29 Easy and Satisfying Crockpot Dinners

crockpot onion soup beef pot roast recipe

The Spruce

 

A slow cooker is a busy home cook's best friend. Just assemble the ingredients at the start of your day and simply press a button to start the cooking. Then, come home to a fully cooked meal—no last minute scrambling required! All you need are the right recipes and we've got them for you. Enjoy our favorite crockpot dinners that make weeknights easier, from hearty soups and stews to savory braised meats, creamy pastas, and more.

  • 01 of 29

    Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

    Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

    The Spruce

     

    Who doesn't love coming home to creamy chicken alfredo? Your crockpot is a great way to make this restaurant-quality dinner by combining meaty chicken thighs with lots of vegetables and prepared alfredo sauce. Pile it over fettuccine for a filling meal.

  • 02 of 29

    Crock Pot Turkey Tetrazzini

    Easy Crock Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

     The Spruce

    Condensed soup and lots of cheddar cheese create the rich sauce for this easy weeknight dinner your family will love. You can cook everything—including the diced turkey, mushrooms, onion, and pimiento—entirely in the crockpot or transfer to a buttered dish before serving, adding more cheese and baking briefly for a bubbly golden-brown topping.

  • 03 of 29

    Slow Cooker Island Barbecue Turkey Legs

    Slow cooker island barbecue turkey legs

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

    These slow cooker turkey legs are tasty and budget-friendly. A sweet and sour barbecue sauce using canned crushed pineapples gives them tropical island flavor. Serve with rice, noodles, or potatoes, and your choice of side vegetable, for a satisfying meal.

  • 04 of 29

    Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

    Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

     The Spruce

    You only need four ingredients—including jarred spaghetti sauce and frozen meatballs—to whip up this super easy spaghetti and meatballs dinner. Add chopped onion or carrots for added flavor and nutrition. Top with grated Parmesan for serving.

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  • 05 of 29

    Crock Pot Pizza Pasta Casserole

    Crock Pot Pizza Pasta Casserole

    Diana Rattray

     

    Skip delivery and satisfy your pizza cravings with a crockpot casserole that's sure to become a regular in your household. Your favorite pizza toppings and seasonings combine with pasta noodles and two kinds of cheese to form a saucy and filling meal.

  • 06 of 29

    Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

    Crockpot baked mac and cheese

    The Spruce

    Yes, you can make macaroni and cheese in the crockpot! When it's finished cooking, feel free to spoon the noodles into a baking dish, top with a little more cheese, and pop under the broiler for a minute or two for that "homemade from the oven" look.

  • 07 of 29

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Diana Rattray

     

    Nothing beats savory slow cooker pulled pork! Boneless roast simmers all day in your crockpot with onions, bottled barbecue sauce, and a few seasonings until it's meltingly tender. Serve shredded and piled on split buns with coleslaw and pickles.

  • 08 of 29

    Crock Pot Barbecued Country-Style Pork Ribs

    Crockpot barbecued style ribs recipe

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

    Your favorite barbecue sauce, plus brown sugar, onions, garlic, and a little apple juice, make these boneless country-style ribs extra flavorful. They come out tender and juicy from the slow cooker for a satisfying dinner served with mashed potatoes and corn.

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  • 09 of 29

    Crockpot Ham and Pea Risotto

    Crockpot Ham and Pea Risotto

    William Shaw / Getty Images

     

    Risotto is a classic Italian dish that makes a warming dinner on cold winter days. This elegant crockpot version with ham, peas, and white wine (or pear nectar, if serving to kids), eliminates the time-consuming stirring of a traditional stovetop risotto recipe.

  • 10 of 29

    Crock Pot Split Pea Soup With Ham

    Crockpot split pea soup

    Diana Rattray

     

    Split pea soup with ham is a comforting French-Canadian meal that's hearty enough to serve for dinner with crusty bread and a green salad. This crockpot recipe gets added flavor from garlic, bay leaf, and parsley, along with meaty ham hocks and sweet carrots.

  • 11 of 29

    Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes With Salmon

    Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes With Salmon

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    Pull off an elegant meal when you serve this creamy scalloped potatoes with salmon that cooks all day in your slow cooker. Canned fish and condensed soups are the secret to the rich seafood sauce that flavors the tender potatoes.

  • 12 of 29

    Slow Cooker Golden Short Ribs With Vegetables

    Slow Cooker Golden Short Ribs With Vegetables

    James Baigrie / Photolibrary / Getty Images

     

    Flavorful beef short ribs become fork-tender when cooked low and slow in a crockpot. Golden mushroom soup creates a dense sauce for juicy ribs that cook alongside carrots, onion, and celery, for a nutritious dinner.

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  • 13 of 29

    Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

    Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

    sf_foodphoto / Getty Images

     

    Beef cubes are cooked to tender, juicy perfection, along with savory mushrooms, and an easy sauce of broth, ketchup, and garlic, in this crowd-pleasing beef stroganoff. Thickened sour cream is added near the end of cooking for extra velvety texture. Serve over hot cooked egg noodles to make it a complete hearty meal.

  • 14 of 29

    Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

    Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

    The Spruce

     

    Onion soup flavors this easy slow cooker pot roast with vegetables that only requires five ingredients to create a filling family meal. Use a good lean beef—ideally a chuck roast, blade roast, bottom round, or shoulder roast—for best results.

  • 15 of 29

    Slow Cooker Gingered Beef

    Slow Cooker Gingered Beef

    Svariophoto / E+ / Getty Images

     

    Grated fresh ginger root adds fragrant spice to slow-cooked beef and root vegetables in this simple, but tasty main dish. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce add satisfying depth of flavor to the dark, luscious sauce. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta.

  • 16 of 29

    Crock Pot Beef Chili

    The Easiest Crock Pot Chili

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    Lean ground beef, canned diced tomatoes, prepared tomato sauce, and pinto beans combine with store-bought chili mix to form an affordable high-protein dinner. Serve it with bread or cornbread on the side for dinner or game day events.

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  • 17 of 29

    Slow Cooker Meatloaf

    Slow Cooker Meatloaf

    Lauri Patterson-Getty Images

    This juicy crockpot meatloaf with just a handful of ingredients is a great choice for busy home cooks and makes great sandwiches the day after. Ketchup or barbecue sauce adds a nice moistness to the meat.

  • 18 of 29

    Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

    Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

    The Spruce

     

    Boneless pork loin roast is an inexpensive cut of meat that gets a maximum flavor in this recipe, thanks to long slow cooking and a tasty brown sugar and cinnamon glaze. Use leftover meat to create lunchbox sandwiches the kids will devour.

  • 19 of 29

    Crockpot Beef Stew With Dumplings

    Crockpot Beef Stew With Dumplings

    vauvau / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

     

    Fluffy, tender dumplings are simmered in a rich, savory sauce with chunks of roasted beef and vegetables in this family dinner. The dumplings are easy to whip up with store-bought biscuit mix, and canned tomatoes add sweetness to the flavorful beef broth gravy.

  • 20 of 29

    Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

    Looking for a fabulous Sunday dinner or a complete meal to serve for your St. Patrick's Day feast? The crockpot makes short work of this traditional all-in-one dinner with corned beef brisket, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges. It also freezes well, so you can enjoy up to three months later.

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  • 21 of 29

    Crockpot Chicken Chow Mein

    Crockpot Chicken Chow Mein

    whitewish / Getty Images

     

    Use your slow cooker to cook up restaurant-style chicken chow mein at home. Browned chicken breasts are added to the crockpot with vegetables, soy sauce, ginger, and some pantry ingredients, then left to cook all day for moist and flavorful results. Serve with your favorite style of Chinese noodles.

  • 22 of 29

    Slow Cooker Creole Chicken With Sausage

    Slow Cooker Creole Chicken With Sausage

    Diana Rattray

     

    Inexpensive boneless chicken thighs and spicy andouille sausage are slow cooked to perfection in your crockpot along with a tasty Creole-inspired tomato sauce. Serve over hot cooked rice for a protein-packed family meal.

  • 23 of 29

    Creamy Broccoli Chicken

    Creamy Broccoli Chicken

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

    If you like your chicken creamy, you're going to love this recipe featuring a rich, decadent-tasting sauce that's flavored with condensed cream of broccoli soup. Serve it over hot cooked rice or spaghetti.

  • 24 of 29

    Slow Cooker Cola Ham

    Slow Cooker Cola Ham

    The Spruce

     

    This easy dinner starts with a fully cooked ham. The meat is dressed with a tasty glaze made from cola, brown sugar, and dry mustard, then placed in your crockpot to cook for several hours for easy slicing and serving at dinner time.

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  • 25 of 29

    Crockpot Jambalaya With Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp

    Crockpot Jambalaya

    Lynne Mitchell / Getty Images

    Jambalaya is a classic Creole dish with chicken, sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, and rice. This winning version is made in the slow cooker with green peppers and onions for extra crunch and flavor.

  • 26 of 29

    Crock Pot Clam Chowder

    Slow cooker clam chowder

    The Spruce Eats / Katarina Zunic

    You don't have to live on the Atlantic coast to enjoy clam chowder for dinner. Bottled clam juice and canned minced shellfish, along with potatoes, milk, and bacon help create a creamy, seafood lover's stew in this hearty crockpot spin.

  • 27 of 29

    Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

    jjpoole-iStock-Getty Images

     

    Come home to a steamy bowl of chicken tortilla soup with this great Mexican-inspired recipe. Serve topped with corn tortilla strips and shredded cheese, as directed, and spice it up as you like with diced jalapenos or red pepper flakes.

  • 28 of 29

    Slow Cooker Shrimp Creole

    Slow Cooker Shrimp Creole

    Jonelle Weaver-Getty Images

     

    Cook this classic Louisiana-style shrimp dish in the slow cooker for a satisfying dinner over hot cooked rice. Canned tomatoes and prepared tomato sauce are used for the base of the sauce, which is seasoned with garlic, Tabasco, Creole spices, and chopped bell peppers.

    Continue to 29 of 29 below.
  • 29 of 29

    Crockpot Creamy Bacon Chicken

    Crockpot chicken supreme recipe

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

    In this four-ingredient recipe, chicken breasts are wrapped in bacon, then smothered in a rich sauce made with roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and some flour. It's all cooked low and slow until the chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender.