There’s something magical about a slow cooker: you throw in your ingredients, walk away, and come back to a fully cooked meal. Whether you’re juggling work, kids, or just trying to avoid the dinner-time scramble, these slow cooker recipes are here to save the day. Each one is easy to prep, full of flavor, and ideal for busy weeknights – or lazy weekends when you still want something delicious.

5 Go-To Slow Cooker Recipes
I would describe each of these recipes as “comfort food.”
And here’s a great slow cooker to make them in:
Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup by Gimme Some Oven
This soup is easy, comforting, and so flavorful.

Pasta
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti by The Kitchn
This one is basically magic. And once you make it one time, it counts as a ‘no-recipe recipe.’ It’s just 4 ingredients – pasta, sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella.
Tacos
Slow Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos by NYT Cooking
Of each of the recipes, this is the one you would never guess was made in a slow cooker. You slow cook the filling and then serve it on tortillas with a few toppings. It’s delicious. A go-to Taco Tuesday option.

Indian
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken from Allrecipes
Butter chicken is my favorite Indian dish. We like to have it with naan on the first day and rice on the second.
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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala from Allrecipes
Tikka Masala is my husband’s favorite Indian dish. As above, we like to have it with naan on the first day and rice on the second.
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Final Thoughts
Slow cooker meals don’t have to be boring. With just a few ingredients and a quick morning prep, you can enjoy hearty, homemade meals with minimal effort. Try one of these recipes the next time you need dinner to cook itself, and don’t forget to bookmark this list for your weekly meal planning!
For more of my recipe suggestions, see my list of recipe organization categories.