Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant 18 Summer Slow-Cooker Recipes for When It's Just Too Hot to Turn on the Oven By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Caitlin Bensel When sweltering summer temperatures return to the South, the last thing our energy bills need is a hot oven steaming heat into the whole house. It's a season when we look to simple, cool dishes that don't require much, or any, heat to be satisfying. And when that's not quite enough, we take our cooking outside. Our grill becomes our guide to making it through the heat while keeping the family fed. But when you're eager to spend your time enjoying the pool or a sprinkler session in the yard with the kiddos instead of actively cooking, look to your slow-cooker to help you through the summer months. Sure, you're used to relying on this handy kitchen tool to do the hard work for you come back-to-school season and chilly winter nights, but that doesn't mean it should collect dust when the temperatures hit double digits. Keep your kitchen cool and your days spent in the sun while your slow cooker does the heavy lifting. From tacos to barbecue, here are some of our favorite summer slow-cooker recipes you can enjoy any time. 01 of 18 Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke 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. 02 of 18 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Greg Dupree 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. 03 of 18 Slow-Cooker Chipotle Brisket Sliders Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis 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. 04 of 18 BBQ Brisket Hector Manuel Sanchez 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. 05 of 18 Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches Greg DuPree 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. 06 of 18 Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder This creamy soup makes an indulgent but not too heavy meal on a hot summer day. 07 of 18 Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Becky Luigart-Stayner 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. 08 of 18 Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes Southern Living 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. 09 of 18 Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 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. 10 of 18 Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken Caitlin Bensel 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. 11 of 18 Corn and Jalapeño Dip Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Corn and Jalapeño Dip This easy, cheesy appetizer will have everyone at the barbecue raving. 12 of 18 Easy Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork 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. 13 of 18 Tangy Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder Hector Manuel Sanchez 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. 14 of 18 Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Photo: Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Slow-cooker beef brings serious flavor to these nachos, which make a great barbecue starter. 15 of 18 Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce This fun dish is two recipes in one: delicious, easy meatballs and a slow-simmered tangy tomato sauce. 16 of 18 Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa Alison Miksch Recipe: Brisket Tacos with Summer Salsa Fresh salsa, warmed tortillas, and a spicy brisket filling make these tacos one winner of a dinner. 17 of 18 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos Al Pastor with All the Fixings Greg Dupree 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. 18 of 18 Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos Caitlin Bensel 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit