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)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (12)

4-ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Chickenfrom Running to the Kitchen

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

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (13)

Slow Cooker Hoisin ChickenfromCookin’ Canuck

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

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (14)

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)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (18)

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)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (19)

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)

50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes - Delicious and Cozy Meals! (25)

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

Are slow cookers healthy? ›

The low heat helps less expensive, leaner cuts of meat become tender and shrink less. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam created within the tightly-covered container combine to destroy bacteria and make the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.

What size slow cooker do I need? ›

If you're cooking for one or two, a 1.5-3 litre pot should give you plenty of space to create some tasty meals. A cooker that's 3-5l will serve three or four people. Any more guests than that (or just big appetites) and you'll need a dish with room for 5-6l.

Can you cook small meals in a large slow cooker? ›

In fact, your large Crockpot is perfectly capable of whipping up small, easy-to-make dishes with just a few clever tweaks. Let us guide you through adapting your favorite recipes to fit the size of your larger slow cooker, ensuring you get the most out of this versatile kitchen appliance.

Is a slow cooker good for weight loss? ›

We're talking about the trusty slow cooker. It's a kitchen companion that can simplify your meal preparation in a way that can speed up your weight loss goals. Effortless Meal Preparation: One of the key challenges when it comes to eating a healthy diet is the time and effort required for meal preparation.

Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can put raw chicken in a slow cooker! Slow cookers and Crock-Pots are designed to cook raw meats. The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking time and steam created from the tightly covered container destroys bacteria, making slow cooking safe. You can put frozen chicken in a slow cooker, too!

What cannot be cooked 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 you put raw meat in a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you most certainly can cook raw meat in the slow cooker! You put it in “cold”, with whatever liquid your recipe calls for, turn it on either “low” or “high” depending on your recipe (I usually start it on “high” for a couple hours, then turn it to “low”), and in 6–7–8 hours, it's now COOKED meat!

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

The pot of the slow cooker usually sits on a base that houses the heating element on the bottom, while Crockpots have their pots inside of a container (or crock) and get heating from all sides. Therefore, slow cookers heat up slower than crockpots, with the heat level higher on the bottom of the pot.

Is it OK to leave slow cooker on low overnight? ›

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.

What is the most popular size crockpot? ›

The 6- or 7-quart models are among the most popular, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the best choice for everyone. (By the way, here's our favorite slow cooker brand.) Find yourself among the descriptions below to learn which slow cooker we'd recommend for you.

Can you put a Pyrex bowl in a slow cooker? ›

Can you put a Pyrex dish in a slow cooker? Yes, of course. Pyrex was developed to withstand heat and to be shatter-resistant. Even better - there are commercially available slow cooker liners that are disposable after each use.

Can you overdo a slow cooker? ›

Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

What is too full for a slow cooker? ›

To ensure proper cooking, it is important to fill your slow cooker with the appropriate amount of food. Aim for between half and two-thirds full. If the cooker is too full, the food may not cook evenly and could end up being undercooked. On the other hand, if the cooker is not full enough, the food may overcook.

Do slow cookers leach chemicals? ›

The close contact and heat can cause reactivity in some materials like plastics and metals (including stainless steel & aluminum). Over time, chemicals from the machine may leach or the metal casing (ex: stainless steel casing coated with ceramics) may release toxic gases too close to the food.

Do crock pots leach chemicals into food? ›

Food is in contact with the crockpot for hours or even days. Slow cooker meals are often acidic, which increases metal leaching. These things together are a recipe for lead poisoning.

What are the disadvantages of slow cooking? ›

5 Disadvantages of Slow Cookers
  • Cooking times are long.
  • You can't sear food.
  • They always produce a soft texture.
  • It's not possible to adjust as you go.
  • Some foods don't work.
Nov 15, 2023

Do all crockpots have lead? ›

Many ceramics makers have switched to lead-free glazes. For example, Crock-Pot (the brand name that inspired a host of similar ceramic slow cookers now generically known as crockpots), tells callers in an automated message that it uses no lead additive in its glazes. That doesn't mean all ceramics are safe for use.

References

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