50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (2024)

This roundup of 50 healthy slow cooker recipes from around the web is perfect for your weeknights. Some of these recipes are also vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, warm, filling, and of course, very satisfying!! I hope you enjoy these healthy and tasty recipes!

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (1)

For busy weeknights, the slow cooker is alifesaver. Before you leave for work for the day, you can toss your ingredients into the slow cooker and set it on low for 7 hours and have your dinner ready once you’re home. It’s so convenient to use the slow cooker since you’re able to leave it unattended. Set it and forget it is pretty much its tagline!

I often use mine and adore the fact that I can make delicious, healthy, and good food with a simple method. I use it a lot, especially from October to March, because here in Canada, the winter is pretty cold. So comfort food from my slow cooker is what my family and I really need. What I like most about this slow cooker is that it shifts to the warm setting automatically once the cooking time is complete. Also, the stoneware and lids are dishwasher-safe, making it very easy to clean.

So, How Does a Slow Cooker Work?

Slow cookers work similar to a Dutch oven on the stove top. However, instead of having a flame under the pot, the slow cooker works by trapping heat that it’s producing on the bottom and slowly cooking food over a long period of time.

With this slow and low method of cooking, tougher cuts of meat cook up wonderfully in the slow cooker as it helps tenderize them so the meat will practically melt in your mouth.

Tips for Using a Slow Cooker

Because of how the slow cooker works, my go-to tip for using a slow cooker is to not open the lid while it’s cooking. It might be tempting to take a sniff or taste test but when you open the lid, the heat leaves and the slow cooker needs to take the time to build up that heat again.

Also, make sure you follow the recipes as stated. If you add ingredients like wine, double check the measurement. As you don’t get much evaporation and you can’t cook out the wine like you do on the stovetop, it can be overpowering if you add more than the recipe states!

Another tip would be avoid adding in dairy too early into your recipes. If the recipe calls for dairy, make sure to add it in at the end to avoid it being curdled from being cooked on low heat for a long period of time.

What Slow Cooker I Use

The picture below shows my slow cooker. I love it and have never had any problems with it. It even came with a little dipper warmer. Check out the listing on Amazon. It has a 4.5-star rating from over 400 reviews.

What Size Slow Cooker Should I Use?

Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes. You can find them as small as 2 qt or as large as 10 qt. What size you’d like really depends on how much food you plan on making! If you like to make enough to have leftovers for the week, I’d suggest getting anything from a 6qt to 10qt.

What To Serve With These Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Since most of these healthy slow cooker recipes are main dishes, here are some delicious side dishes you might want to make to go with them: Arugula Blackberry Salad, Brussels Sprouts Bacon Salad, Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe, Easy Coleslaw Recipe, Autumn Beet Orange Salad Recipe.

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

From Primavera Kitchen

Easy Whole30 Pumpkin Chili Recipe (Slow cooker instructions in the post. Pictured below.)

Slow Cooker Zucchini Lasagna

Instant Pot Keto Chili (Slow Cooker Instructions in the post. Pictured Below)

Christmas Morning Slow Cooker Omelet

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers (Pictured Below)

Healthier Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato (Pictured Below)

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chili

Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Beet Chili

Homemade Meat Sauce Recipe (Pictured Below)

Turnip and Carrot Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Healthy Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Stew (Pictured Below)

From Around the Web

Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron (Pictured down below)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (10)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos from 40 Aprons

Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs from Cook Nourish Bliss

Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup from Cook Nourish Bliss

Beef Daube Provencal in the Slow Cooker from Spicy Southern Kitchen (Picture Below)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (11)

Slow Cooker Corn & Red Pepper Chowderfrom Oh My Veggies

Slow Cooker Indian-Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes from Oh My Veggies (Picture Below)

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4-ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Chickenfrom Running to the Kitchen

Best Ever Slow Cooker Baked Beans from Making Thyme for Health (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Hoisin ChickenfromCookin’ Canuck

Healthy Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs fromCookin’ Canuck (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Soup from Chelsea’s Messy Apron (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Skinny Parmesan Spinach Dip from The Cookie Rookie

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Soup from This Gal Cooks (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna from Hip2Save

Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas from Diethood

Slow Cooker Sesame Garlic Chicken from Cooking Ala Mel (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Quinoa and Vegetables Recipe from Moms with Crockpots

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs from Damn Delicious (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken from Gimme Some Oven

Slow Cooker Irish Beef StewEncore from TasteFood Blog

Slow Cooker Barbacoa from Gimme Some Oven (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from Eat Good 4 Life

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken from Eat Good 4 Life (Pictured Below)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (20)

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Capresefrom Well Plated

Slow Cooker Jamaican Jerk Chickenfrom Garden in the Kitchen.

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (21)

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Pulled Pork Tacos from Well Plated (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup Recipe from Add a Pinch

Slow Cooker Salsa Pork from Taste and Tell Blog

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup from Cooking Classy (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup from The Roasted Root

Cider-Chai Slow Cooker Pulled Pork from The Roasted Root (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken from Eat Good 4 Life

Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa from Creme de la Crumb (Pictured Below)

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Light Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and Rice BowlsfromJulie’s Eats and Treats

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce from Damn Delicious (Pictured Below)

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Thanks a lot for reading.Want to browse all of my healthy recipe posts? Follow myPrimavera Kitchen board on Pinterest! For the cold months, I also have great Pinterest boards full of awesome recipes Healthy Slow Cooker Meals,Healthy Winter Recipes, and Soups and Stews. I hope you enjoy all the delicious and healthy recipes I have there!

If you like these recipes, please share them with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest,Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipe updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (2024)

FAQs

Is cooking in the crockpot healthy? ›

Information. Slow cookers or crock pots can safely cook food. The slow cooker, a countertop appliance, cooks foods slowly at a low temperature -- generally between 170 °F (76.7 °C) and 280 °F (137.8 °C). The low heat helps less expensive, leaner cuts of meat become tender and shrink less.

How do you make slow cooker meals taste better? ›

How To Make the Best Slow Cooker Meals
  1. Browning Is Better. Slow cooker recipes don't always instruct you to brown meat before adding it to the pot, but there are some advantages to doing so. ...
  2. Cut With Care. ...
  3. Layers, Layers, Layers. ...
  4. Go Light on Liquids. ...
  5. Leave Room. ...
  6. Heat and Time. ...
  7. No Peeking. ...
  8. Smart Spice.
Oct 27, 2020

Are slow cookers healthier? ›

A slow cooker can help with eating healthily, as this way of cooking doesn't need much (if any) fat, which can help to lower the calorie content. It also intensifies flavours – which is helpful when cutting down on salt.

What can be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

Vibrant veg soups, warming vegetarian stews and packed pulled turkey rolls, there are so many easy slow-cooker recipes to enjoy.
  1. Spiced sweet potato soup.
  2. Slow-cooker star anise rice pudding.
  3. Slow-cooker vegetarian stew.
  4. Slow-cooker Thai chicken stew.
  5. Slow-cooker pulled turkey rolls.
  6. Slow-cooker pork and sausage stew.

What is the healthiest meat to slow cook? ›

common lean roasts found in the grocery store
  • chuck tender roast. A lean roast that requires slow cooking to tenderize.
  • shoulder roast. An inexpensive chuck cut with good flavor and good for roasting or slow cooking.
  • rump roast. A boneless and lean cut ideal for slow cooking.
  • eye of round roast.

What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? ›

What are the disadvantages of a slow cooker? Slow cookers only apply heat to the bottom of the crock, which cuts down on their ability to reduce liquids and brown foods, and develop flavor the same way a Dutch oven or pressure cooker can.

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

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Why fry onions before slow cooking? ›

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. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low? ›

Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

What's better than a slow cooker? ›

✔️ Instant Pots are multi-functional.

Many people think that Instant Pots are just electric pressure cookers, but they're actually multi-cookers that cover a wide variety of functions: They slow cook, steam, warm, saute and work as a rice cooker in addition to pressure cooking.

Do crock pots use a lot of electricity? ›

Yes, slow cooking is considered energy efficient. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a slow cooker is one of the most energy efficient kitchen appliances. On average, a slow cooker draws about the same amount of energy as a standard electric light bulb.

Are old rival crock pots safe to use? ›

Rival® Slow Cookers

If you purchased one of the slow cookers listed below, stop using the product immediately. These products were manufactured between January 1999 and September 2004. Please follow the steps below to determine if your slow cooker is subject to recall and eligible for a replacement base.

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

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

What foods should not go in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker
  1. Raw Meat.
  2. Seafood.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Rice.
  5. Delicate Vegetables.
  6. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
  7. Dairy.
  8. Wine and Other Liquor.
Jan 19, 2024

Can I leave the slow cooker on overnight? ›

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

Do slow cookers take nutrients out of food? ›

While slow cooking does expose food to heat for an extended period, it also retains many vital nutrients.

Which is healthier, a slow cooker or a pressure cooker? ›

Is cooking in a pressure cooker healthy? Yes, cooking in a pressure cooker is healthy. Unlike a slow cooker, which cooks foods for a long time at a lower temperature, pressure cookers do use high heat when cooking - but not for a long time. This means that most of the nutrients won't be lost.

Is slow cooked meat healthier? ›

From a health standpoint, the best ways to cook meat are slow cooking, pressure cooking and sous vide. However, all methods of cooking meat have advantages and disadvantages. Some of the most popular types, including grilling and deep-frying, are concerning due to the high levels of toxic by-products they create.

Which is better a crockpot or slow cooker? ›

If you're planning to cook your meals mostly when you're not home or overnight, then sticking to a Crockpot might be a better choice, since the heat distribution is more even and there is no need to stir at all.

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