Wonderful, wonderful slow cookers… we love the whole bung-it-in approach, and it means you can get on with other bits while those ingredients transform into a delicious dinner. Whether you’re using a Crock-Pot or other brand of slow cooker, all the below slow-cooker recipes should work in it (did you know that you can even make spaghetti bolognese in a slow cooker?)
Our slow-cooker meals include slow-cooked chicken recipes, healthy slow-cooked recipes (try coconut dahl) as well as more indulgent options, perfect for a dinner party. How about an all-in-one fragrant lamb curry? Easy baked bolognese sauce? Or a posh ossobuco with gremolata?
Check out our expert guide for how to use a slow cooker.
Easy slow-cooker recipes
Slow cooker prawn and chorizo paella
Centuries ago, Sardinia was occupied by the Spanish. As a result, the island is famous for its paella, albeit with an Italian twist (orzo or fregola is used instead of rice). This version, with smoky chorizo, sweet tomatoes and juicy prawns, is a great reason to get that slow cooker out.
Slow-cooker tagine with pepper, date and harissa
This simple but flavour-packed veggie tagine makes a feature of meltingly soft peppers, but you could add any summery veg to the base sauce – chunks of squash or courgette would be good.
Braised ox cheeks
This easy, slow-cooked beef dish promises punchy soy and mirin flavours, perfect for mixing things up at the weekend.
Slow-cooker gammon in cider
Try this hassle-free centrepiece for an impressive weekend lunch. Put the ingredients into a slow cooker and leave for four hours, then glaze for a sticky-sweet finish.
Slow-cooker pulled pork
Get perfect pulled pork every time with this easy recipe. Put the ingredients into a slow cooker and leave for eight hours to let the spices infuse.
Slow-cooker chicken curry
This creamy, aromatic curry is easy to make and is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family. Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker and leave for four hours to let the spices infuse.
Slow-cooker sausage casserole
Give your slow cooker some love with this winter warmer, packed with hearty ingredients including sausages, bacon and borlotti beans.
Slow-cooker beef stew
This hearty stew is full of iron, protein and natural antioxidants. Pop beef shin, red wine and veggies into a slow cooker and leave for four hours.
Slow-cooker chilli with jalapeño cheddar cornbread
A bit of everything goes into this chilli to create the ultimate winter warmer – dark chocolate, lager and Worcestershire sauce along with plenty of herbs and spices. Throw all the ingredients into a slow-cooker and let the mince soak up the flavours for four hours.
Slow-cooker Irish stew
This hearty, traditional stew is just the thing for dinner as the winter months roll in. Put the lamb and veggies in a slow cooker and leave for four hours.
Oxtail with orange, szechuan peppercorns and star anise
Check out our meltingly tender slow-cooked oxtail with Szechuan peppercorns, aromatic orange and star anise – the perfect weekend warming recipe.
Lamb kleftiko
Check out these easy slow cooked lamb shanks with waxy potatoes. Kleftiko is a Greek dish of lamb and potatoes slow cooked with white wine, lemon and oregano. Serve with bread for mopping up juices, and a green salad dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Groundnut chicken stew
Check out our creamy chicken stew with peanut butter. Groundnut stew is a typically West African dish. Serve this slow-cooked chicken, with its mellow peanut butter and fiery ensemble of spices, alongside extra sliced red chilli for oomph.
Chickpeas with dates, turmeric, cinnamon and almonds
Check out our easy chickpea stew packed with dates, crunchy almonds and vibrant turmeric. Slow cooking chickpeas with a heady selection of spices really ramps up the flavour in this frugal dish. Try to get hold of the extra large, chubby chickpeas in jars for superior texture.
Black bean and chipotle chilli
Check out our chilli with black beans and fiery chipotle chilli paste. This veggie one-pot is an easy, low calorie recipe the whole family will love.
Slow-cooker dahl
Check out our healthy slow cooker recipe which uses lentils and split peas. This delicious slow cooker idea is sure to make a creamy dinner – it’s a great weekend vegetarian warmer for those wintery months!
Slow-braised Korean short ribs
This easy slow cooker recipe is worth the few hours of preparation it needs. Meaty beef ribs are cooked with gochuchang paste in a slow cooker to give a savoury, spicy umami rich dish. Looking for more inspiration? Check out our collection of best ever Korean recipes.
Best-ever spaghetti bolognese
Looking for a quick slow cooker meal? We’ve honed our favourite spag bol recipe to give perfect results every time. This easy recipe is great to get ahead with the night before in your slow cooker, a healthy, low-fat method of cooking which doesn’t require much time or effort.
Slow-cooked brisket with red wine, thyme and onions
Check out this simple slow cooker beef brisket recipe. This easy melt-in-the-mouth beef makes a perfect Sunday roast for when you have guests for dinner.
BBQ pulled pork
Fancy a slow-cooked pork meal? Pulled pork is a brilliant way to serve a crowd, and it’s also pretty easy to make in your Crock-Pot. Cook the pork in your slow cooker for three hours, prepare the barbecue sauce and coleslaw and there you have it – a delicious slow-cooked meal for eight.
Sausages with blackberries, bay and juniper
Check out our slow-cooked sausages with juicy blackberries, bay leaves and fruity juniper berries. Perfect for a midweek dinner, served with buttery mashed potatoes and dijon mustard.
All-in-one fragrant lamb curry
This healthy slow-cooked recipe is totally fuss-free. Just bung all the ingredients in a slow cooker and it’ll be ready to serve in only two hours – it’s the perfect meal for a family night in.
Ossobuco with gremolata
Nothing beats a classic ossobuco with gremolata, the perfect midweek meal! If you’re short on time in the mornings, why not prepare everything you need for this slow-cooked beef recipe the night before. You can easily freeze in portions too – serve with risotto, polenta or mash.
Beef and Guinness stew
This slow-cooked beef stew is perfect to serve up on Sundays with some creamy mash. Follow our simple recipe before leaving the beef in the slow cooker for six hours to make the meat tender. This is the perfect weekend meal as you can get on with your day knowing that there’s a succulent slow-cooked stew waiting for you.
Slow-cooker sweet and sour chicken
Make this popular dish your next Friday night fakeaway, with extra instructions to make the recipe using a slow cooker. You can control the fat and sugar in this recipe, and it will taste fresher than any takeaway version.
Moroccan-style stuffed peppers
Adapt this vegetarian dinner to roast in the oven or in a slow cooker. The sweet flavour and soft texture of red peppers and pairs beautifully with chickpeas and rose harissa.
Thinking about using your slow cooker in summer? We’ve got loads of great recipe ideas! Just click the image below:
