The best slow cooker recipes for hands-off cooking
Whether you're after a warming casserole, meltingly tender smokey pulled pork or even a slow cooker pud - you're sure to find a recipe you'll love.
It’s no secret that we love slow cookers here at Good Housekeeping. Slow cookers help us create amazingly delicious meals with zero fuss, minimal prep and no need to hang over the hob for hours. And there seems to be a misconception that all you can make are stews and casseroles, when in fact the humble slow cooker is a much more versatile piece of kitchen equipment.
Whether you want to cook a big joint of meat, like our slow cooker ham recipe, which uses coca-cola to make this sweet and salty joint of meat, while our Sunday lunch-worthy slow cooker beef joint recipe is an absolute winner, and saves space in the oven (so you can fit more roast potatoes in!).
Midweek meals can also be a doddle, from our gorgeous slow cooker chicken breast piccata to our delightfully simple slow cooker chicken fajitas recipe. In fact, family classics can all be whipped up in your crock pot from spaghetti Bolognese, to macaroni cheese, and even slow cooker chicken curry recipe. This also means batch cooking is made much simpler, and you can have a steaming pot of food ready when you have finished work.
People seem most surprised when we tell them you can make desserts in the slow cooker. Okay, so the list isn't long but the recipes are cracking! We love this rice pudding, which is a great get-ahead dessert that can be served hot or cold (we love ours with jam). We’ve tried tons of sweet stuff in the slow cooker from brownies, to cheesecakes and even a butterscotch pudding, which we promise is worth a try.
Don’t let your slow cooker get dusty in the cupboard, use this versatile kitchen gadget to create delicious dishes, without slaving away in the kitchen. And if you don’t have one, we’ve tested a bunch to find the best. Happy slow cooking!
Slow Cooker Butter Halloumi Curry
Classically made with chicken, we’ve added halloumi to this delicious slow cooker curry to make it suitable for vegetarians. If you prefer a less salty option, then replace the halloumi with paneer.
Slow Cooker Pulled Jackfruit
A plant-based vegan version of pulled pork, this easy slow cooker recipe is full of flavour and bound to please vegetarian and vegan guests at parties and barbecues. Double the recipe if making for a crowd.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Pulled Jackfruit
Slow cooker beef stew with dumplings
Place all the ingredients for this slow cooker beef casserole straight into the bowl. No need to brown the beef in advance - just lightly dust the pieces of braising steak with flour before hand.
This recipe will be meltingly tender after just six hours on high in the slow cooker.
The dumpling are just three ingredients and can be added to the stew during the last hour of cooking. Or we suggest serving this with mashed potatoes - the ultimate in midweek comfort food.
A dollop of onion marmalade, stirred in towards the end, will add the sweetness of caramelised onions with non of the hassle.
Slow Cooker Ham and Red Lentil Stew
This hearty and satisfying stew is deliciously easy – just let the slow cooker do the work! We used carrots, parsnips and potatoes, but you can use any leftover roast veg here.
Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Blondies
These indulgent crockpot blondies are easy to make and packed with squidgy caramel and dark chocolate. Don’t worry if your blondies are slightly dark on the base - this only adds to the delicious buttery caramel flavour.
Slow Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff
This vegetarian alternative to the beef classic is cooked in a slow cooker for added ease. Serve with pasta for a delicious midweek meal.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff
Slow Cooker Pork Casserole
It doesn’t get much more comforting than a pork casserole, and it doesn’t get much easier than cooking it in a slow cooker! Fill the kitchen with comforting aromas and enjoy a hearty stew with succulent pork pieces at the end of a long working day.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Casserole
Mushroom Bourguignon
This vegan recipe is perfect for the colder months. Let your slow cooker do all the hard work and be rewarded with a rich and flavoursome stew.
Recipe: Mushroom Bourguignon
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew
This is the perfect recipe to use up the leftover flesh from your Halloween jack-o’-lantern. Or, if you can’t find pumpkin then use butternut squash instead.
Slow Cooker Ramen
This ramen couldn’t be easier to make and is full of flavour. The miso will cause the ramen to look a little split, but will come together once mixed at the table.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Ramen
Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
We’ve bulked out the mince with lentils to reduce the fat content and topped this pie with sweet potato for a lower GI in this healthier twist on a supper staple.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
Slow cooker beef bourguignon
This French classic is perfect to have gently cooking, ready for when you come in from the cold. If you can, buy beef that isn’t already pre-cut, as the pieces are often too small or unevenly cut. You can substitute some of the wine for more beef stock if you want to have a subtler flavour.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chasseur
Give this traditional chicken stew a go. For ease, we’ve made ours in the slow cooker.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Chasseur
Slow Cooker Meatballs
If you want to add extra flavour, brown your meatballs in a hot pan before adding to the slow cooker at step 4.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Meatballs
Slow Cooker Vegetable Tagine
If you’re catering for vegans, then simply omit the honey (or replace with a sweetener of your choice) and check the stock you’re using is vegan-friendly.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetable Tagine
Slow Cooker Smokey Bonfire Chorizo Stew
Let the slow cooker do the work for this warming stew. Replace the new potatoes with chunks of butternut squash for a lower-carb option.
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken
This spiced chicken is also great in wraps if you fancy. If you want it to be more stew-like, add an extra 150ml stock to the slow cooker at the beginning.
Slow cooker vegan aubergine and sweet potato Jalfrezi
This spicy curry is packed full of flavour and goodness. To further elevate the curry, stir though spinach towards the end of cooking, and finish with coconut yogurt, if you like.
Slow cooker vegan aubergine and sweet potato jalfrezi recipe
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
This easy mulled wine recipe is a festive staple. We recommend buying a fruity red like a merlot or grenache. You can even keep the wine warm in the slow cooker - perfect for Christmas parties. This recipe can be doubled or scaled up if serving a large crowd.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This Asian-inspired chicken dish is better than any takeaway you might be craving. If you prefer things a little spicier, add an extra spoonful of Sriracha.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
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