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26 Zero-Prep Slow Cooker Dinners

26 Zero-Prep Slow Cooker Dinners

Updated February 22, 2019

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

These quick and easy crockpot recipes make weeknight dinners a breeze. There's something about slow cooker recipes that call for cooking beforehand that's just... frustrating. Ideally, you want a recipe that lists the slow cooker in the very first step. So, we snagged our best hassle-free recipes for crockpot chicken, chili, and more to make the most of your slow cooker's capabilities.

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Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic Recipe

White meat can dry out after a long haul in the slow cooker, so we opt for bone-in thighs to guarantee optimal flavor and succulence. Make prep easier with prepeeled garlic, and pretty-up the platter with lemon slices and thyme sprigs.

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Credit: 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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Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Corn Slow-Cooker Chowder

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Corn Slow-Cooker Chowder Recipe

Great for a game-day get-together, this hearty and creamy soup feeds a crowd with little hands-on time required.

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Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil

Credit: 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.

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Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Recipe

The potatoes absorb the rich, smoky flavor of the ham hocks in this one-pot soup. Serve with crusty bread, a salad, and hot sauce on the side for an easy meal both kids and adults will love.

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5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

A simple spice rub goes a long way to make this simple dump dinner. Just grease the slow cooker, place the onions and roast in, and let it cook low and slow until it's tender and delicious.

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Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Beef

Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Beef Recipe

Make this tangy meat sauce in the slow-cooker to top macaroni or other pasta. A quick and easy meal when you're craving some classic Italian flavors.

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Recipe

Pop this sweet potato mixture into your slow cooker on a busy morning. It will be ready to serve as soon as everyone sits down to dinner. Serve aside a simple roast or rotisserie chicken for extra protein.

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Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

Credit: Christopher Testani; Styling: Alistair Turnbull

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe

Creamy white beans are the perfect match for a hearty leafy green like kale. Sausage adds a meaty bite, and a touch of Parmesan finishes it off beautifully.

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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

Credit: Victor Protasio

Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens Recipe

This vegetarian collards recipe brings all the flavor without any meat. We call for fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, and apple cider vinegar for the ultimate meat-free flavor.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Recipe

Once the sauce simmers in the cooker, all that's left to do is cook a pound of pasta, and serve up this gorgeous, hearty sauce.

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Vegetable-Lentil Soup

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Elizabeth Blake

Vegetable-Lentil Soup Recipe

After a hectic day at work, hearty bowlfuls of Vegetable-Lentil Soup await you in the slow cooker.

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Pulled-Pork Tacos

Credit: Kan Kanbayashi

Pulled-Pork Tacos Recipe

Tacos are always a great meal you can eat with your hands. In this recipe, your pork gets perfectly tender and shreddable in the slow cooker.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

While the chicken becomes fall-apart tender, briny capers, crushed red pepper, and garlic infuse the tomatoes for a robust marinara sauce.

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Soulful Chicken Soup

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victor Protazio

Soulful Chicken Soup Recipe

No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup. Slow cookers couldn't have made the road to comfort any easier: Simply toss in the ingredients, switch on, and then walk away. We love old-fashioned, wide egg noodles for this recipe. To make sure they aren't mushy and overcooked, don't leave them in the slow cooker any longer than 10 minutes.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Congee

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow Cooker Chicken Congee Recipe

The slow cooker does all the work in this comforting rice porridge, breaking down the rice with fragrant ginger and star anise and poaching the chicken until silky. A bit of chili oil is the vibrant kick this dish needs. You can also use Sriracha or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket

Credit: 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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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Credit: Victor Protasio

Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks Recipe

When cooked low and slow, the tender ham hocks completely fall apart and infuse the collard greens with a savory, smoky flavor. Carefully remove the hocks before serving to make sure no bones remain.

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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

Credit: Victor Protasio

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey Recipe

This super meaty meal is the perfect blend of split pea soup and a hearty turkey stew. Look for smoked turkey legs near the bacon at your grocery store (or use a ham hock).

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Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots

Credit: Brian Kennedy; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

There's no better dinner than a showstopping feast of beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. To create the traditional flavor profile of corned beef and cabbage without the traditionally massive sodium spike, we simmer brisket in a strong aromatic spice blend at low and slow heat rather than starting with brined beef.

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Credit: Oxmoor House

Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe

This soup has a mild chile flavor. If you want more heat, increase the amount of chili powder and don't seed the jalapeños.

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Smoked Turkey-Lentil Soup

Credit: Oxmoor House

Smoked Turkey-Lentil Soup Recipe

Throw smoked turkey, dried lentils, and a handful of other ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and you'll come home to a hearty and comforting meal.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup

Credit: Greg DuPree

Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Recipe

Simple flavors and a rustic touch will make this soup an instant home-cooked favorite, especially on chilly, wintry days. Inexpensive dried lentils make up the bulk of the soup, helping fill in your fiber gaps and keep you full longer. Chickpeas are the secret ingredient to achieve supreme creaminess, which become delightfully smooth when blended, and sneak in an extra 3g fiber per serving.

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Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

This slow-cooker pulled pork recipe makes budget-friendly homemade barbecue a breeze! 7 ingredients are all you need to get this dish cooking for dinnertime. For delicious barbecue sandwiches, add honey, barbecue sauce, mustard, and soy sauce to the slow cooker when the meat is done and cook for an additional hour on low. Serve on hamburger buns with a side of baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread for the ultimate Southern plate.

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Easy Brunswick Stew

Credit: Oxmoor House

Easy Brunswick Stew Recipe

Okra, barbecued pork, lima beans, and chopped chicken make this stew a hearty, filling option for the slow-cooker.

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sriracha BBQ Sauce

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sriracha BBQ Sauce Recipe

Rub pork with a sweet and spicy mixture, then let it cook down in a sweet and vinegary sauce.

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26 Zero-Prep Slow Cooker Dinners

1 of 26

Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

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2 of 26

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

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3 of 26

Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Corn Slow-Cooker Chowder

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Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil

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Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

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5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

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Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Beef

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

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Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

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Vegetable-Lentil Soup

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Pulled-Pork Tacos

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

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Soulful Chicken Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken Congee

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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

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Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

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Smoked Turkey-Lentil Soup

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Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup

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Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

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Easy Brunswick Stew

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sriracha BBQ Sauce

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