50 Slow cooker recipes you can set and forget

Slawomir Fajer // Shutterstock
Slawomir Fajer // Shutterstock

Though the warm days of summer continue to linger, fall is just around the corner, and it's never too early to break out the slow cooker. From comforting soups to fluffy bread, slow cookers are the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it appliance, bringing us a host of meals with minimal effort. It's little wonder that the global market for slow cookers and sous-vide cookers (a similarly hands-off cooking tool) was valued at $9.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach nearly $15.1 billion by 2035.

Considering the average slow cooker runs on about as much energy as a lightbulb, many believe the investment is worthwhile. Home chefs can save money—and valuable time—by relying on these gadgets all year round. Whether you're putting together a family-friendly weeknight meal or cooking a dish for the office potluck, you can't beat the slow cooker for convenience and ease of use. Slow cookers are ideal for meal prep, allowing you to whip up several days' worth of food with minimal work.

To celebrate the humble slow cooker, Stacker compiled a list of recipes from Allrecipes. Many of these can be left to cook overnight or throughout the day, so they're ready for serving when you are, with practically no prepping involved. Read for simple sandwich fillings, rethought mac and cheese, pot roast, and much more.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

Allrecipes

1 / 50

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,692 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 12 hours
- Total time: 12 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken II

Allrecipes

2 / 50

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken II

- Rating: 4.2/5 (1,635 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Allrecipes

3 / 50

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,303 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak

Allrecipes

4 / 50

Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak

- Rating: 4.4/5 (3,602 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

5 / 50

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,836 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 hours
- Total time: 20 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 3
- Read more about the recipe here

Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

Allrecipes

6 / 50

Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,276 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Additional time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 8 hours 50 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Ham

Allrecipes

7 / 50

Slow Cooker Ham

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,434 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 24 servings
- Number of ingredients: 2
- Read more about the recipe here

Chicken Cacciatore in a Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

8 / 50

Chicken Cacciatore in a Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.4/5 (249 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 chicken breast halves
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here

Sweet and Savory Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Allrecipes

9 / 50

Sweet and Savory Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

- Rating: 4.6/5 (277 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Additional time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Total time: 14 hours 65 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 20
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

Allrecipes

10 / 50

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,629 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Total time: 6 hours 50 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Allrecipes

11 / 50

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

- Rating: 4.4/5 (403 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Easiest Pot Roast Ever

Allrecipes

12 / 50

Easiest Pot Roast Ever

- Rating: 4.4/5 (545 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Smoked Paprika Goulash for the Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

13 / 50

Smoked Paprika Goulash for the Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.2/5 (146 reviews)
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Chicken Pepperoni

Allrecipes

14 / 50

Slow Cooker Chicken Pepperoni

- Rating: 4.0/5 (62 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours
- Total time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Moscow Chicken

Allrecipes

15 / 50

Slow Cooker Moscow Chicken

- Rating: 4.1/5 (85 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

White Chicken Enchilada Slow-Cooker Casserole

Allrecipes

16 / 50

White Chicken Enchilada Slow-Cooker Casserole

- Rating: 4.1/5 (240 reviews)
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours
- Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here

Grandma Maul's Italian Beef

Allrecipes

17 / 50

Grandma Maul's Italian Beef

- Rating: 4.3/5 (12 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 hours 10 minutes
- Total time: 10 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 1 - 4 pound roast
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Kielbasa with Pineapple

Allrecipes

18 / 50

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Kielbasa with Pineapple

- Rating: 4.4/5 (21 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Allrecipes

19 / 50

Marie's Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,435 reviews)
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: 9 hours
- Total time: 9 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Allrecipes

20 / 50

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

- Rating: 4.6/5 (262 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Additional time: 8 hours
- Total time: 13 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

Allrecipes

21 / 50

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,775 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Mississippi Pot Roast

Allrecipes

22 / 50

Mississippi Pot Roast

- Rating: 4.7/5 (460 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Allrecipes

23 / 50

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

- Rating: 4.4/5 (9,879 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here

Butter Beef

Allrecipes

24 / 50

Butter Beef

- Rating: 4.2/5 (614 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 3
- Read more about the recipe here

Easiest Pot Roast Ever

Allrecipes

25 / 50

Easiest Pot Roast Ever

- Rating: 4.4/5 (545 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Filipino Chicken Adobo

Allrecipes

26 / 50

Slow Cooker Filipino Chicken Adobo

- Rating: 3.5/5 (15 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 5 hours
- Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

27 / 50

Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.2/5 (3,576 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours
- Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Allrecipes

28 / 50

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,057 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 9 hours
- Total time: 9 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Allrecipes

29 / 50

Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

- Rating: 4.7/5 (57 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here

Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

30 / 50

Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.0/5 (1,379 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Total time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Allrecipes

31 / 50

Slow Cooker Lasagna

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,145 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Allrecipes

32 / 50

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

- Rating: 4.6/5 (5,100 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 7 hours
- Total time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 4
- Read more about the recipe here

Easy Slow Cooker Stroganoff

Allrecipes

33 / 50

Easy Slow Cooker Stroganoff

- Rating: 4.1/5 (42 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Grandma's Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage, Slow Cooker Variation

Allrecipes

34 / 50

Grandma's Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage, Slow Cooker Variation

- Rating: 4.3/5 (57 reviews)
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 7 hours 14 minutes
- Additional time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 7 hours 44 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Cousin David's Slow Cooker Brisket

Allrecipes

35 / 50

Cousin David's Slow Cooker Brisket

- Rating: 4.3/5 (313 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 10 hours
- Total time: 10 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 4
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

Allrecipes

36 / 50

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

- Rating: 4.4/5 (403 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Total time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Tequila Slow-Cooked Beef Enchiladas

Allrecipes

37 / 50

Tequila Slow-Cooked Beef Enchiladas

- Rating: 3.8/5 (12 reviews)
- Prep time: 45 minutes
- Cook time: 13 hours 10 minutes
- Additional time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 13 hours 85 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here

Fiesta Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Allrecipes

38 / 50

Fiesta Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

- Rating: 4.6/5 (167 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 3
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Allrecipes

39 / 50

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

- Rating: 4.5/5 (710 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here

Grape Jelly Meatballs

Allrecipes

40 / 50

Grape Jelly Meatballs

- Rating: 4.8/5 (207 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 3 hours
- Total time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 24
- Yield: 24 servings
- Number of ingredients: 4
- Read more about the recipe here

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

Allrecipes

41 / 50

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

- Rating: 4.5/5 (4,196 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 7 hours
- Total time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 9
- Yield: 9 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Allrecipes

42 / 50

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

- Rating: 4.6/5 (6,429 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours
- Total time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Allrecipes

43 / 50

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.4/5 (2,544 reviews)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 7 hours
- Total time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 sandwiches
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here

London Broil for the Slow Cooker

Allrecipes

44 / 50

London Broil for the Slow Cooker

- Rating: 4.3/5 (463 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 7 hours
- Total time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 5
- Yield: 5 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here

Jennie's Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

Allrecipes

45 / 50

Jennie's Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken

- Rating: 4.4/5 (913 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 4 hours
- Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs

Allrecipes

46 / 50

Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs

- Rating: 4.2/5 (688 reviews)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 16 meatballs
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Pineapple-BBQ Meatballs

Allrecipes

47 / 50

Slow Cooker Pineapple-BBQ Meatballs

- Rating: 4.6/5 (8 reviews)
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 2 hours
- Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Venison Roast

Allrecipes

48 / 50

Slow Cooker Venison Roast

- Rating: 4.5/5 (429 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Total time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

Allrecipes

49 / 50

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

- Rating: 4.4/5 (4,301 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here

Slow Cooker Texas Smoked Beef Brisket

Allrecipes

50 / 50

Slow Cooker Texas Smoked Beef Brisket

- Rating: 4.3/5 (109 reviews)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 hours
- Additional time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 6 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here