Our best Slow Cooker Recipes to Celebrate Crocktober

It's the wonderful month of Crocktober! No, that's not a misspelling. October is prime time to cover your grills and break out your slow cookers. Your tried and true crock-pot is a surefire ticket to having a hot dinner ready the second you come home. So celebrate Crocktober every day this month with these 31 delicious recipes.

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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Amy Stone

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja Recipe

You'll be wowed by the way lean flank steak transforms into tender, succulent shreds as it slowly simmers in the aromatic sauce. Served over rice (preferably brown), this homey Cuban dish makes for an exceptionally hearty and wholesome weeknight meal.

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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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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 Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen.

Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps Recipe

This dish is great for a casual get-together or a weeknight meal (with leftovers). The seasoning paste is modeled after Korean ssamjang--a concentrated, salty, slightly spicy concoction. Unlike traditional versions, though, ours is made with grocery store ingredients for ease and convenience.

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Slow Cooker Ramen Bowls

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Ramen Bowls Recipe

Any ramen lover will tell you--it's all about the broth. We build layers of rich umami flavor with the help of mushroom stems, fresh ginger, kombu (a type of edible kelp), sesame oil, and, of course, low and slow heat.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Congee

Photo: 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. Cilantro or baby spinach leaves can work in place of the watercress.

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Chicken Enchilada Stack

Oxmoor House

Chicken Enchilada Stack Recipe
Think outside the "dish." You can enjoy the flavor and texture of enchiladas in a slow cooker; just stack the tortillas instead of rolling them. We suggest lining your slow cooker with a slow-cooker bag so you can easily remove the stack from the cooker.

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Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Photo: Victor Protasio; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Recipe

Switch up your go-to slow-cooker meals and go for a cheesy pasta dish that's loaded with hearty sausage. It's a great option for the entire family, and you can take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

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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.

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Slow Cooker Cioppino

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Cioppino Recipe

Simmering the base of this rich stew in the slow cooker allows for ultimate flavor concentration. When you're almost ready to serve, add raw fish to poach quickly. A signature dish of the West Coast, cioppino can be made with a wide variety of fish and shellfish, so feel free to experiment with your favorites.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Photo: 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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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe
This slow-cooker chicken chili is a great addition to your cool weather weeknight meal rotation. Calling for a mixture of beans and hominy, this recipe boasts bold, rich flavor, something that can often be dulled in a slow cooker. Processing some of the beans in a food processor thickens the soup, lending a heartier flavor to the dish. We suggest serving the soup with green onions, cheese, cilantro, peppers, and plain yogurt, a great substitute for sour cream. Perfect for a tailgate, ideal for cool weather, and guaranteed to make your home smell amazing while you're gone, this slow cooker chili is sure to make your "must make again" list.

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Andouille Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victor Protazio

Andouille Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp Recipe

Traditionally, rice is cooked in the jambalaya liquid, but for this flavorful slow-cooker version, it's best to stir in the cooked rice at the end.

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Sesame-Ginger Chicken

Oxmoor House

Sesame-Ginger Chicken Recipe
Serve over steamed rice to savor every bit of the sweet Asian glaze. This classic dish is a slow-cooker must-have on your weeknight meal planner.

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Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry

Photo: Victor Protasio

Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry Recipe
The challenge: The flavors are always too bland. Our solution: It’s true that the long, slow cooking period mellows flavors. But bold spices, in bold amounts, will hold their own over time. Here, we start with big flavor from a good amount of curry paste and fish sauce, and we finish with fresh touches of cilantro and lime juice that amplify the taste of everything. Serve over a bed of brown rice or brown rice noodles to catch all the sauce.

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Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos Recipe
From the Kitchen of Julie Hutson, Callahan, Florida. "This is surprisingly yummy to have such simple ingredients."

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Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup Recipe

This soup is perfect for ushering in fall: It's hearty enough for the beginning of soup season, yet brothy and veggie-packed so that it doesn't feel too heavy. Pair it with a slaw or kale side salad and crusty whole-grain bread for a light, satisfying dinner. This recipe is ideal for a weekend, when you can check on the slow cooker after just a few hours; though you won't be able to leave the soup unattended all day, this still offers the benefit of hands-free, fuss-free cooking. Either baby red, Yukon Gold, or fingerling potatoes will work well here, as they'll maintain their shape nicely during cooking.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Slow Cooker Chicken Posole Recipe

Think of posole as chili's brothier, lighter cousin, a Mexican version of chicken soup. Posole is also a name for the hominy, or rehydrated dried corn, that goes in the dish.

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Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

Photo: Christopher Testani; Styling: Alistair Turnbull

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe
Simply stir kale, tomato paste, and salt into a hearty bean mixture, add sausage meatballs, and cook away for a perfect weeknight meal.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

We love the heat level in this slow cooker take on tikka masala to fend off winter chill. If the spice kick is too much for your family, you can cut the red pepper down by half without losing any of the dynamic flavor layers.

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Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victor Protazio

Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken Recipe

This saucy slow cooker chicken lives at the flavorful intersection where sweet and savory meet. Never cooked with apricot brandy? It lends a unique fruity richness to this dish and can be found in most liquor stores shelved with flavored other liqueurs.

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Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Carrots

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Carrots Recipe

A full-plate dinner simmers to saucy, savory perfection in the slow cooker. To end up with super-succulent pork, don't overcook the chops in the pan before adding to the slow cooker. Just a couple of minutes per side will be enough to achieve nice color. Don't be afraid of the time, you will only be actively preparing and cooking for about 20 minutes as the rest cooks away in the slow-cooker for 7 hours until the meat and vegetables are tender.

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Cuban Pork and Black Bean Stew

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victoria Cox

Cuban Pork and Black Bean Stew Recipe
The most tender pork and beans stew can be on your table as soon as you get home.

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Slow Cooker Santa Fe Meatloaf

Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower.

Slow Cooker Santa Fe Meatloaf Recipe

Oven-baked meatloaf can turn dry, but the moisture-sealing magic of the slow cooker makes this one melt in your mouth.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup

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 Brisket with Smoked Paprika

Photo: Annabelle Breakey

Slow-Cooker Brisket with Smoked Paprika Recipe

Save time and oven space and use a slow-cooker for brisket that's tender when pierced, with a rich, velvety sauce. Start in the morning and you'll have brisket by dinnertime.

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Slow Cooker Beef Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickles

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Slow Cooker Beef Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickles Recipe

The low, even heat of the slow cooker helps flavor powerhouses like miso, sesame oil, and soy sauce impart tenderizing moisture, umami depth, and savory personality to common pot roast.

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

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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Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

Photo: 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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Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Photo: 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 Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

Victor Protasio

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey Recipe

If your Thanksgiving tradition includes a smoked turkey, save one of the legs for this easy, soul-satisfying soup. Otherwise, look for smoked turkey legs near the bacon at your grocery store (or use a ham hock).

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31 of Our Best Slow Cooker Recipes To Celebrate Crocktober

1 of 32

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

2 of 32

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket

3 of 32

Beef-and-Bean Chili

4 of 32

Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

5 of 32

Slow Cooker Ramen Bowls

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Slow Cooker Chicken Congee

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Chicken Enchilada Stack

8 of 32

Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

9 of 32

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

10 of 32

Slow Cooker Cioppino

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

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Andouille Sausage Jambalaya with Shrimp

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Sesame-Ginger Chicken

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Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry

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Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

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Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken Posole

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Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

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Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken

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Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Carrots

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Cuban Pork and Black Bean Stew

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Slow Cooker Santa Fe Meatloaf

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Slow Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup

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Slow-Cooker Brisket with Smoked Paprika

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Slow Cooker Beef Lettuce Wraps with Quick Pickles

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

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Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

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Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

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