Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

By Bridget Hallinan
Updated January 08, 2020
Greg DuPree
Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can help create layers of flavor in any weeknight dinner, from hearty stews to healthy chicken dishes. It can take your comfort food to the next level, like a fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich, perfectly cooked chicken thighs, or a pot roast with tender beef. All it takes is a few simple ingredients and minimal hassle (if you can plan ahead). Even desserts can benefit from a crock pot; cheesecake cooked in a slow cooker gets an incredible silky texture as the machine steams the cake as it bakes. F&W has plenty of easy slow cooker recipes including glazed pork ribs with white beans and meatballs that are delicious served in a bowl, with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll. Read on for our very best crock pot and slow cooker recipes. Related: The Best Slow Cookers
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Harissa White Bean Stew with Turmeric Yogurt


Credit: © John Kernick
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Cookbook author Sarah DiGregorio adds depth and heat to her hearty white bean stew by adding harissa twice: first for the long simmer in the slow cooker, then at the end, to finish the dish with some bright heat. This stew will keep in the fridge for up to four days, so it's a perfect make-ahead meal.

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Slow Cooker Glazed Pork Ribs with White Beans

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Baby back ribs, Great Northern beans, white wine, tomatoes, chicken broth, and more come together for a hearty meal.

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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Credit: FREDRIKA STJÄRNE
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This Cuban stew, featuring shredded flank steak, tomatoes and olives, can be made up to two days in advance.

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Slow-Cooker Sour Cream Cheesecake

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Cheesecake cooked in a slow cooker has an unbelievably silky texture because the machine steams the cake as it bakes. The toughest part about making it is resisting the urge to peek inside the slow cooker—the lid must stay closed to retain heat.

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Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork

Credit: HANNAH QUEEN
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Serve the pulled pork with coleslaw and pickles, or mound it on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw and thinly sliced onion and dill pickles.

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Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

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Yes, you read that correctly—40 cloves of garlic. This flavorful dish is ready in three and a half hours, and is best paired with a smooth, spicy California Pinot Noir.

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Slow Cooker Korean Beef Stew with Napa Cabbage and Pickles

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Napa cabbage and thinly-sliced sour pickles add texture and tang to this hearty stew. Searing the pieces of beef chuck before putting them in the slow cooker gives the stew a rich flavor.

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Slow Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Brisket

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A few hours in the slow cooker and this beef dish will be melt-in-your-mouth delicious by the time you're ready to eat it.

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Slow Cooker Beef Goulash

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This warming eastern European short rib stew is best served in deep bowls over buttery noodles.

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Slow Cooker Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Credit: FREDRIKA STJÄRNE
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These meatballs are served in a bowl, but they are equally delicious with spaghetti or on a hoagie roll.

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Slow Cooker Coconut Pork Curry

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Grace Parisi cooks pork shoulder with bold ingredients like fresh ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin and turmeric. The flavors intensify and penetrate the meat after four hours in the slow cooker.

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Slow Cooker Ginger-Beef Noodle Soup

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This gingery soup features meaty shiitake mushrooms, shredded beef chuck and chewy Japanese udon noodles.

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Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce on Spaghetti

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This indulgent Sunday sauce recipe includes pork shoulder, pancetta, sweet Italian sausages, and plenty of garlic.

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Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks with Lemon, Dill and Feta

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Lamb shanks are slow cooked to perfection with herbs and spices, giving this dish a complex flavor through a simple method.

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Slow Cooker Chickpea and Ham Hock Stew

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Marcia Kiesel credits split pea soup, one of her favorites, as the inspiration for this hearty stew. Like split peas, chickpeas need to simmer for a long time, making them great for a slow cooker.

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Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Almonds

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This flavorful chicken dish is slow cooked in Moroccan spices, best served on couscous with a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

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Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Chicken Stew

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The Thai accents in this fragrant chicken stew come from creamy coconut milk, fresh ginger, salty fish sauce and lime.

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Slow-Cooker Classic Beef Stew

Credit: Greg DuPree
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Be sure to use boneless chuck roast for this recipe, which has excellent marbling and flavor.

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Slow Cooker Burnt Honey Barbecue Chicken

Credit: Jen Causey
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When it’s so blazing hot outside that you can’t bear the thought of firing up the grill, this no-fuss slow cooker barbecue chicken recipe will come to the rescue. A quick sear in a cast-iron skillet awakens the flavors of the herbs and spices and gives the chicken a nice crust that makes the finished barbecue taste more authentic.

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Slow-Cooker Pasta Bake

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
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Valerie Bertinelli’s slow-cooker baked ziti is super simple—it only takes 15 minutes of active time and is ready in an hour and 45 minutes. If you’re really short on time, you can buy the vegetables pre-cut from the store.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Wings

Credit: Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
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These slow-cooker turkey wings are first braised until tender and then broiled to a crispy finish.

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Slow-Cooker Spaghetti Squash

Credit: Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
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Of all the ways to cook a spaghetti squash, the slow cooker is easily the most hands-off method. Instead of halving the squash, you just prick it all over. Once the squash are cooked, carefully drain them in a colander set in the sink.

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By Bridget Hallinan