40 easy slow cooker recipes for busy weeknights

The short answer: the best slow cooker recipes take about 15 minutes of morning prep and do the rest while you're at work.

• 40 easy dinners: soups, stews, chicken, beef, pork and meatless
• Beef stew: 8 to 10 hours on low
• Chicken breasts: 4 to 6 hours on low; check for 165°F
• Size tips and USDA food safety rules
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

The best slow cooker recipes take about 15 minutes of morning prep and do the rest while you're at work or school pickup: chili, beef stew, salsa chicken, pulled pork, pot roast and a pot of soup. Below are 40 easy crockpot dinners grouped by type, a low vs high time chart, tips for getting the size and fill right, and the USDA food safety rules that matter most.

I love cooking, and in fall and winter the slow cooker is what keeps our weeknights calm. To decide which nights get a slow cooker dinner, the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) gives you a weekly dinner plan and an aisle-sorted grocery list in one printable PDF.

Slow cooker soups and stews

Soups, stews and chili are the safest bet for a slow cooker because they're full of liquid, which is what USDA recommends choosing for slow cooking. A crockpot cheeseburger soup is an easy one to start with.

1. Beef stew. Chuck roast, potatoes, carrots and broth, 8 hours on low. Full method in our beef stew recipe; for other uses of a pack of cubed beef, see stew meat recipes.
2. Classic chili. Browned ground beef, beans, tomatoes and chili powder. See our chili recipe.
3. Potato soup. Diced potatoes, onion and broth, then cream and cheese at the end. Our potato soup has stovetop and crockpot versions.
4. Chicken noodle soup. Cook the chicken and vegetables in broth, then add the noodles in the last 30 minutes. See chicken noodle soup.
5. Ham and bean soup. A leftover ham bone and dried navy beans. See ham and bean soup.
6. Split pea soup. No soaking needed. See split pea soup.
7. White chicken chili. Chicken breasts, white beans, green chiles and cumin. Our white chicken chili recipe has the crockpot times.
8. Lentil soup. Brown lentils, carrots, celery and canned tomatoes.
9. Minestrone. Beans, zucchini and tomatoes, with small pasta added at the end. Get the slow cooker times in our minestrone soup recipe.
10. Turkey chili. Ground turkey browned first, then simmered with beans and peppers.

For a full list of soups beyond the crockpot, see our soup recipes roundup.

Slow cooker chicken recipes

11. Salsa chicken. Chicken breasts and a jar of salsa. Shred for tacos or rice bowls.
12. Honey garlic chicken thighs. Soy sauce, honey and garlic, served over rice. For a tomato-based option, try slow cooker chicken cacciatore.
13. Chicken tortilla soup. Chicken, black beans, corn and tomatoes, topped with tortilla strips.
14. Shredded BBQ chicken. Chicken and barbecue sauce for sandwiches.
15. Chicken and dumplings. Add biscuit dough pieces in the last hour on high. The full chicken and dumplings recipe has from-scratch dumplings and slow cooker timing.
16. Butter chicken. Chicken thighs in a tomato, cream and garam masala sauce. For the stovetop version, see our butter chicken recipe.
17. Chicken and wild rice soup. Stir in cooked rice and cream at the end.
18. Italian chicken. Chicken, Italian dressing and cream cheese over pasta.

More chicken nights, including sheet pan and one-pot ideas, are in our chicken dinner ideas.

Slow cooker beef and pork recipes

19. Pot roast. Chuck roast over potatoes, carrots and onion, 8 to 10 hours on low.
20. Pulled pork. Pork shoulder with a dry rub, shredded for sandwiches.
21. French dip sandwiches. Thin-sliced beef cooked in broth, served with the juices.
22. Beef barbacoa. Chuck roast with chipotle peppers, lime and cumin.
23. Pork carnitas. Pork shoulder with orange juice and garlic, crisped under the broiler.
24. Swedish meatballs. Brown the meatballs first, then keep them warm in gravy. See our Swedish meatballs.
25. Beef ragu. Chuck roast in tomato sauce, shredded over pasta.
26. Pork chops with gravy. Bone-in chops in a mushroom gravy.
27. Sloppy joes. Browned ground beef in a sweet tomato sauce.
28. Stuffed pepper soup. Ground beef, peppers, tomatoes and rice.

Using up a pack of ground beef? See our ground beef dinner ideas.

Meatless and side dish slow cooker recipes

29. Vegetarian chili with three kinds of beans.
30. Black bean soup with cumin and lime.
31. Chickpea curry with coconut milk and spinach.
32. Baked potatoes wrapped in foil, about 8 hours on low.
33. Mashed potatoes kept warm on low for a holiday table.
34. Mac and cheese with evaporated milk and cheddar.
35. Steel-cut oatmeal cooked overnight.
36. Spiced applesauce with cinnamon.
37. Green beans with onion and bacon.
38. Stuffing for a holiday meal, freeing up the oven.
39. Hot chocolate for a crowd. See our hot chocolate recipe.
40. Apple crisp with an oat topping.

Slow cooker time chart: low vs high

These are typical ranges, and cookers vary by brand and size. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer: FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F for all poultry, 160°F for ground beef and pork, and 145°F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef and pork.

How to get slow cooker recipes right

• Thaw first. USDA says to always thaw meat and poultry before it goes into the slow cooker.
• Vegetables on the bottom. Dense vegetables cook slower than meat, so layer them first.
• Fill it half to two-thirds full. Check your manual; most cookers work best in that range.
• Keep the lid on. Lift it only to stir or check doneness. Each peek lets out heat.
• Add dairy and pasta late. Cream, cheese, noodles and rice go in during the last 30 to 60 minutes.
• Prep the night before. USDA advises storing cut meat and vegetables separately in the fridge until you load the cooker.

If you are counting calories, healthy crockpot recipes lists 18 dinners under 320 calories.

Leftovers and storage

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours. USDA doesn't recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker: reheat them on the stove or in the microwave to 165°F, then move them to a preheated cooker to keep warm. The cold food storage chart gives soups and stews 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Batch cooks can find more ideas in our freezer meals guide and meal prep ideas.

A sample week of slow cooker dinners

Plan your slow cooker week

Slow cooker nights work best when the shopping is done and the vegetables are chopped before the busy day starts.

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly dinner plan, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save the slow cooker recipes your family asks for again, with your cooker's real times.
• Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). The meal planner plus the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner and more for the busiest weeks of the year.

Browse everything in the Home shop, or read our guides to easy dinner ideas and meal planning on a budget.

Slow cooker meals make the easiest family dinners of the week. Find more in our Sunday dinner ideas, from beef stew to chicken and dumplings.

A slow cooker doubles as a serving dish for gatherings, and our potluck ideas guide lists the mains and dips that travel best in one.

Forgot to start the slow cooker? Instant Pot chili gets you a similar pot in about 45 minutes.

Add Irish stew to your slow cooker rotation. The recipe includes stovetop, oven and slow cooker options.

For an autumn slow cooker dinner, try our pumpkin stew. Add the pumpkin in the last 1 to 2 hours so it holds its shape.

Add our crockpot taco soup to the rotation: brown the beef, add everything and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Want more chicken ideas for the slow cooker? See our crockpot chicken recipes, with 44 dinners and a cook-time chart by cut. Prefer the stove? Our one pot meals guide covers skillets and Dutch ovens too.

New to the appliance? Start with how to use a slow cooker (steps, LOW vs HIGH times and 12 beginner meals). For the full dump-and-go hub, open our crockpot recipes collection. For a spiced stovetop dinner on a night without a long cook, make chicken curry.

A weekend pork shoulder in the slow cooker shreds into sandwiches and tacos all week.