20 Slow Cooker Recipes You Can Set and Forget

I always feel a little like a magician when I toss a handful of ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning and come home to a house that smells like dinner. The slow cooker is the ultimate weeknight helper: patient, dependable, and excellent at what it does.

This collection of slow cooker recipes includes everything from warm dips and cozy soups to rich stews, saucy pulled meats, and hearty chilis that taste like you spent the day in the kitchen (technically, the slow cooker did the long work for you).

20 Slow Cooker Recipes to Set and Forget: Choose from fall-apart pork, creamy mashed potatoes, hearty chilis, shredded chicken, and more!

You CAN Win Friends with a Slow Cooker

One of my favorite memories of cooking for a crowd was lugging a slow cooker full of Red Lentil, Fennel, and Chicken Slow Cooker Soup to a chilly, end-of-season football potluck. It was a hit. My kids were initially embarrassed to be the children of “that slow cooker mom,” but when a bunch of their friends raved about the soup, they reluctantly agreed it had been a good idea.

Tips for Using Your Slow Cooker

• Choose a model with an automatic timer that switches to “warm” when done. You don’t want the cooker to simply turn off or continue cooking past the intended time.
• Be generous with seasonings. Flavors can mellow during long, slow cooking, so add enough salt, pepper, herbs, and spices to ensure the dish finishes with a strong, balanced flavor.
• Taste before serving. Unlike stovetop cooking, it’s harder to taste as you go in a slow cooker, so adjust seasoning at the end.
• Add fresh ingredients at the end. Fresh herbs or a splash of vinegar or citrus brighten slow-cooked food; add them just before serving for the best impact.
• Thicken by finishing without the lid. Slow cookers trap moisture, so if a dish is too watery, remove the lid and let it reduce briefly to concentrate the sauce.
• Avoid low-fat dairy. Lower-fat dairy can curdle or separate during slow cooking. Use full-fat dairy sparingly for the best texture.
• Use the slow cooker when the oven is full. It’s a lifesaver for extra dishes at gatherings or holidays when stovetop and oven space is limited.
• Keep it accessible. Store your slow cooker where it’s easy to reach. The easier it is to use, the more often it will come out and produce soups, stews, braises, and roasts that fill your home with dinner-time comfort.

20 Great Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow cookers are the kitchen’s quiet heroes. They do the long cooking while you do everything else.

This roundup pulls together favorite crockpot recipes: soups and stews, tender roasts, shredded chicken, warming chilis, and more. Each dish relies on simple prep and bold flavor, and they simmer all day to make your kitchen smell irresistible and bring everyone to the table.