7 Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes for Busy Days

Just set it and walk away.

By
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. She runs Nosh with Micah, her personal blog.
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Published December 15, 2025
Micah Siva
A plate of spaghetti with a meat and tomato sauce partially eaten and a fork placed on top

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Using a slow cooker has been in my repertoire since my college days. Busy days in the chemistry lab (yup, I had a bit of a career pivot), meant that I couldn’t get back to my apartment to make dinner before heading off to night classes or my part-time job.

I would find anything and everything on sale and make it into soups and stews on a budget, freezing leftovers for lunches and dinners. From butternut squash soups to curries, it was my secret weapon for keeping me on budget and eating at home.

Slow cookers were made for busy mornings and cold days. I seem to retire my slow cooker during the summer in favor of fresh dishes that require minimal cooking, but the second those leaves fell off our trees, I pulled out my trusty slow cooker and put it on my counter where it will live until the weather warms up. 

As we’re fully in the darkest days of the year, I find myself needing a little extra comfort, and a slow cooker is the perfect antidote to the winter blues.

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  • Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

    Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
    Garrett McCord

    Slow cookers are the perfect tool for making tough cuts of meat tender. Most of the “tough” cuts of meat need a low temperature and slow cooking time to really break down those muscle fibers, which is why the slow cooker is pulled pork’s best friend. While Dr. Pepper doesn’t feel like the obvious choice, its subtle spice complements pork perfectly. Serve this with your favorite taco fixings for a simple weeknight meal that you don’t have to fuss over.

  • Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken

    Plate of glazed chicken pieces garnished with lemon slices and green onions

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    The beauty of a slow-cooked meal is that the options to customize are endless. Don’t like heat? Cut down the sriracha. Want something lighter? Use chicken breasts. Thanks to the low heat, it’s pretty impossible to get dry chicken out of the slow cooker. This recipe takes only four hours or so, so it's best if you work from home or can get someone to turn it on around noon. Serve it with bagged coleslaw and white rice.

  • Shortcut Sunday Sauce

    Plates of spaghetti with a tomatobased meat sauce presented for a meal

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    If you walk into an Italian Nonna’s kitchen on a Sunday, chances are you’ll find them over the stove stirring a pot of red sauce that tastes like a big hug and pinched cheeks. I don’t have all day to fuss over a pot of sauce—I’m in and out of meetings, pickup, getting groceries, etc. This recipe couldn’t be simpler, thanks to jarred marinara sauce and ribs and... that’s it! I love adding a can of white beans for additional protein, a parmesan rind, and a couple leaves of fresh basil.

  • Slow Cooker Sausage Kale and Potato Soup

    A bowl of sausage kale and potato soup served with bread and grated cheese

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    Is there anything more cozy than soup? I love that this soup has everything you need for a complete meal. Sausage! Greens! Potatoes! You don’t need to serve it with anything else, but I’ve never said no to a little crusty bread for mopping up those sauces. In lieu of sausage, I’m using a plant-based bratwurst-style sausage, plus some leftover boiled baby potatoes with a bag of pre-shredded kale. To lighten it up slightly, I’m using whole milk in place of cream for an equally delicious soup, just a little more… me!

    Continue to 5 of 7 below

  • Slow Cooker Brisket

    A platter of sliced brisket with onions and a dipping sauce in a small bowl

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

    In my family, brisket was strictly a holiday food. But with a slow cooker, brisket is back on the table, no matter the season. It's a notoriously tough meat laced with connective tissue that needs time to break down. Luckily, that’s what slow cookers are good at. The briskets of my childhood were cooked in the oven in a red wine, ketchup mixture, but this is a smoky version, reminiscent of your favorite BBQ joint’s famous dish.

  • Mom’s Easy Pulled Pork Chili Verde

    A bowl of pork chile verde garnished with sour cream cilantro and jalapenos accompanied by lime wedges and shredded cheese in bowls

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    If I haven't yet convinced you to pull out your slow cooker, let this be your sign. What’s great is that you can make this 4-ingredient recipe your own by using a favorite brand of green enchilada sauce, or even make it with pulled chicken in place of pork. The slow cooker traps steam inside, which helps to keep even the leanest cut of meat moist. Speaking of creativity, this dish turns into a DIY style dinner, where your family can load their plates and tortillas with their favorite toppings from sour cream to pickled jalapeños.

  • Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

    A bowl of butternut squash and sausage soup with a spoon

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    If you haven’t noticed, some of my favorite slow cooker dishes use just a handful of ingredients. Because of the low and slow cooking time, flavors can develop and build without you lifting your finger. Not only are we in the heart of soup season, but the farmers' market is filled with seasonal squashes from butternut to kabocha. I’m making this with the squash I’ve been avoiding on my counter, but a bag of frozen squash would make this ten times simpler. I’ll finish it off by adding a couple handfuls of baby spinach for a little color and a canned coconut in place of cream.

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