18 Summer Slow-Cooker Recipes for When It's Just Too Hot to Turn on the Oven

Recipe: Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

These Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches trade your favorite fast food joint's fried center for a slow-cooked meat with a creamy white barbecue sauce that covers every piece.

Recipe: Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

Start with a whole chicken, cut up, and simmer in a homemade barbecue sauce of ketchup, cola, cider vinegar, and a splash of bourbon for a Southern barbecue flavor. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chipotle Brisket Sliders

A little spicy and a little sweet, these sliders are a welcomed addition to any spread, especially on game day. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos

Taco night just got a lot easier (and tastier). Serve on corn tortillas with fresh toppings like red cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, and cilantro for a restaurant-worthy bite. 

Recipe: BBQ Brisket

This brisket cooks in a vinegar-based barbecue sauce for about 8 hours to help you serve your most tender slice yet.

Recipe: Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Be sure to seal in the flavor of your pork by browning it before placing it in the slow cooker. Serve with a Carolina-style vinegar sauce and pickles, sliced onions, and coleslaw for a dinner the whole family will enjoy. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Start a fiesta on your back porch this summer with these party-worthy pork tacos that are easy enough to make any night of the week. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder

This creamy soup makes an indulgent but not too heavy meal on a hot summer day.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes

We promise this recipe is an upgrade to your elementary school cafeteria days, and it's the easiest way to get your kids' favorite dish on the table. 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Combine the pork shoulder with chicken broth, orange juice, garlic, pepper and salt in your slow cooker, set it in the morning and forget it.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

From kid-friendly quesadillas or melty enchiladas with a Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken, there are countless ways to serve this recipe.

Recipe: Easy Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

This simple recipe will leave you with enough leftover meat that you'll have a bit of BBQ pulled pork to snack on all week.

Recipe: Tangy Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder

Meet your go-to pork shoulder slow-cooker recipe. It's sure to become an instant favorite thanks to the sweet and tangy soy-and-vinegar flavor profile. Pull the pork, and serve it Southern-style over grits or sandwiched between buns, and ladle on plenty of sauce.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

You can also serve the delicious Slow-Cooker Beef in slider buns with crowd-favorite sandwich toppings for a heartier meal.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers

Rev up your slow cooker the night before. On game day, tote it to the game, plug it in, and let your crowd build their own sandwiches.

Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce

This fun dish is two recipes in one: delicious, easy meatballs and a slow-simmered tangy tomato sauce.

Recipe: Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa

Fresh salsa, warmed tortillas, and a spicy brisket filling make these tacos one winner of a dinner.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos Al Pastor with All the Fixings

Start by slow-cooking pork shoulder in an aromatic bath of pineapple, beer (try a floral, spiced white ale like Hoegaarden or Blue Moon), and canned chipotles in adobo. Then shred the meat and set out a taco bar full of fresh flavors, bright colors, and crunchy textures. You can't go wrong here. We like bowls of crumbled cheeses, sliced radishes, chopped onions, avocado, shredded cabbage, and plenty of fresh cilantro.