Food and Recipes Slow Cooker Recipes 25 Easy Slow-Cooker Meals That'll Carry You Through A Long Day Try these easy slow cooker recipes when you need a wholesome meal at the end of a long day. By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton When it comes to making dinnertime a breeze, slow-cooker meals are always there for us. With minimal hands-on time and flavorful results, these dishes are consistently the easiest way to cook dinner. The only problem is that some slow-cooker meals don't have cook times that coincide with your schedule. If you put the ingredients in at 8 a.m. before leaving for work, you might not be able to come home in two hours or four hours to take it out, and who has time to worry about cooking tonight's meal on lunch break? Not us. That's why we brought together these easy crockpot meals that simmer all day while you're at work. With total recipe times that clock in perfectly with you're clocking out, these comforting meals are a no-brainer for weeknights. With these meals, all you have to do is arrive home and serve. 01 of 25 Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce Over Pappardelle Pasta Greg Dupree This slow cooker dinner is so good, your family's favorite Italian restaurant will be jealous. The Bolognese sauce to simmers all day, without you having to stand anywhere near the stove. There are only a few final steps to complete this dinner and get it on the table. Consider substituting pappardelle for wide fettuccine if you already have it on hand. 02 of 25 Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore With Spaghetti Hector Manuel Sanchez This beautiful sauce is more delicious than doctoring up store-bought tomato sauce, and it takes the same amount of hands-on work. Your reward at the end of a long workday is a well-crafted sauce that pairs perfectly with chicken. This tastes as if it were made from scratch without the aid of canned goods, and you'll want this "schedule helper" in your life many more times. 03 of 25 Slow Cooker Pork Ribs With Pork Rind Gremolata Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This recipe for Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Pork Rind Gremolata checks every box for a busy week. It's a fresh take on a comforting classic that looks impressive without being too fussy. Best of all, you are already thinking ahead by finding this recipe. And because of that, your arrival home on a random Thursday night was just made so much easier. 04 of 25 Beer-Braised Pot Roast Photo: Hector Sanchez This pot roast is rubbed with dark roast coffee and cooked in stout beer and beef stock for the richest gravy. Small carrots and pearl onions give this dish the air of a decadent holiday meal, but it's only a Tuesday, and your plan to make ahead will result in a blissful night of sleep. 05 of 25 Peppered Beef Soup Southern Living Engaging your dinner helper, aka your slow cooker, in making this dish will take your dinner plans far beyond one night. Make a few batches of this comfy soup to freeze for up to three months and have on hand for busy weeknights. Although serving it in a bread bowl is optional, we like to think that of it as a necessity. 06 of 25 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall You don't need an excuse to throw a fiesta with a recipe this easy. The best part? You will either learn how to cook pork shoulder in a slow cooker, or you will be reminded of just how amazing it turns out when prepped this way. Just a quick tip that we all sometimes forget: Removing the slow cooker lid while cooking releases valuable heat, so resist the urge to check on the dish as it cooks. 07 of 25 Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This bright sauce makes a heavier main dish light enough for summer, and when don't we want short ribs? This slow cooker recipe is a delicious reminder of what happens when you cook pork low and slow, all day long. It is fall of the bone delightful and the pay-off here is a recipe you will not want to quit. 08 of 25 5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham There's nothing easier than throwing just five ingredients in the slow cooker and having dinner ready when you get home. Simply throw a boneless pork shoulder roast and some sweet onions with a bit of Southern seasoning in a slow-cooker, and come home to a ready-to-eat meal. Your leftovers don't have to be "same old." Instead, top a baked sweet potato with this easy pulled pork slow-cooker recipe. 09 of 25 Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Laurey W. Glenn This is already your favorite nacho recipe. How do we know? Because what could go wrong when a boneless rump roast is cooked for eight hours and then shredded onto your nachos? Whether you serve these slow-cooker nachos as an appetizer or an easy dinner, you and the kids will love them. 10 of 25 Soulful Chicken Soup Iain Bagwell When the temperature drops, there's nothing cozier to come home to than a warm pot of chicken noodle soup. In fact, we encourage the celebration of soup season all year round, and one of your stock recipes (see what we did there?) is this classic. When soup is on the menu, remember that leftovers can be frozen and will get you through some last minute dinner decisions. 11 of 25 Beer-Braised Beef Tips with Root Vegetables and Horseradish Victor Protasio Boneless chuck roast, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onion, garlic, sage, and stout beer come together to create a savory dish that will always be a favorite. Horseradish adds a bit of subtle zing to a classic pot roast dish that goes the distance in leftovers and flavor. This is one of those crowd pleasers for the beef lovers in your life. 12 of 25 Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Hector Manuel Sanchez Sliders will never fall stop as a kid-friendly menu option. These meatball sliders are the perfect example. Wait until you are hosting kid company to offer these stacks of love, and win the sleepover with simple flavors and satisfying portions. 13 of 25 Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili Photo: Jennifer Davick Don't be afraid to approach your chili without meat. As a matter of fact, we hope you let veggies steal the stage here and there just for the taste of it. If you are down with Meatless Monday, this hearty chili recipe will satisfy. You can freeze this for up to two months if you have leftovers. 14 of 25 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos Al Pastor with All the Fixings Greg Dupree The pork cooks in a mixture of pineapple for sweetness, chipotles in adobo for heat, and beer for richness. Shred the meat and set out a taco bar full of fresh flavors, bright colors, and crunchy textures. You can't go wrong here, and this will be a reliable go-to that you will put on repeat. 15 of 25 Tangy Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder Hector Manuel Sanchez The bright acidic flavors of lemon juice and vinegar, the tang of soy sauce, and the sweetness of light brown sugar deliver balance to your palate. Another magical treatment to pork shoulder, serve this sweet and tangy pulled pork for dinner on Friday and game day on Saturday. Be ready to offer sliders, and to promise to make this for an entire football season. 16 of 25 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Although it's the ultimate Sunday supper, tender pot roast can be enjoyed any night of the week with the help of your slow cooker. And it tastes even better after your long evening commute has not improved a tough day at work. Just call it the antidote to your workday woes, and be sure to make it more than once. 17 of 25 Chicken Sausage and White Bean Stew Jennifer Davick This bowl of goodness has all the high points of our favorite comfort food with a major slash on calories. The use of feta chicken sausage and bacon lends a bit of richness to a healthy take on stew. Consider those leftovers as a solution for a light lunch that won't weigh you down. 18 of 25 Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs With Carrots And Potatoes Jennifer Davick This recipe has all the savory goodness you expect from a chicken recipe, and because we use skin-on, bone-in thighs, it's not only budget-friendly, but has that flavor you can only get from dark meat. While we love the recipe as is, if you want extra credit, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook the thighs skin-side down over medium-high heat until crispy and golden. 19 of 25 Slow Cooker Red Beans And Rice Howard Lee Puckett Red beans and rice is a classic and goes the distance in leftovers when you cook up a nice healthy batch. But if it's one of those nights where everyone brings a friend home, and you've just had a full workday, you will be so grateful you set the slow cooker on the way to your first meeting of the day. 20 of 25 Slow Cooked Barbecue Chicken Becky Luigart-Stayner Follow this recipe for the easiest dinner you've made all month. Spices like paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper add a kick, while ketchup, cola, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and bourbon round out the flavor profile. Chicken out of a slow cooker has never tasted this good. 21 of 25 Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Jennifer Causey Lentils don't require soaking, so once your ingredients are prepped and ready, simply toss them in your slow cooker before going about your day. our Crock-Pot lentil soup is a staple any time of year. For meat lovers, there are also lots of easy lentil soup variations to try with meat. 22 of 25 Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup Southern Living Make this a vegetarian soup by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. For a softer bean texture, be sure and add the tomatoes during the last hour of cooking. Just before serving, drop in cilantro, fresh avocado and a dollop of sour cream. Three cheers for all-day slow cooker recipes! 23 of 25 Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Quinoa Hector Sanchez Quinoa chili is a surprising and hearty soup that will satisfy even the toughest dinner crowd. The light texture of the quinoa allows the other ingredients to present fresh tastes. Use your favorite bottle of seasonal beer to amp up the depth of flavor. 24 of 25 Slow Cooker Brisket Chili Hector M. Sanchez Got a full day planned with the kids? This slow cooker recipe gives you a full nine hours away from the kitchen to enjoy some time outside. And once you're home from your outing, feel free to kill a little more time before serving. This bowl of chili dresses up beautifully with toppings such as cilantro, avocado and pickled jalapenos. 25 of 25 Slow Cooker French Onion Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis In a soup that is simple, leaning on only a few ingredients to deliver maximum flavor, a slow-cooking method really allows time to draw out all the sweetness and richness that tender caramelized onions bring to the table. Start your onions in the morning and enjoy the rich smell of caramelizing onions all day while working in the home office. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit