What foods should not go in a slow cooker?

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker Raw Meat. Seafood. Pasta. Rice. Delicate Vegetables. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. Dairy. Wine and Other Liquor. More items... Jan 19, 2024

25 Easy Weeknight Crock Pot Recipes (2024)

By Julie Kotzbach · Published: October 10, 2022 · Last Updated: October 10, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Who says dinner has to be hard? These 25 Easy Weeknight Crockpot Dinner Ideas will get dinner on the table with next to no effort!

Serve these Crockpot soups alongside your favorite salad, some cornbread, or dinner rolls for an easy weeknight option!

Slow Cooker Taco Chili Recipe – My husband LOVES this hearty chili! We add all our favorite taco toppings and dig in!
Slow Cooker Classic Tomato Soup – There is nothing I love more than a bowl of tomato soup and grilled cheese!
Crock Pot Cheesy Cauliflower Soup – This cauliflower soup is my favorite low-carb swap for potato soup. You won’t taste the difference!
Crock Pot Vegetable Soup Recipe – Comforting, delicious, and ZERO weight watchers points!
Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup – Forget the canned stuff. This crock pot soup recipe is crazy good and easy to make!

Slow cooker pasta recipes are great because I can get dinner started before work, and finish it quickly when I get home!

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole – My family loves this dinner mash-up. I love that we didn’t have to wait an hour for delivery!
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese – This classic pasta recipe will be ready and waiting when you get home! (It totally beats the boxed stuff.)
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff – Some nights you just need an easy dinner win, and this crock pot pasta is a guaranteed hit!
Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo – Just as good as any restaurant, but with minimal effort! You can even add tomatoes and spinach for Florentine-style!
Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Pasta – Everyone is in the clean plate club when I make this pasta. The leftovers reheat great too!

Pork might be the “other white meat,” but these crock pot recipes are in regular addition to our dinner table!

Crock Pot Pulled Pork – Grab a can of Dr. Pepper and make the best pulled pork around! We like it on sandwiches, but it’s great on salads and quesadillas too!
Crock Pot Pork Loin – Comfort food all the way! This pork gets a yummy brown sugar dry rub and then honey, sage, and garlic butter sauce is spooned over top!
Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Pork – Skip takeout and make this easy slow cooker pork instead! It cooks all day and you can make minute rice to speed up mealtime!
Slow Cooker Honey Ginger Lime Pork – This pork is so flavorful, so yummy, and so easy to make it’ll become part of your regular dinner rotation!
Slow Cooker Pork Tinga – Everything you need all in one pot – tender pork, hearty potatoes, and onions all in a smoky chipotle sauce. YUM!

These hearty beef crockpot dinner recipes are the perfect meal after a long day!

Slow Cooker French Dip – Hands down my husband’s favorite sandwich! Serve it open-face or on French rolls. There won’t be any leftovers!
Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli – Get the ratio of beef to broccoli you want! No more hunting for beef in a forest of broccoli!
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak – Let your crock pot do the work while you take on the world! These steaks come out perfect every time!
Crock Pot Beef and Noodles – Classic comfort food with only 5 ingredients! This all-in-one dinner cooks all day and fills bellies in the evening.
Slow Cooker Italian Pepperoncini Beef – This shredded beef is great on sandwiches and the pepperoncini peppers add a great kick. You can even add more peppers to make this beef spicier if you like it hot!

Your slow cooker will become your best friend when you make these crockpot chicken dinner ideas!

25 Easy Weeknight Crock Pot Recipes (10)

25 Easy Weeknight Crock Pot Recipes (11)

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos – Taco Tuesday has never been easier! I use the leftover chicken for casseroles and enchiladas later in the week!
Mediterranean Crock Pot Chicken Thighs – I cannot get over how good this slow cooker chicken is! It tastes like going to our favorite restaurant without the wait!
Crock Pot Lemon Italian Chicken with Capers – Bright lemon and salty capers are the perfect pairing to this easy chicken recipe. Serve over pasta and you’ve got yourself a meal!
Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice – Oh so cheesy!! This chicken dish makes an appearance on our dinner table every couple of weeks. My whole family LOVES it!
Slow Cooker Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken – A little sweet, a little tangy, and completely gone! Everyone cleans their plates when I make this chicken!

If you enjoyed these recipes you may also enjoy our collection of Easy 30-Minute or Less Dinners or these Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas in 20 Minutes or Less!

5 Time Saving Secrets

How to Get Dinner on the Table ... FAST

FAQs

For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in. It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one.

Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

Make-ahead when possible: If your slow cooker has a removable insert, assemble the ingredients the night before and refrigerate the entire insert overnight. It's important to note that starting with cool ingredients may lengthen cooking time (but be sure to keep them out of the temperature danger zone).

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker

Raw Meat.
Seafood.
Pasta.
Rice.
Delicate Vegetables.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
Dairy.
Wine and Other Liquor.

More items...

Jan 19, 2024

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.

What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? Slow cookers only apply heat to the bottom of the crock, which cuts down on their ability to reduce liquids and brown foods, and develop flavor the same way a Dutch oven or pressure cooker can.

Are slow cookers safe to leave on? Yes, it's safe to leave a slow cooker on when you leave the house. The purpose of a slow cooker is to allow you to cook while you aren't home. Slow cookers simmer food slowly, killing bacteria and raising meat to the perfect internal temperature.

Should I Flip My Roast In The Slow Cooker?: There is no need to flip meat in a crock pot. In fact, I don't recommend trying it because it will be more hassle than it's worth.

Saves you money – slow cookers are an energy efficient way to cook food. Saves you time – minimal food preparation and hands-off-cooking allows you to get on with other things. Great for batch cooking, so you'll always have something delicious to eat at the end of a long day.

We rely on them for our soups, stews, and easy weeknight dinners. They help make tough meat more tender, and can even be used to make bread. We also toss around their names interchangeably, assuming that Crock-Pots and slow cookers are one in the same.

Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.