23 Easy Crock-Pot Recipes You’ll Want to Try This Summer
Slow cookers aren’t just for winter. Whip up dinner without heating up the kitchen!
Sure, we love coming home to a hot and bubbling slow cooker meal in the chilly months, but they’re not just for winter. The warmer months are also prime time when it comes to slow cookers, so don’t stash it away in the pantry just yet. If you’re not taking advantage of your slow cooker for summer dinners, you're missing out!
At some point in the summer, it will be too sweltering to turn on the oven, but don’t wait until it’s unbearably hot to turn to your trusty Crock-Pot. Avoid the unnecessary heat by cooking low and slow, and don’t forget that slow cookers are great for side dishes, too. They pair perfectly with summer grilling recipes and summer salads, making them the ultimate summer kitchen helper. Once you’ve got your sides in the slow cooker, you can focus on the main dish.
To help with your weekday dinners and summer gatherings, this list has everything from healthy summer Crock-Pot recipes to vegetarian slow cooker recipes, and even kid-friendly meals too. And for all your summer vacation plans—some of our favorite slow cookers travel well too, so you can bring them along with you to the lake house or beach. Include one of these delicious slow cooker recipes in your dinner rotation this summer!
Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Sandwiches
Most people think of slow cooker recipes as hearty stews and soups best enjoyed during the blustery winter months. But they’re also perfect for scorching summer days—especially when the air conditioning is already working overtime.
No-Fuss Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Texas Toast
This big-batch, party-ready recipe largely cooks itself! It’s a no-fuss, dump-everything-in slow cooker recipe that yields some of the most flavorful, tender, well-cooked shoulder you could want. Serve it traditionally, with a loaf of thick Texas toast on the side for sopping up some of that delicious sauce.
Get the recipe for No-Fuss Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Texas Toast.
Crock-Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Your Crock-Pot or slow cooker transforms this traditional stovetop dish into an easy-peasy, set-it-and-forget-it meal that you can start before work and enjoy when you get home. Perfect!
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Need to make something hearty enough to feed a crowd? Don't want to spend a ton doing it? This slow cooker mac and cheese is your new favorite recipe! Ten minutes of work, and a little bit of waiting, and you have a dish that'll happily feed many.
Slow Cooker Ribs
Looking for restaurant-quality ribs at home? It’s easier than you think. The secret is to use your slow cooker. Cooking the meat for a long time at low temperatures in a moist environment will get the rib meat super tender and flaky. Then all you have to do is slather it in your favorite barbecue sauce.
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Want something hearty, filling, and full of flavor, but don't have time for our stovetop beef stroganoff? You can make a just-as-delicious version in your slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Carrots and Onion
An inexpensive and tough cut of meat (such as chuck) turns meltingly tender when cooked in a moist environment over a long period of time. It’s the perfect job for a slow cooker.
Get the recipe for Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Carrots and Onion.
Cowboy Brisket
Summer is always a good time for barbecue, and this slow cooker brisket seasoned with cowboy rub is excellent when served in corn tortillas.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
If you make only one recipe in your Crock-Pot all summer, let it be this perfect baked bean dish.
Dried beans soaked overnight taste way better than the canned kind. You'll want to plan ahead, but try this largely hands-off recipe once, and you won't want to go back.
Gingery Slow Cooker Chicken with Cabbage Slaw
Looking for a summer Crock-Pot recipe with chicken? These supremely tender thighs pair perfectly with a quick, crunchy slaw.
Smoky Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
What could be better than the ultimate taco spread with a fraction of the work?
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
This hearty summer Crock-Pot soup is a Mexican-inspired favorite made easy.
Slow Cooker Spinach-and-Parmesan Meatballs
These slow cooker meatballs make an excellent sandwich or even a tasty appetizer for your next summer gathering.
Get the recipe for Slow Cooker Spinach-and-Parmesan Meatballs.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Cabbage Slaw
One of the best reasons to buy a slow cooker if you don't have one is this recipe. Pulled pork is delicious. It can go on (or in) a variety of dishes, from straightforward sandwiches to nacho toppings, to soups, and more.
Get the recipe for Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Cabbage Slaw.
Vegetarian Chili with Grains and Beans
Packed with toothsome wheat berries and kicky poblano peppers, this vegetarian summer Crock-Pot chili is so flavorful you may not notice the missing meat.
Slow-Cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches
Your slow cooker does all the work for these tender roast beef sandwiches.
Slow-Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Skip the oven. These creamy spuds come together while you prep the rest of the meal.
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Tacos are a dish that practically makes themselves, and we're leaning into that here.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw
Sandwich tangy slaw and sweet slow cooker pork together for a kid-friendly meal.
Indian-Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower
This dish will bring the spice to your usual chicken and veggies.
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