork Stew [49]
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin [52]
We adapted a classic French recipe of chicken cooked in wine for this slow cooker specialty. Burgundy flavors the meaty chicken and forms the base of the gravy.
Cranberry Pork Roast [56]
Carolyn Sinclair of Grey Eagle, Minnesota, received this pork roast recipe from her son for her family cookbook. "When I serve it, I almost always have to give out the recipe," she says. "The tangy gravy is a good complement to pork."
Cranberry Pork Roast [57]
Fireside Beef Stew with Root Vegetables [60]
Cranberry juice makes a surprise appearance in this slow cooker main dish. The juice adds a little sweetness to the winter veggie-packed soup.
Slow-Cooked Minestrone [64]
Ground beef turns this vegetable soup recipe into a satisfying meal. Top the slow-cooked main-dish soup with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.
Slow Cooker French Chicken Stew [68]
Save time with premade pasta sauce for this slow cooker recipe. Tender chicken, herbs and fresh vegetables blend for a crowd-pleasing dish.
Moroccan Chicken Stew [72]
Combine spices with raisins and apricots to season this slow cooker chicken stew. Serve on couscous and topped with toasted pine nuts and fresh cilantro.
Slow-Cooker German-Style Beef Roast [76]
Red wine, chopped dill pickles and zesty mustard set this German-style recipe apart from other beef slow-cooker meals.
Aunt Bonnie's Taco Soup [80]
This easy soup, full of beef and beans, is sure to become a top choice at your dinner table, as it is with Vicki Johnson of Hallsville, Missouri. We like to top it with a generous dollop of sour cream and serve with salsa and chips (left).
Debra Atkinson of Ames, Iowa, sent us another hearty slow-cooker soup recipe, Mexican Chicken Chowder. "When I first began to use my crockery cooker, I thought, 'Oh no, I AM my mother,'" she says. "Now, I couldn't get along without it!"
Burgundy Beef Stew [85]
Either a good Pinot Noir or a Burgundy works well in this slow-cooked beef main-dish recipe.
Burgundy Beef Stew [86]
Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs [89]
Beef short ribs turn tender after cooking for 11 hours in your slow cooker.
Beefy Chili Dogs [93]
The Coney Island Lunch Room in Grand Island, Nebraska, has served its all-American chili dog since 1933. In honor of this Cornhusker State edible institution, we cooked up Beefy Chili Dogs. Stewing the hot dogs in the seasoned meat mixture makes them extra juicy. Top them with cheese.
Sausage Jambalaya [97]
Combine sausage, sweet peppers, celery, canned kidney beans and fire-roasted canned tomatoes in your slow-cooker for a spicy main dish. Our recipe also gives an alternative using meatballs, cannellini beans, onions and diced tomatoes.
Sausage Jambalaya [98]
Cashew Chicken [101]
A package of frozen veggies, canned mushrooms and canned soup shorten the prep work in this takeout-style recipe.
Cashew Chicken [102]
Buffalo Oven Stew [105]
The Earl family makes buffalo their business at Siouxland Buffalo in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Buffalo meat, also called bison meat, tastes a lot like lean beef. The Earls recommend cooking the meat slowly over low heat. Their oven stew is a prime example.
Buffalo Oven Stew recipe [106]
Slow-Cooked Chicken and Biscuits [109]
Dress up packaged biscuit mix with cheddar cheese, then bake while a chicken-and-vegetable mixture simmers in your slow cooker. A small package of cream cheese adds a creamy finish to the chicken.
Lemony Lamb Pitas [113]
If you love gyros, give these easy sandwiches a try. Compared to chops, this slow-cooked roast is a budget-friendly way to cook lamb.
Lemony Lamb Pitas [114]
Cappuccino Pot Roast [117]
A cup of strong coffee gives this beef chuck roast a punch of flavor. If you have a single-serving coffeemaker, this is the time to use it.
Cappuccino Pot Roast [118]
Sesame Turkey [121]
Peppery soy-ginger flavors lean turkey breast tenderloins. For a nutritious meal, serve with rice and a crisp cabbage slaw.
Sesame Turkey [122]
Bean-and-Rice-Stuffed Peppers [125]
With only five ingredients, these hearty stuffed peppers assemble in a snap. Team them with corn bread or whole wheat rolls, and dinner's done.
Chicken and White Bean Stew [129]
Great Northern or cannellini beans blend with chicken and purchased Alfredo sauce in this easy-to-assemble meal. Serve with crusty bread and tossed salad.
Slow Cooker Three-Bean Chili [133]
What's the secret ingredient in this recipe? Chocolate syrup, which adds a rich taste to a blend of kidney beans, black beans and small white beans. Rinse canned beans to reduce the sodium.
Italian Vegetable Soup [137]
Purchased pesto adds zip to this veggie-barley slow-cooked soup. Serve with a sandwich for a light meal.
Italian Vegetable Soup [138]
Curried Couscous with Vegetables [141]
For a vegetarian main dish, simmer this mixture of grains, veggies, fruits and spices. Jalapeno peppers add savory-sweet flavor with a bit of zing, while almonds add crunch.
Creamed Corn Casserole [145]
Cream cheese adds extra creaminess to this corn side-dish recipe. Bake in the oven, or follow the slow cooker directions.
Creamed Corn Casserole [146]
Download our free printable collection of 10 top slow-cooker recipes [147]
Slow-cooker tips [150]
BROWNING MEAT isn't necessary before adding to the slow cooker, unless you prefer the flavor and look of browned meat. The exception: Brown ground meat to prevent clumping and to drain fat.
A SLOW COOKER works most efficiently when it's half- to three-fourths full. That's because
the heat comes from coils around the sides of the pot, rather than the bottom. When using a recipe, make sure it's sized for your cooker.
UNPLUG BEFORE CLEANING your slow cooker and never immerse the cooker or the cord in water. If there's a removable insert, you can wash it in the dishwasher. Or use disposable plastic slow-cooker liners for easy cleanup.
TO COOK A ROAST use a bigger slow cooker with 5- to 6-quart capacity, or cut meat to fit.
More slow cooker favorite recipes [153]
Click below for more great slow cooker recipe ideas for main dishes, dessers, appetizers, soups and side dishes.