EASY Slow Cooker Recipes

Jamielyn Nye
Updated August 26, 2021

25 comments

The perfect hands-free way to cook flavorful meals. When life gets hectic, let one of these easy slow cooker recipes do the work for you.

EASY Slow Cooker Recipes - I Heart Naptime (2)

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Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
Chicken Recipes
Recipes with Beef
Pork Recipes
Soups
Crockpot Side Dishes

I’m all about making recipes as easy as possible. Especially during busy weeknights – simplicity is key! That’s why I love to make easy crockpot recipes, as well as sheet pan dinners, 30-minute meals and freezer meals. Quick, simple and delicious!

Dinner is the one time every day our entire family gets to gather together and catch up. While having a meal together is something I look forward to, I don’t necessarily want to spend an hour prepping, chopping, and cooking dinner every evening.

Days like that are when crockpot cooking comes into play. I particularly love easy slow cooker recipes because I can simply add ingredients into the crockpot and let the cooking happen on my behalf while I get to spend time with my kids.

Here are some of the best slow cooker recipes—give them a try and you’ll love them too! Some of these are even 5-ingredient crockpot meals that we reach for again and again.

Chicken Recipes

Chicken is by far the most frequently consumed meat in our home. I particularly love slow cooker chicken recipes. Unless you are making something with ground chicken, you don’t need to cook the chicken beforehand–the crockpot will do all the work for you.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls

A delicious taco bowl loaded with cilantro lime rice, seasoned chicken, black beans and corn. Easily made in the slow cooker and dinner is ready when you are!

Total Time: 4 hours hours

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Recipe

Easy shredded chicken made in the crockpot or instant pot. One of the most simple, versatile and tasty recipes out there. Perfect to put on salads, tacos, nachos…you name it!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken is one of my favorite crockpot chicken recipes that's quick, flavorful and absolutely delicious. It comes out perfectly tender every time!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

This creamy Italian chicken is made in the crockpot with just 4 simple ingredients. A family favorite meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 5 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

BBQ Pulled Chicken

This crockpot BBQ chicken is only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes prep! Tender, flavorful and juicy shredded BBQ chicken that's perfect for sandwiches, salads, tacos, pizza and more.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Ranch Chicken Tacos

A tried and true family favorite recipe that takes just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep! Quick, easy and healthy. These ranch chicken tacos are so juicy, tender and full of flavor!

Total Time: 6 hours hours

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Flavorful and easy teriyaki chicken made in the crockpot! Only 5 minutes of prep and an instant family favorite!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Chicken Tinga Tacos Recipe

A delicious crockpot chicken tinga tacos recipe that tastes like it came straight from a Mexican restaurant. So easy and only takes 5 minutes to prep. These tinga tacos are authentic and amazing!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Shredded Chicken Salad Recipe

Slow cooker chicken salad is a delicious make-ahead recipe that is perfect for lunches and potlucks. Made with some of the classic chicken salad ingredients but with a new spin!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Salsa Chicken Recipe

This crockpot salsa chicken takes just 2 simple ingredients and is one of the easiest recipes ever! Perfect on salads, bowls, tacos, burritos and more.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe

These Hawaiian haystacks are a family favorite dinner that's easy, inexpensive and completely customizable. Made in the crockpot and perfect for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe

Flavorful and juicy salsa verde chicken made in the crockpot or instant pot. Takes only 7 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Recipes with Beef

Beef is one of the most versatile ingredients out there—just think of the difference between ground beef and shredded beef. Each one of these recipes uses a cut of beef to create a filling (and tasty!) meal.

Insider’s Tip: Once I find a slow cooker recipe with beef that my entire family loves, I keep a close eye out to see when that cut goes on sale and stock up to make freezer meals.

Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

This crockpot lasagna recipe is the easiest way to make lasagna! Simple to assemble with tender pasta noodles, meat sauce and cheese then it cooks hands off for busy days.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Shredded Beef Tacos

These shredded beef tacos are a great meal for busy school nights. They are so simple – the slow cooker does all the work for you. The whole family will love them!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

Tender and juicy Mississippi pot roast that's made in the crock pot. Just 6 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep to make this easy dump and go dinner!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Forget takeout and make restaurant-worthy crockpot beef and broccoli at home. This easy recipe takes only 10 minutes to prep. Let your crockpot do the work for tender, flavorful beef and broccoli.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket Sandwiches

Sliced, tender brisket is cooked in the slow cooker to perfection then sliced and piled high on a soft roll. Top with coleslaw and extra sauce for the perfect summer meal.

Total Time: 5 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

This corned beef and cabbage recipe is an easy dinner for St. Patrick's Day made with tender corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes simmered in the slow cooker all day for the best results!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Taco Lasagna

Layers of tortillas, cream cheese, beans, taco meat, enchilada sauce and cheese. This slow cooker taco lasagna is perfectly creamy, cheesy and has tons of flavor.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Hawaiian Meatballs

These Hawaiian meatballs are easy, tasty and always a crowd pleaser. Meatballs are cooked in BBQ sauce with pineapple and ginger for the perfect appetizer or main dish.

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

This slow cooker beef stroganoff only takes 5 minutes to prep and is made with less than 10 ingredients! A classic comfort food dish that's packed with flavor in a creamy sauce.

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Green Chili Burritos

Warm flour tortillas filled with tender slow cooker shredded beef and finished off with your favorite toppings. These green chili burritos are delicious, easy, andperfect for a weeknight dinner for busy families!

Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Chili

This crockpot chili is a hearty and flavor-loaded recipe that's cooked nice and slow so the flavors meld and each spoonful is better than the one before!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Pork Recipes

Pork slow cooker recipes are definitely underrated. In fact, these are some of the best recipes out there! Pork is another meat that can be used in so many different ways and with so many different cuisines.

Pulled Pork Recipe

This easy BBQ pulled pork takes just 5 minutes to prep with 5 simple ingredients. It's perfectly juicy and tender, with delicious BBQ flavor. Make it in the crockpot OR instant pot!

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe

These slow cooker carnitas are super easy to make and taste great in tacos, nachos, enchiladas or burritos! So tender and full of flavor.

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Soups

Over the cooler months, these easy crockpot recipes are in constant rotation at my home. There is truly nothing like a steaming bowl of homemade soup to warm you right up!

Plus, this is a great way to add lots of fiber and protein to your day in an easy-to-digest form. The vegetarian slow cooker recipes on this list are absolutely incredible and are just the thing to make for Meatless Mondays.

Crockpot Potato Soup

The ultimate comfort food in a bowl! This simple crockpot potato soup takes just 5 minutes of prep and turns out absolutely amazing. Just throw it all in the slow cooker and forget it!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This slow cooker chicken enchilada soup is creamy, warm and absolutely delicious! One of my favorite 'set it and forget it' crockpot meals that's perfect for busy weeknights!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot Cabbage Soup

This crockpot cabbage soup is not only delicious and flavorful but chock full of vegetables with lots of fiber and is very satisfying. All you need to do is dump everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work for you!

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Mexican Chicken Soup

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole30 friendly! An easy crock pot soup recipe that takes just 5 minutes of prep. This Mexican chicken soup is packed with veggies and is healthy and delicious!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

This crockpot white chicken chili recipe is made with tender chicken, beans, flavorful salsa and a creamy base. Takes just 5 minutes of prep and is great for busy weeknights.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Seafood Stew

A delicious seafood recipe cooked in a tomato-based broth with potatoes. This slow cooker seafood stew is comforting and is an easy-to-make dinner idea!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

An easy and hearty meal made with beef, burgundy wine, fresh vegetables, and herbs, all cooked to perfection within the slow cooker! In this beef bourguignon recipe, the alcohol is cooked out, leaving a rich and thick liquid for the beef and vegetables to cook in.

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Chicken and Rice Soup

This easy chicken and rice soup is a comforting and delicious one-pot meal loaded with tender vegetables, chicken and a flavorful broth that the whole family will love! Makes the perfect soup recipe for chilly weather!

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Chicken Vegetable Soup

This chicken vegetable soup is a simple yet hearty recipe that is easy to make in the slow cooker! Made with chicken breasts, vegetables, a flavorful broth and seasonings, it's comfort food in a bowl.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

This slow cooker green enchilada soup has everything you love about the classic green chile chicken enchiladas in the form of soup. It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and then the crockpot does all the rest!

Total Time: 5 hours hours

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This easy crockpot lasagna soup is a meaty, saucy recipe that has all the delicious flavors we love in a traditionally baked classic lasagna but in the form of a comforting, hearty, soup!

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Crockpot Beef Stew

Crockpot beef stew has loads of chunky beef, tender vegetables, and a simple seasoning slow-cooked in a flavorful broth for a melt-in-your-mouth spoonful the whole family will enjoy!

Total Time: 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Crockpot Side Dishes

These are perfect to make for the holidays or for a dinner party where you don’t want to leave meal prep to the last minute. These slow cooker side dishes are completely portable too—just let it cook all day, then when it’s time to go take your crockpot with you, and plug it in to keep it warm.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe

Only takes 10 minutes to prep and is made with only a few simple ingredients! Pure comfort in a bowl and tastes absolutely amazing.

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

These crockpot mashed potatoes are easy to make in your slow cooker and result in creamy, smooth and velvety mashed potatoes! Best of all there is no boiling on the stovetop involved.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Crockpot Creamed Corn

This slow cooker creamed corn is made with a secret ingredient to give this classic dish a twist! Super creamy, rich and has amazing flavor.

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Slow Cooker Risotto

This butternut squash risotto recipe is a savory, good-for-you dinner that's loaded with veggies and bits of sausage, all cooked together in the slow cooker. This dinner practically prepares itself and everyone will clamor for seconds.

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Recipe

Using only 4 ingredients, these easy brown sugar glazed carrots are a definite crowd-pleaser. Coated in a butter and a brown sugar glaze, it's the perfect balance of tender and crunch in every bite!

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

If you aren’t pulling your crockpot out of your cabinet right now, what are you waiting for? :) Give yourself a break and reach for any of these easy slow cooker recipes. Enjoy!

Categorized as: Crockpot, Crockpot, Dinner, One Pot, One Pot, Recipe Roundup

Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.

More about Jamielyn Nye

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25 comments

- Kathleen McClellan
- November 12, 2020
awesome recipe’s thank you !!!
- Reply
- Margaret Vaughan
- April 4, 2020
Looks amazing
- Reply
- Candace
- July 26, 2015
Can’t wait to try these recipe
- Reply
- Mindy
- March 19, 2015
All I can say is – tasty, tasty, tasty! Images look awesome and mouth watering, I will try every single recipe as soon as I can!
- Reply
- Becca @TheDatingDivas
- September 25, 2014
LOVE using my slow cooker- especially in the fall! Pinned!
- Reply

EASY Slow Cooker Recipes - I Heart Naptime (2024)

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