Food and Recipes Recipes 22 Slow-Cooker Appetizers that Make Hosting Easier Than Ever 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 July 10, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez Nothing compares to the convenience of a slow-cooker when you're feeding a crowd. Not only are these Crock Pot appetizer recipes a breeze to pull together, but they're also utterly delicious. Get ready to fire up the slow-cooker for your next tailgate, cocktail party, or casual get-together—these recipes hit the spot. We love the convenience of being able to fire up the slow-cooker the night before the big game and then tote it to the tailgate the next day. From classics like cocktail meatballs to new standbys like Artichoke and Crab Meat Dip, our Crock Pot recipes run the gamut. Keep it simple, but don't forget the fresh toppings to elevate these slow-cooker appetizers to the next level. Crunchy celery sticks are the perfect accompaniment for Buffalo Chicken-Cheese Dip, while jalapeños and fresh guacamole can't be missed atop oh-so-decadent Pulled Pork Nachos. If you're looking for even more ways to use your slow-cooker, check out our Best Slow-Cooker Recipes and our Chicken Slow-Cooker Recipes. 01 of 22 Corn and Jalapeño Dip Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Corn and Jalapeño Dip This creamy and cheesy dip only includes eight ingredients and minimal prep time. 02 of 22 Tomato and Feta Dip Jennifer Davick If you prefer a creamier texture, you can substitute goat cheese for the feta. 03 of 22 Chicken Enchilada Dip Jennifer Davick Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Dip A tried-and-true weeknight dinner makes for a delicious appetizer. With only 10 minutes of prep time, this flavorful favorite is a hit. 04 of 22 White Chicken Chili Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: White Chicken Chili Pile ingredients into your slow cooker and get ready for a filling and flavorful pot of chili. 05 of 22 Easy Enchilada Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Easy Enchilada Bake Enchiladas come together easier than ever in the slow cooker and never disappoint. 06 of 22 Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs This crowd-pleasing appetizer marries chili sauce and barbecue sauce for a dump-and-stir success. 07 of 22 Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs These short ribs have a summer spin thanks to the tangy sauce and fresh herb topping. 08 of 22 Slow-Cooker Chipotle Brisket Sliders Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chipotle Brisket Sliders This BBQ brisket has garlic and chipotle chiles for added spice. 09 of 22 Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip Skyler Burt Recipe: Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip This dip always hits the spot, especially when it's done in the slow cooker with minimal prep time. 10 of 22 Slow-Cooker Chicken Lettuce Cups Alison Miksch Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chicken Lettuce Cups This genius appetizer pairs the convenience of the slow cooker with fresh ingredients to make a riff on a taco that guests will love. For toppings, we chose green onion slices, sweet mini pepper slices, spicy pickles, and a sprinkling of dried crushed red pepper; but you can feel free to use whatever ingredients you like. 11 of 22 Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce As the sauce simmers in the slow cooker, prepare the meatballs and refrigerate them on a baking sheet until ready to use. When you're ready, add them to the slow cooker but make sure they're completely submerged in the sauce. 12 of 22 Artichoke and Crabmeat Dip Jennifer Davick Recipe: Artichoke and Crabmeat Dip Pick through the crabmeat to remove the fine cartilage, if you like, but take care to leave the prized chunks of lump crabmeat as intact as possible. A topping of coarsely crushed bagel chips gives a crunchy finish to this slow-cooker appetizer. 13 of 22 Crawfish Dip Greg DuPree Recipe: Crawfish Dip We guarantee you won't have to worry about being the third person to bring this dip to the party. Step aside salsa and guacamole, there's a new favorite dip in town. Our recipe yields 10 appetizer-size servings, so feel free to double (or triple) if you'll be feeding a crowd. 14 of 22 Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos If you have leftover beef, reheat and use in tacos for a quick weeknight meal. We topped our nachos with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream but feel free to use whatever flourishes you like. 15 of 22 Asian-Ginger Wings Jennifer Davick Recipe: Asian-Ginger Wings Brown wings in the oven to give them a crisp and colorful skin before slow cooking for 4 hours. A sauce made with honey and teriyaki create the perfect salty-sweet combination. Kick up the heat by topping these flavorful wings with sliced red chile peppers. 16 of 22 Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers Hector Sanchez Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Sliders with Pickled Peppers This is one of our favorite recipes to tote to the tailgate. Fire up your slow cooker the night before the big game, and the next day, pack it up, plug it in, and let your crowd build their own sliders. 17 of 22 Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs Jennifer Davick Recipe: Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs A favorite slow-cooker party appetizer has received a sweet and spicy makeover that everyone will love. The best part of this recipe is how easy and convenient it is to pull together in a snap. An ingredient list consisting of frozen meatballs, bottled barbecue sauce, and cherry preserves make prep a breeze. 18 of 22 Buffalo Chicken-Cheese Dip Jennifer Davick Recipe: Buffalo Chicken-Cheese Dip This appetizer recipe is as close to dumping all the ingredients in a slow cooker as you can possibly get. The only additional work you'll need to do is sauté an onion for 4 minutes before adding it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to the slow cooker. Top with cheese for the last 30 minutes of cooking. We like serving this with celery sticks, but tortilla chips are also a great dipper. 19 of 22 Baked Pimiento Cheese Dip Photo Jennifer Davick, Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford, Food stylist: Toni Brogan Recipe: Baked Pimiento Cheese Dip Leave it to us to find another way to serve up this Southern staple. Serve this straight from your slow cooker if you're entertaining casually. For a slightly elevated affair, serve in a chafing dish. Pair with crackers. 20 of 22 Pork Carnitas Nachos Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell Recipe: Pork Carnitas Nachos These slow-cooker nachos were made for game day entertaining. 21 of 22 Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese Macaroni and cheese with half the work tastes twice as nice. This recipe will feed a crowd. 22 of 22 Hot-Sauce-and-Honey-Chicken Dip Hector Manuel Sanchez Use rotisserie chicken to bring this sweet and spicy dip to life. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit