Slow cookers might seem like your grandma’s go-to, but let’s be real—they’re the ultimate hands-off kitchen workhorse. Toss in your ingredients, hit the button, and go live your life while it does the heavy lifting.
Whether you’re conquering your to-do list or just binging your latest show, these slow cooker recipes have your back. Less effort, more deliciousness—what’s not to love?
1. Classic Beef Stew
Like a hug in a bowl, this rich and hearty beef stew is loaded with tender chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, and celery in a savoury broth you want to slurp right from the bowl. Serve it with crusty sourdough and let the coziness wash over you. Check out this tried-and-true recipe!
2. Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Tuscan chicken is essentially juicy chicken breasts slow-cooked in a fragrant garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce with tender spinach folded in. Serve it over pasta, rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes or cauliflower—whatever makes your heart happy. Find this creamy goodness here and sit back and wait for the compliments to pour in!
3. Hearty Lentil and Veg Soup
Nutritious, hearty, and super simple to prep and toss in the ole crockpot, this plant-based soup is soon to be dubbed your family’s favourite. This plant-based powerhouse is packed with lentils (read: protein!), tomatoes, carrots, and warming spices perfect for our chilly Ontario winter. Healthy never tasted this good. Here’s a version you can’t go wrong with.
4. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Smoky and fall-apart tender, this pulled pork is begging to be stuffed into tacos, piled in sandwiches, topped on mac ‘n cheese or layered in nachos. Heck, we encourage eating it straight out of the slow cooker (it’s that good). Without further ado, here’s the link.
5. Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
This soup is a silky-smooth blend of butternut squash, apples, onions, and cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Zhuzh it up with a drizzle of cream, some rough chopped herbs, a high-quality olive oil or a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. Try this cold-weather classic!
6. Honey Garlic Chicken
Sticky, sweet, and savoury—this slow cooker favourite is pure magic over a bowl of steamed rice or as the protein source in a loaded Buddha bowl. Plus, it makes killer leftovers. Grab the recipe here!
7. Cozy Chili
A slow-simmered chilli packed with bold spices, beans, and your choice of ground beef, turkey or simply plant-based beans. Load it up with cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs and some pickled red onion for the full flavour experience. Make this viral version tonight!
8. Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Fork-tender beef roast with carrots, potatoes, and onions, all swimming in a rich, herby gravy is the epitome of winter comfort cooking. This no-fail dinner is basically a love letter to your taste buds. Here’s one of the top-rated recipes online.
9. Coconut Curry Chickpeas
A fragrant, creamy, and oh-so-satisfying dish featuring chickpeas, coconut milk, and a harmonious blend of warming spices. Serve with rice, top with cilantro, and dig in. Try this easy meal here!
10. French Onion Soup
Who can resist caramelized onions slow-cooked in a rich broth, topped with toasted bread and gooey melted cheese? Not us. This slow-cooker French Onion soup is restaurant quality, minus the price tag. Try this top-rated version.
11. Spiced Apple Cider
A warm, aromatic hug in a mug—apple cider is infused with cinnamon, cloves, and a hint of orange for the ultimate winter sipper. Bonus: It makes your kitchen and house smell amazing. Brew up a batch!
12. Mexican-Style Shredded Chicken
Zesty, flavourful, and ridiculously versatile, whip up a batch of this Mexican-style chicken and go crazy adding it to quesadillas, tacos, burrito bowls, nachos—heck, even salads. Taco Tuesday just got easier and dreamier. Get the recipe here!
These slow cooker recipes prove that good food doesn’t have to be complicated or require loads of dishes and your time. Dust off that crockpot and let it work its magic while you get stuff done. Happy (slow) cooking!
About the Author
Alicia is a journalist and editor in digital and print media specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and wellness. She was previously the Editorial Director of Clean Eating and Vegetarian Times. Her work has also appeared in Hone Health The Edge, Yoga Journal, Women’s Running, and Oxygen, among others. In addition to being a content creator, she's an ISSA-certified nutritionist, certified personal trainer, and fitness studio owner in Toronto. Alicia loves spreading the word about helpful, science-backed health information, and she can be contacted via her website at aliciamtyler.com.
