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 chicken Milanese
Chicken Milanese is a classic Italian dish, usually consisting of a crunchy chicken escalope served with spaghetti sauce. We've made this version in the slow cooker, resulting in an almost hands-off dinner.
Recipe: Slow cooker chicken Milanese
Slow cooker beef and mushroom stew
Rich, savoury and deeply comforting, this slow-cooked beef gets an extra layer of umami from Marmite and mushrooms and comes together in just 10 minutes.
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
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
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