50 Summer Slow Cooker Recipes For When You're Boycotting Your Oven
Smell ya later, stovetop dinners.
Especially during a heat wave, we are basically not on speaking terms with our ovens. Summer is, to Team Delish, all about being outdoors as much as we can—camping out, grilling out, anywhere but cooped up inside (and sweating). But... we still gotta eat. Enter: slow-cooker meals. Prep them in your slow cooker in the morning (or afternoon!) and forget about it 'til dinnertime. The best part? You don't have to even involve sweating over a hot stove or opening up a steamy oven with any of these 50 summer slow-cooker meals that'll have you keeping your cool, literally. 😎
Don't have a slow cooker or Crockpot? We tried all of them so you can find the best slow cookers and get to cooking up some Crockpot queso, slow-cooker pulled pork, and even a slow-cooker brownie. Want to use your slow cooker but don't want to make too much food? Try all our best Crockpot recipes for two.
We love how slow cookers help tenderize tougher cuts of meat by cooking them low and slow. Need proof? Try our slow-cooker pulled pork, slow-cooker ribs, and slow-cooker beef tacos, and you'll be fully convinced of the power of a slow cooker. They're also great for cooking up some of our favorite party dips, and it'll keep them warm all day long for any of those summertime celebrations on your calendar. Whether you choose to make our slow-cooker hot crab dip or Crockpot buffalo chicken dip, you really can't go wrong.
For even more ideas for keeping cool while cooking, check out our favorite slow-cooker desserts, no-cook summer appetizers, and no-bake desserts. We also rounded up 75 of our absolute best set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker meals so you can keep slow cooking all year round.
Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken
Pulled chicken is made so easy in the slow cooker, and this version includes brown sugar, a little Italian dressing, and bourbon for a bit of smokiness. Dress these up with homemade coleslaw for the greatest dinner with zero effort.
Get the Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken recipe.
Slow-Cooker Korean Beef
This is not a drill: If you toss a pot roast (we went for bottom round roast, which doesn't break the bank) in the slow cooker with a bunch of spices and soy sauce, you'll have killer Korean beef for dinner!
Get the Slow-Cooker Korean Beef recipe.
Slow-Cooker Quinoa Chili
Unlike traditional Texas chili, this one contains lots of beans, making it a high-protein vegan dish. A mix of vegetables come together with quinoa and beans, then marry with an array of spices to create a delicious and satisfying chili even meat-lovers will want seconds of.
Get the Slow-Cooker Quinoa Chili recipe.
Slow-Cooker Ribs
Just because you don’t have a giant smoker doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy and share a tender, well-seasoned rack of ribs. The prep is simple: Rub them with your favorite dry rub, load them into the slow cooker, smother them with BBQ sauce, and cook them completely hands-free until they’re falling off the bone.
Get the Slow-Cooker Ribs recipe.
Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip
If spinach-artichoke dip is one of those things you get really excited about at a party but you feel like it takes too much effort, this slow-cooker version is for you. Don’t bother turning on the oven (especially when you have other appetizers to bake—cranberry brie bites, perhaps?).
Shredded Beef
The flavor profile for our shredded beef recipe mimics our carne asada with the use of garlic, scallions, orange juice, and chipotle chiles in adobo, which makes it the perfect addition to taco night, your favorite leafy green salad, or a buttery, toasted brioche bun.
Get the Shredded Beef recipe.
Slow-Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken
This slow-cooker creamy lemon herb chicken spends all day bubbling along and results in everything you want in a meal: delicious, comforting, and easy. By cooking low and slow, the humble chicken breast is transformed into something that melts in your mouth. Lemon, herbs, and garlic infuse the chicken with loads of flavor with some cream at the end to round out the sauce.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Fact: A party is only as good as the Buffalo dip you serve. The best part? Your slow cooker will keep it warm and ready for dipping! Go all out and make a batch of homemade soft pretzels to serve with it.
Get the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sure, everyone loves chicken noodle soup. But for some of us, there's nothing that soothes the soul like a big bowl of chicken tortilla soup. The slight kick from chili powder and fire-roasted tomatoes gives what could easily be a very boring bowl of soup a jolt of flavor and depth.
Crockpot Pepper Steak
Pepper steak is a straightforward, savory sweet stir-fry that we think works amazingly when made in a slow cooker. The steak gets very tender, and it takes on some of the qualities of your favorite beef stew while still staying true to the original.
Get the Crockpot Pepper Steak recipe.
Slow-Cooker Beef Chili
Our classic beef chili is already quick enough to make on a weeknight, but this slow-cooker recipe is even easier. Sautéing the beef and onion will definitely lead to more flavor, but if you want to just throw everything into the slow cooker all at once, it'd be totally fine. Just be sure to top your bowl with plenty of Fritos!
Get the Slow-Cooker Beef Chili recipe.
Slow-Cooker Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wings
Any true sports fan knows that Game Day isn't complete without Buffalo ranch something. These are doused in ranch seasoning and sprinkled with fresh chives for extra flavor.
Slow-Cooker Beef & Broccoli
In the world of Chinese-American classics, you can’t beat beef and broccoli. And while you can always order take-out, here at Delish, we’re so obsessed that we’ve found multiple ways to make it at home: in a pan on the stove, and now in a slow cooker.
Get the Slow-Cooker Beef & Broccoli recipe.
Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos
Throw a beef chuck roast—which has a strong beefy flavor and needs time to tenderize—an onion, and some spices in the slow cooker before you head out for work and come home to a Tex-Mex masterpiece.
Get the Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos recipe.
Crockpot Mac & Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese is a process. But this slow-cooker mac & cheese makes cooking up the staple a breeze. Everything—including the pasta!—cooks in a slow cooker. And in the end you have just ONE DISH to clean.
Get the Crockpot Mac & Cheese recipe.
Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Looking for a low effort, stick-to-your-ribs dinner? You've come to the right place. This Tex-Mex inspired soup is hearty, delicious, and endlessly riffable depending on what you're craving. We highly encourage you mix and match your favorite toppings, too. Try crushed Fritos, cubed avocado, roasted pumpkin seeds, pickled or fresh jalapeños, pickled red onions... whatever floats your boat.
Mini BBQ Chicken Sliders
Sliders—in any variation—are a BBQ must-have. We find this recipe for mini BBQ chicken sliders impossible to resist. It's got some homemade coleslaw on top and served on super soft, super fluffy rolls.
Get the Mini BBQ Chicken Sliders recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie
Believe your eyes: You can make a skillet cookie now in your slow cooker! Never waste your time scooping out individual cookies again.
Cowboy Beans
Baked beans are a backyard BBQ staple, but cowboy beans take this simple side to the next level. Hearty, creamy beans are cooked with bacon, ground beef, aromatics, and pickled jalapeños in a sweet, slightly spicy, and tangy sauce that can easily be made in your slow-cooker.
Get the Cowboy Beans recipe.
Slow-Cooker Short Ribs
Few things feel as special—and as satisfying—as a well cooked beef short rib. This version is fall-off-the-bone tender and insanely flavorful, thanks to a quick sear before slow cooking and a Korean-inspired sauce that would make anything taste good.
Get the Slow-Cooker Short Ribs recipe.
Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken
Slow-Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef
Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs
