So-Good Slow-Cooker Recipes (2024)

These recipes for slow-cooked chicken, beef, pork, soups and stews get your dinner off to an early start.

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Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Cumin- and orange-perfumed pulled pork tastes great topped with sliced green onion, jicama and tomatillo salsa.

Sizzling Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

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02of 29

Slow-Cooker Murgh Tari

Chicago cookbook author Anupy Singla adapted this deeply spiced, ginger-punched murgh (chicken) tari (sauce) from her husband, who is also Punjabi. The recipe is featured in Singla's cookbook The Indian Slow Cooker.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Main Dish Recipes

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Italian Beef Sandwiches

Chuck roasts come out so tender in the slow cooker, and this cheaper cut of meat is easy on the budget. For dinner, spoon the beef onto hoagie buns and top with provolone, onions and peppers, then pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Super Sandwich Recipes

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Swiss-Artichoke Dip

Artichoke hearts, dried tomatoes and sauce combine for a rich, creamy dip. Our recipe calls for processed Swiss cheese because it melts smoothly, but regular Swiss cheese will work fine, too. The dip will have a more stretchy, less creamy texture, but it tastes just as good.

Easy Appetizer Recipes

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Cranberry Pork Roast

Carolyn Sinclair of Grey Eagle, Minnesota, received this pork roast recipe from her son for her family cookbook. "When I serve it, I almost always have to give out the recipe," she says. "The tangy gravy is a good complement to pork."

Our Best Pork Recipes

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Slow-Cooked Minestrone

Ground beef turns this vegetable soup recipe into a satisfying meal. Top the slow-cooked main-dish soup with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

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Short Ribs over Cheesy Polenta

Put in a slow cooker, short ribs give you a delicious, dressed-up dish with hardly any work. A hint of licorice from fennel accents the recipe.

20 Beef Slow-Cooker Recipes You'll Love

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Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

Just three ingredients go into this quick dessert: sweetened condensed milk, caramel ice cream topping and chocolate. Vary your dippers to match the mood of your party.

Divine Slow-Cooker Desserts

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Slow-Cooker German-Style Beef Roast

Red wine, chopped dill pickles and zesty mustard set this German-style recipe apart from other beef slow-cooker meals.

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer

A surprise ingredient, root beer, adds sweetness to this roast and its dark sauce. Try leftover pork in quesadillas or stir it into ramen noodles.

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Angel Chicken

Chicken and fresh mushrooms slow-cook in cream cheese, wine and soup. It's easy to put together but tastes like chicken in a complex cream sauce—smooth with delicate seasoning.

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Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs Appetizer

Shape and bake the chicken meatballs ahead of time, then pop them in your slow cooker with cranberry and barbecue sauces.

Great Slow-Cooker Potluck Recipes

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Burgundy Beef Stew

Either a good Pinot Noir or a Burgundy works well in this slow-cooked beef main-dish recipe.

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Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

Mix a can of cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, veggies and rice mix for the soup base. Any boneless cooked chicken works in this recipe, but chicken thighs, with more moisture from fat, slow-cook the best.

Sesame Turkey

Peppery soy-ginger flavors lean turkey breast tenderloins. For a nutritious meal, serve with rice and a crisp cabbage slaw.

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16of 29

Sausage Jambalaya

Combine sausage, sweet peppers, celery, canned kidney beans and fire-roasted canned tomatoes in your slow-cooker for a spicy main dish. Our recipe also gives an alternative using meatballs, cannellini beans, onions and diced tomatoes.

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Lemony Lamb Pitas

If you love gyros, give these easy sandwiches a try. Compared to chops, this slow-cooked roast is a budget-friendly way to cook lamb.

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Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

We adapted a classic French recipe of chicken cooked in wine for this slow cooker specialty. Burgundy flavors the meaty chicken and forms the base of the gravy.

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Cheesy Potato Soup

Potato, bacon and cheese—all the flavors you love in a bowl of soup! The American cheese keeps the soup from curdling while it slow cooks. Mashing cooked potatoes a bit gives the soup some body, while the bacon adds a smoky-salty taste.

Our Best Bacon Recipes

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Curried Couscous with Vegetables

For a vegetarian main dish, simmer this mixture of grains, veggies, fruits and spices. Jalapeno peppers add savory-sweet flavor with a bit of zing, while almonds add crunch.

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Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs

Beef short ribs turn tender after cooking for 11 hours in your slow cooker.

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Cashew Chicken

A package of frozen veggies, canned mushrooms and canned soup shorten the prep work in this takeout-style recipe.

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Bean-and-Rice-Stuffed Peppers

With only five ingredients, these hearty stuffed peppers assemble in a snap. Team them with corn bread or whole wheat rolls, and dinner's done.

Five-Ingredient (Or Less) Dinner Recipes

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Chicken and White Bean Stew

Great Northern or cannellini beans blend with chicken and purchased Alfredo sauce in this easy-to-assemble meal. Serve with crusty bread and tossed salad.

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Moroccan Chicken Stew

Combine spices with raisins and apricots to season this slow cooker chicken stew. Serve on couscous and topped with toasted pine nuts and fresh cilantro.

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Beefy Chili Dogs

The Coney Island Lunch Room in Grand Island, Nebraska, has served its all-American chili dog since 1933. In honor of this Cornhusker State edible institution, we cooked up Beefy Chili Dogs. Stewing the hot dogs in the seasoned meat mixture makes them extra juicy. Top them with cheese.

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Slow Cooker Three-Bean Chili

What's the secret ingredient in this recipe? Chocolate syrup, which adds a rich taste to a blend of kidney beans, black beans and small white beans. Rinse canned beans to reduce the sodium.

Warm-You-Up Chili Recipes

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Aunt Bonnie's Taco Soup

This easy soup, full of beef and beans, is sure to become a top choice at your dinner table, as it is with Vicki Johnson of Hallsville, Missouri. We like to top it with a generous dollop of sour cream and serve with salsa and chips.

Family-Favorite Soups and Stews

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Slow Cooker French Chicken Stew

Save time with premade pasta sauce for this slow-cooker recipe. Tender chicken, herbs and fresh vegetables blend for a crowd-pleasing dish.

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