Top 10 Crockpot Dinner Ideas
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Simple meals are my thing, and it doesn’t get much easier than having dinner ready when you get home. Here are 10 of the best Crockpot Dinner Ideas! Any night of the week — and especially on special occasions — you are going to love these easy crockpot dinners.
Crockpot Dinner Ideas
Between work and after-school activities, nobody wants to cook when they finally stumble through the door.
Weeknights are the perfect occasion for easy crockpot dinners — dump everything in before you leave, and it’s ready and waiting when you get home!
That’s not to say you can’t make these recipes for weekends and parties too. I’ve done Mexican food bars when we get together with friends and chili bars for winter parties — complete with a toppings spread!
Simple meals are totally my thing, and it doesn’t get much easier than these slow cooker dinner ideas!!
Easy Crockpot Dinners with Beef
Starting off our list of the top 10 slow cooker dinner ideas is one of my favorite proteins… beef! Ground, shredded, sliced, and stuffed — there are so many ways to work with red meat, and each one is tastier than the last.
Chipotle Barbacoa is the Mexican barbecue of my dreams! Slow-cooked in a spectacular spicy adobo sauce, this shredded beef is one of the most versatile crockpot dinner ideas. Use it for tacos, burritos, nachos, and bowls!
Slow Cooker Italian Beef with peppers and cheese is perfectly seasoned and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Pile onto toasted buns for a quick and easy meal that will keep you feeling full.
My Easy Slow Cooker Chili is fully loaded with meat, beans, and just enough heat to make your tongue tingle. It’s one of my favorite crockpot dinner ideas when I need to feed a crowd, and it’s great on baked potatoes or nachos too. Cook it in your crock pot all day or in just 4 hours — it’s up to you!
Did you know you can make Stuffed Peppers in the slow cooker? Well, now you do! Packed with ground beef, sausage, rice, and plenty of cheese, they’re guaranteed to get everyone excited for veggies.
Chicken Slow Cooker Dinner Ideas
Don’t be fooled by this budget-friendly meat. The sky’s the limit with how you can flavor and serve chicken! Choose from wings, thighs, or breast meat — whatever sounds good and is on sale.
Simple Crock Pot Buffalo Wings are so tender they will melt in your mouth, and the caramelized buffalo sauce is truly enough to make your taste buds sing! It’s one of the best slow cooker dinners when you’re in a snacking mood. Perfect for game day too!
This Lazy Day Crockpot Fajitas Recipe is one of my favorite crockpot dinner ideas to reach for when I know we’ll have company. It’s easy to scale up if needed, and everyone can serve themselves. Just have tortillas and toppings handy!
What’s more comforting than Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup? The kind you don’t have to stand over the stove for, of course! I love to make a big batch to portion and freeze for later. When someone’s under the weather, just thaw and reheat!
This Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Recipe combines all the classic casserole flavors into one easy-to-make dinner. Yes, even easier than casserole! It’s one of the best slow cooker dinners when you’re in a rush — everything cooks in about 2 hours on High.
Best Slow Cooker Dinners with Pork
Incredibly juicy and always a crowd-pleaser, pork is easy to work with in so many ways. Dice up leftover holiday ham to use in other dishes, or get yourself a large roast to shred for sandwiches and more!
Crockpot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches are one of the best slow cooker dinner recipes when you need to feed a crowd — and one of our most popular recipes on the blog! These are loaded with flavor from a homemade barbecue sauce and Dr. Pepper soda. Yep, you will never believe all the amazing flavor that’s in these sandwiches!
Don’t be intimidated by 15 Bean Soup… all those beans come in a single blend! Soak them overnight, then toss in some juicy ham, veggies, broth, and seasonings. It’s the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it recipe.
We hope you enjoy our list of the best slow cooker dinner recipes. Let us know what you think in the comments below!!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Originally published October 2014. Last updated and republished April 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for your support; it allows us to keep creating new recipes.
My mother, who lived in Kewanee, Illinois and graduated there in 1939 always use to talk about Maid Rites but she didn't know how to replicate them. I am so grateful that I have your recipe. Of course, I never had a Maid Rite, but I will make it in my mother's honor. She passed away about 14 years ago. Thank you.!!!!!!!!!
I am happy that you will make it in your mothers honor. What a great Mothers Day present to her! God bless you and your family and Im sure everyone will love these and think of Mom and Grandma!
Can you tell me why my barbq chicken or whatever never coats in the crock pot but is very runny and juicy even tho I am following recipes?
My experience and thoughts on this: if the skin is on the chicken the meat fats/juice make it thinned out. Dark meat such a thighs are always the worst. Maybe par boil the chicken..personally I haven't tried this myself since I had that water sauce. But it's thought. I now just but my sauce on the side..ugh. It would be interesting what others say..
If you are NOT using a low fat meat product (such as chicken breasts) then you need to precook to render the fat. You can roast, braise or use favorite method to precook the meat & keep it moist. Personally, I recommend cooking the meat in the slow cooker, drain the fat & add sauce to complete the cooking & tenderize.
I steam my chicken pieces first for about 30 minutes then place them on a rack to dry for about an hour. Or pat dry with paper towels. This helps reduce the fat and juices.
Oh good let's have saw Faust for dinner.. U R n idiot… goodness help your family
Simple……Just remove the skin off the chicken before cooking……Problem solved!
I've had good luck adding a TBSP of cornstarch and making sure chicken has been patted dry first.
Sometimes you can broil for about 5 min. I don't know if it would work with chicken but I often do it with ribs.
the recipes look wonderful.. and I will certainly use them
Do you haave a slow cooker recipe for pot roast? You can reply to Elaine at [email protected]
Going to try all of these; we have plenty of WINTER left and these warm crock pot dishes all sound amazing. A good hot meat at the end of the day is true comfort food. Really anxious to do your chicken n dumplings. Thanks.
This recipe is so WONDERFUL & easy. Wonder if there’s a sauce without the HOT INGREDIENTS?????
I agree, so many spicy recipes are so enticing, but, my stomach just can not handle the spicy stuff.
I always remove most of the skin, esp when poaching also, then let it cool in the broth so it will be moist.