25+ Easy and Portable Slow Cooker Recipes for Tailgating

January 02, 2020
Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Slow cookers were practically made for tailgating. You can make and transport all your favorite appetizers, dips, and comfort foods right in your trusty Crock-Pot. Pro tip: Secure the lid before you hit the road. Read more about how to travel with a full slow cooker here. 
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Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Recipe
Who knew you could make nachos in the Crock-Pot? This recipe is surprisingly yummy to have such simple ingredients.
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Slow Cooker Beef-and-Sweet Potato Chili

Jennifer Causey
Slow Cooker Beef-and-Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
Leaving the peels on the sweet potatoes has three benefits: Prep is faster, you add more fiber, and the potatoes hold their shape better after the 7-hour simmer. Besides, the peels get so tender that you barely notice they're there. If you'd like to change things up, try parsnips in place of the sweet potatoes; they have a similar sweetness and earthier flavor.

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Chile con Queso

Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Chile con Queso Recipe
You can't go wrong with a favorite like classic chile con queso. Diced green chiles can be substituted for roasted green chiles.
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Slow-Cooker White Chili with Turkey

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-Cooker White Chili with Turkey Recipe
Consider dinner covered for the day after Thanksgiving. This comforting slow cooker recipe is made with leftover turkey and will feed a full house. Cornmeal helps thicken this chili, and adds a hint of toasty corn flavor. Choose fine, rather than coarse, cornmeal for the smoothest texture.

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Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Photo: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Tori Cox and Gordon Sawyer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Recipe

This classic Creole rice dish is perfect for the slow-cooker as all the flavors blend together over time in a marvelous way. 

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Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs Recipe

Short ribs are often considered a cold weather dish, but we gave them a makeover for summer with a bright, tangy sauce (inspired by spiked sweet tea) and a fresh, herbal topping of parsley, scallions, and lemon zest. Serve these easy-to-prepare slow cooker ribs atop grits, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles or alongside potato salad with a tangy, vinegar-based (not mayonnaise-based) dressing.

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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup

Jennifer Causey
Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup Recipe

Look for andouille near the smoked sausages in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Click here for the recipe. 

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Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Victor Protasio
Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos Recipe

This is going to become your new go-to on taco night. Pork shoulder becomes meltingly tender as it slow-cooks in the chile- and garlic-infused citrus sauce. Searing the pork in a skillet for just a minute adds a depth of flavor you don't otherwise get in a slow cooker. Mildly spicy ancho chile (dried poblano peppers) adds authentic chile flavor to the sauce. Look for dried chiles in the produce or bulk spice department in large supermarkets. To serve taco truck–style, tuck the carnitas into warm corn tortillas and keep the toppings simple with diced white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Pair with slaw on the side.

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Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners  
Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil Recipe

For a classic summery meal without a fuss, look no further than this slow cooker shrimp boil. With a simple ingredient list and a largely hands-off cooking method, this easy seafood boil is a perfect recipe to plan on for casual warm weather entertaining or even as a low-effort meal to make at the rental house during a beach vacation. We opted to pull the corn out after 30 minutes of cooking as we preferred it on the crisp side, but as long as your slow cooker is large enough, feel free to leave it in the pot as the shrimp and sausage cook. 

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Blue Cheese-Artichoke Dip

Oxmoor House
Blue Cheese-Artichoke Dip Recipe
Blue cheese amps up the flavor for a little twist on the traditional artichoke appetizer. The dip holds up well for about two hours after the cook time. Serve with pita chips or toasted baguette slices.

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Time Inc. Video Studio
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe

This slow cooker pork carnitas recipe is a perfectly simple and inexpensive way to feed a crowd. Set out a stack of warm corn tortillas along, with a few simple toppings, and allow everyone to pile on the unbelievably rich and tender pork as they please. 

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Slow Cooker Bourbon-Peach Baked Beans

Caitlin Bensel
Slow Cooker Bourbon-Peach Baked Beans Recipe

Skip the canned baked beans in favor of our fuss-free version, which saves up to 300mg sodium per serving. Adobo sauce and bacon build a smoky backbone, while peak-season peaches offer sweet contrast. Bonus: The beans will stay warm in a covered slow cooker for up to 2 hours after being unplugged.

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Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Photographer: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
Make a pitcher of margaritas, pull out your most colorful linens and dinnerware, and add some dahlias to a flower vase. This easy slow cooker recipe is the only one you need for a fiesta night. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind for a successful slow cooking experience: Slow cooking requires little fat, so trim the excess from meats and poultry.

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Blackberry-Peach Slow Cooker Crumble

Blackberry-Peach Slow Cooker Crumble Recipe

Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt, this simple summer dessert is a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth while reaping the nutritional benefits of summer fruit. Keep the peach slices no less than 1/2 inch thick; any smaller, and they may lose their shape when cooked.

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Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

Photo: Kate Mathis; Styling: Paul Grimes
Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken Recipe

Does it get much easier than this summer crockpot recipe? Slow-cook chicken breasts in a mixture of bottled barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce for a tender, sweet, and tangy barbecue chicken that’s great on a bun or even over a baked potato. This is a stress-free and tasty meal of which the whole family will want seconds. 

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Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

Photo: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps    
Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken Recipe
Reader Lacey Houseman, 29, from Thomaston, Georgia says, "I like to toss this together before I leave the house, and a few hours later, dinner is ready."

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Creamy Dried Beef Dip

Photo: Oxmoor House
Creamy Dried Beef Dip Recipe

The flavors of dried beef, chopped bell peppers, cream cheese, and sour cream meld perfectly in the slow cooker for an out-of-this-world appetizer.

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Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs Recipe

If you’re skeptical about ribs in a slow cooker, prepare to be amazed by the tender and delicious results. Cooking ribs doesn’t get easier than this two-step method, and while they serve as the perfect summer entrée, you can make this crockpot ribs recipe just as easily at any time of year. Start by selecting the style you like: baby back ribs, spare ribs, St. Louis style ribs, or country style pork ribs. Combine with your favorite sweet and smoky BBQ sauce and let your Crock-Pot take it from there. These easy slow cooker ribs are fall-off-the-bone tasty.

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Crock-Pot Chili

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Crock-Pot Chili Recipe

This hearty and super-easy crock-pot chili recipe takes just minutes to prepare before simmering low and slow for 4 hours. Red wine adds body to this traditional chili recipe, which features classic ingredients like green bell pepper, onion, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, cumin, and chili powder. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, sour cream, and slices of fresh avocado and serve with Buttermilk Cornbread for a satisfying supper no one will be able to resist.

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Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Barbecue season is here, but we'll let you in on a secret: All you really need for crowd-pleasing baby back ribs is the right recipe and a slow cooker. Savory, tender, juicy, and slow-cooked to perfection, this recipe for Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs is our newest and best. And just because it's easy doesn't mean this recipe lacks character. Add our homemade Rib Rub and Fancy Barbecue Sauce for a foolproof meal that's truly special. 

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Crawfish Dip

Photo: Greg Dupree Styling: Heather Chadduck 
Crawfish Dip Recipe

Cook and serve this dip in a slow cooker to keep it warm. Makes a great dish for a Derby party!

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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

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Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Sauce

Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Sauce Recipe

Smoked paprika comes from a centuries-old tradition in which chile peppers are slowly dried over low-burning fires of Spanish oak and then ground into powder. In the slow cooker, this earthy, aromatic spice adds outdoor smoked barbecue flavor.

 

 

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Buffalo-Style Drummettes

Oxmoor House
Buffalo-Style Drummettes Recipe
Heating the chicken drummettes in the oven helps to brown them. You can also brown them, in batches, in a skillet on the cooktop.
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Pulled-Pork Tacos

Photo: Kan Kanbayashi
Pulled-Pork Tacos Recipe

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Slow Cooker Cheesy Cottage Potatoes

Photo Courtesy Time Inc. Books
Slow Cooker Cheesy Cottage Potatoes Recipe
Serve these savory taters on the side or make them the star attraction

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Beef-and-Bean Chili

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Beef-and-Bean Chili Recipe

This classic red chili has chunks of stew meat and ground beef along with tomatoes, red beans, and spices. 

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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket Recipe

Slow cooking tougher cuts of meat, such as beef brisket, gives you a meltingly tender texture. For tacos, serve the saucy barbacoa in tortillas with green and red onion, cilantro leaves, jalapeño slices, and fresh lime wedges.

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