30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (2024)

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (1)

Damn Delicious

The slow cooker has saved so many of our lives. We’re eternally grateful to know that dinner is waiting for us, ready to eat, when we get home from work thanks to this magical appliance. But often times making a slow cooker meal feels a lot more like a science experiment ― with a can of this and a can of that ― than cooking. If you’re into eating fresh foods with seasonal ingredients, it can be hard to get excited about those kinds of recipes.

For you folks, we put together a list of recipes that are super easy, but use a very limited amount of packaged ingredients. These are the 30 from-scratch (but still simple) slow cooker meals you can get excited about.

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1

French Onion Soup

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (2)

How Sweet It Is

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2

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (3)

Just A Taste

Get the Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe from Just A Taste

3

Slow Cooker Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (4)

Damn Delicious

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4

Crock Pot Carne Asada Nachos

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (5)

How Sweet It Is

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5

Crockpot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken With Cheddar Corn Popovers

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (6)

Half Baked Harvest

6

Italian Turkey Meatballs

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (7)

Skinny Taste

Get the Italian Turkey Meatballs recipe by Skinny Taste

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7

Slow Cooker Maple Bacon Beer Baked Beans

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (8)

The Beeroness

9

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (10)

Gimme Some Oven

Get the Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas recipe by Gimme Some Oven

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10

Slow Cooked Beef Ragu

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (11)

Little Leopard Book

Get the Slow Cooked Beef Ragu recipe from Little Leopard Book

11

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (12)

Damn Delicious

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12

Vietnamese Spring Rolls With Slow Cooker Pork

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (13)

Steamy Kitchen

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13

Slow Cooker Beer And Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken Sliders

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (14)

The Beeroness

14

Parmesan Chicken

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (15)

How Sweet It Is

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15

Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (16)

Damn Delicious

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Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (17)

Cooking Classy

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17

Vietnamese Chicken Pho Ga

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (18)

Steamy Kitchen

Get the Vietnamese Chicken Pho Ga recipe from Steamy Kitchen

18

Honey Sesame Chicken

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (19)

The Comfort Of Cooking

Get the Honey Sesame Chicken recipe by The Comfort Of Cooking

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19

Slow Cooker Spiced Applesauce

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (20)

Completely Delicious

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20

Crockpot Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup With Curry Roasted Acorn Squash

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (21)

Half Baked Harvest

21

Chicken Tikka Masala

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (22)

Cooking Classy

Get the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from Cooking Classy

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22

Slow Cooker Beer Chicken Tacos With Jalapeño Slaw

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (23)

The Beeroness

23

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken And Rice

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (24)

Damn Delicious

24

BBQ Beer Chicken

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (25)

How Sweet It Is

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25

Filipino Adobo Pulled Pork

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (26)

Skinny Taste

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26

Slow Cooker Greek Potatoes

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (27)

Damn Delicious

Get the Slow Cooker Greek Potatoes recipe from Damn Delicious

27

Slow Cooker Apple Cider

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (28)

Gimme Some Oven

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28

Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (29)

Simply Recipes

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29

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (30)

Food52

Get the Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup recipe by Foxes Love Lemons from Food52

30

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Nachos

30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (31)

Bev Cooks

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Related

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30 Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Made Totally From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

How to fake a slow cooker? ›

Preheat the oven to about 160 C. Follow the slow cooker recipe, but use a baking dish with a lid instead of a crockpot or slow cooker. If the recipe calls for slow cooker setting, then divide the cooking time by 4. Eight hours on low then becomes 2 hours in the oven at 160 ºC.

How do you recreate a slow cooker? ›

If you don't have a dedicated slow cooker but have oven-safe crockery such as casserole dishes or even clay pots, you can utilise them to achieve slow cooking. These retain heat well and provide a gentle, consistent cooking environment. Simply follow your desired recipe, and adjust the cooking time.

How do I get the best results from a slow cooker? ›

Avoid overcrowding: For the best results, fill a slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full. Go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly on top. Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat.

Can I put everything in the slow cooker raw? ›

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.

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.
Jan 19, 2024

Can I leave my crockpot on low for 12 hours? ›

People do this all the time, but many aren't truly confident that it's 100 percent safe — I, for one, am one of those people. So I did a little digging to get the hard facts. The truth is, yes, leaving the slow cooker on and going about your day is safe, as long as you are using the appliance properly.

What is the difference between a slow cooker and a crockpot? ›

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

What are the 3 parts of a slow cooker? ›

It's made up of three main components: the base (this contains the heating element which is attached to a liner), the vessel and the lid. The base of the slow cooker is the part you see the most.

Can you slow cook in an air fryer? ›

Yes, you can slow roast pork in an air fryer. In fact, it's a great way to cook pork because it results in tender, juicy meat with crispy crackling.

Why do you put a tea towel under slow cooker lid? ›

Soak up the condensation

Taste user Jenny says she puts a tea towel under her crockpot lid to catch water and stop it thinning too much. This technique is also a favourite with taste's food editor Miranda.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Why is my beef tough in slow cooker? ›

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

What happens if you don't brown meat before slow cooker? ›

While searing meat before slow cooking can enhance flavors by developing a caramelized crust, it's not strictly necessary. If you skip searing, the meat may lack some depth of flavor, but it will still cook and become tender in the slow cooker.

Why are my carrots not cooking in the slow cooker? ›

Not enough liquid: Slow cookers rely on moist heat to soften food. If you don't have enough liquid in the pot, the carrots won't cook evenly and may stay tough. Aim for at least a cup or two of liquid, enough to reach about a third of the way up on the ingredients.

How do you mimic a slow cooker on the stove? ›

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can slow cook right on stovetop using a cooking pot that has a heavy build (like a Dutch oven) so it can disperse heat evenly to the food cooking inside. You should cover it well with a lid, keep the heat low and keep checking food in between so it does not run out of liquid.

Can you use an instant as a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker, but our Test Kitchen says it's not as easy as just hitting the “Slow Cook” button.

Can I use my pressure cooker as a slow cooker? ›

Press the "Slow Cook" button to select the slow cooking function. Set the cooking time and temperature. The Instant Pot has three temperature settings for slow cooking: low, medium, and high. Use the "Adjust" button to choose the temperature and then use the "+" and "-" buttons to adjust the cooking time.

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