34 Summer Slow Cooker Recipes to Make All Season Long

34 Summer Slow Cooker Recipes to Make All Season Long

You are likely considering of retiring your gradual cooker for the year, but not so quickly. You truly must be working with this marvel equipment all summertime extensive. Your Crockpot can get basic dishes like pulled pork sliders, barbecue ribs and even a peach cobbler on the desk with minimum palms-on get the job done. Plus, it frees up the oven for other significant dishes (like cherry slab pie). In this article, 34 summer time sluggish cooker recipes to make now by Labor Day.

Similar: 6 Slow Cooker Errors You May possibly Be Creating

A giant batch of fork-tender pork for tacos, salads, rice bowls and beyond? This calls for a fiesta. Use it for lunch and dinner within three days after making, or keep it frozen for up to three months.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 7 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, one pot, high protein, crowd-pleaser

Quesadillas! Tacos! Wraps! Sandwiches! You’ll get some serious mileage out of this set-it-and-forget-it recipe. We like to serve them with brioche buns, shredded lettuce and sliced tomato, but the choice is yours.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, low carb, keto-friendly, <10 ingredients

Your cheeseburger is looking a little lonely. Meet its new best friend, buttery and bursting with smashed garlic cloves, chives and rosemary. Trust us, you won’t miss the potatoes.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 5 minutes

  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, high protein

Consider this your kids’ new favorite dinner. Nothing beats walking in the door to the smell of honey-soy chicken after six hours of low-and-slow TLC. Just steam some white rice when you get home and it’s ready to serve.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, one pot, <10 ingredients

Meet the barbecue’s most popular appetizer. Pepper jack, Parmesan, cream cheese and sour cream make an ooey-gooey base for canned corn and diced jalapeño. Top it with chives and bacon crumbles before serving with tortilla chips.

Get the recipe

A dish of this stuff won’t last long at a picnic. While you can totally make this on the stove or in the oven, we’re guessing that’s the last thing you want to do on a hot summer day. Just combine the ingredients and cook on low until the cheese is melted.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, slow cooker recipe

We love this summer staple right off the cob, but we also don’t mind switching it up and eating it by the spoonful. Onion, celery, potato, thyme and chicken broth make it a dish you’ll crave year-round. The secret to keeping it creamy yet light? Evaporated milk.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours and 20 minutes

  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, slow cooker recipe, high protein

Picture eating a bowl of this in the yard as the sun sets with a glass of chardonnay. Yup, we’re unwinding already. No capers in your pantry? Try these substitutes.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 7 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

This is an easy win at any potluck, and the leftovers work great in sandwiches and quesadillas to boot. Pile the pork on a bun with light and tangy coleslaw for an easy win.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, slow cooker recipe, high protein

We’re always up for a plate of enchiladas, but assembling them can be time-consuming. Enter this genius Crockpot casserole. Think chicken, black beans, corn and all the fixings, melty and ready for some chip-dipping action.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy

Every once in a while you need a good finger food. The kids won’t mind taste-testing this mess-free twist on wings. Especially since they’re wrapped in corn tortillas and fried until crispy.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, one pot, slow cooker recipe

Summer’s a busy season for these sweet little gems, since they make an appearance at pretty much every barbecue. Hang in the yard with a cocktail while these finish cooking inside.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes (plus soaking time)

  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, slow cooker recipe

Brunch on the deck? We’re so ready. Even better, almost all the work is done the night before. That means it’ll be finished once you wake up, giving you plenty of time to make mimosas.

Get the recipe

Give the grill a break and whip up a rack of these indoors. The homemade barbecue sauce is a real keeper (we’re talking blackberry preserves and molasses, y’all). And of course, these bad boys will fall right off the bone after five hours.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 8 hours and 25 minutes

  • Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, slow cooker recipe

Oh, gochujang. Where do we even begin? This sweet-and-spicy fermented chili paste works wonders on beef in the Crockpot. Top with shredded cabbage for crunch and pickle spears for a briny finishing touch.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, slow cooker recipe

A gorgeous breakfast that requires basically zero effort? We’re there. This Mediterranean-style dish is prime for brunch on the porch. Extra goat cheese, please.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 7 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: make ahead, high protein, slow cooker recipe

Add this filling fave to your meal-prep rotation, stat. The mix of slow-cooked pork shoulder, black beans and vegetables is tasty as is, but don’t even get us started on the Greek yogurt-lime crema.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 5 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein, slow cooker recipe

Pepper jelly. Sriracha ketchup. Sesame oil. These meatballs are onto something when it comes to drool-worthy condiments. Have them over jasmine rice or serve with toothpicks and ranch.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, slow cooker recipe

Think tender slices of beef chuck on soft long rolls with a melty slice of provolone, baby arugula and lemon juice, all dipped in savory au jus. Your daily turkey and Swiss could never.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: Instant Pot recipe, slow cooker recipe, high protein, make ahead

Canned green chiles and chipotles in adobo bring the heat to fork-tender beef chuck roast. Try swapping beef stock for your favorite Mexican lager. Don’t want to wait for the slow cooker? Use the Instant Pot instead.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes

  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe

Ribs, brisket and pulled pork somehow taste even better when nestled next to a scoop of mac. You’ll never guess the secret ingredient. OK, OK…it’s cheddar cheese soup.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe, high protein

Nothing beats a balanced, hearty chili. This one has heat from smoked paprika and chili powder, plus sweetness from cinnamon and maple syrup. Top it off with cheddar cheese, avocado and sliced green onion.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

These are one way to get the kids out of bed. Store-bought dough makes this ridiculously easy to assemble. And we think this goes without saying, but you might want to make double of the vanilla glaze.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 8 hours and 45 minutes

  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, slow cooker recipe

Everyone’s favorite game day side in liquid form—and that’s including all the beloved fixings, from the bacon bits to the sour cream.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours and 20 minutes

  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, crowd-pleaser, slow cooker recipe

This Southern classic is basically the OG one-pot dinner. The recipe is traditional—red potatoes, cut corn cobs, andouille sausage—and makes feeding a crowd a breeze. Don’t be shy with the Old Bay.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours

  • Why We Love It: gluten free, high protein, beginner friendly, slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser

Your fave Mexican handheld just went Mediterranean. It turns out that ground lamb is the taco filling you didn’t know you needed. Finish each one with feta crumbles and a drizzle of tzatziki.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy, high protein, slow cooker recipe

Boy, does the slow cooker know what to do with pork. Here, pork tenderloin and your go-to BBQ sauce transform into a crowdpleaser the kids will ask for over and over again. Brownie points if you make your pizza dough from scratch.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s such a thing as too many tacos, our answer is a hard no. Then again, this crispy, juicy meat tastes great on salad, in a pita or straight out of the slow cooker. The choice is yours.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, crowd-pleaser, high protein

Juicy chicken thighs, canned cannellini beans and shredded cheese make this zesty one-pot dish beyond satisfying. We’ll take sour cream and hot sauce on ours, please.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 8 hours and 15 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, one pot

Hosting a fancy dinner party? An impeccably roasted bird is just the ticket for wowing your guests. Serve the chicken and spuds with dressed greens.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 25 minutes

  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, one pot, kid-friendly, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser

Because the only thing that can make pasta even more kid-friendly is a creamy cheese filling. We’re talking ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and fresh herbs.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 50 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pot, slow cooker recipe, beginner-friendly

In short, this vanilla ice cream-topped masterpiece tastes like summer. Feel free to substitute raspberries, strawberries or blueberries if you’d prefer.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, slow cooker recipe, beginner-friendly

‘Tis the season for making anything and everything with stone fruit. This baby’s got an entire stick of butter and eight whole peaches, so we figure it’s a solid place to start. We’ll bring the whipped cream.

Get the recipe

  • Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes

  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, slow cooker recipe, make ahead

If you’ve ever wondered why restaurant cheesecake is always so much better than what you make at home, chalk it up to the special equipment. You may not have an industrial water bath, but you do have a slow cooker. Look out, Cheesecake Factory.

Get the recipe

RELATED: 40 Quick Summer Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.