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!

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.

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.

Slow Cooker Vichyssoise 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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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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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

This Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe is ah-maz-ing! Slow cooked chicken legs simmered in a delicious homemade buffalo sauce. If you love buffalo chicken, then you’re doing to devour this recipe!

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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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Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is cooked low and slow all day to get the perfect Mexican flavor and tenderness. It’s rich and perfect on tacos with lime wedges!

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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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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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