50 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

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!

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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.

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)

From Around the Web

Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron (Pictured down below)

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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)

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Slow Cooker Corn & Red Pepper Chowderfrom Oh My Veggies

Slow Cooker Indian-Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes from Oh My Veggies (Picture Below)

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4-ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Chickenfrom Running to the Kitchen

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

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Slow Cooker Hoisin ChickenfromCookin’ Canuck

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

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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)

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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)

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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from Eat Good 4 Life

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken from Eat Good 4 Life (Pictured Below)

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Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Capresefrom Well Plated

Slow Cooker Jamaican Jerk Chickenfrom Garden in the Kitchen.

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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)

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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

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

10 Foods You Should Never Make in a Slow Cooker

Raw Meat.
Seafood.
Pasta.
Rice.
Delicate Vegetables.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.
Dairy.
Wine and Other Liquor.

More items...

Jan 19, 2024

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Is cooking in the crockpot healthy? ›

Yes, if you use them correctly. The slow cooker cooks foods slowly at a low temperature, generally between 170 and 280 degrees F, over several hours. The combination of direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam, destroys bacteria making the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.

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How do you make slow cooker meals taste better? ›

If you take an extra 10 minutes to sauté the aromatics before scraping them into the slow-cooker, the finished dish will have deeper flavor and better texture. (And some new slow-cookers allow you to sauté right in the insert, so you don't have to wash a separate skillet.)

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What's the difference between slow cooker and crockpot? ›

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

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Which is better a crockpot or a slow cooker? ›

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

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What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Tender vegetables

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

Is it okay to put raw chicken in a slow cooker? ›

The short answer is, yes! Let me help break down the rules for cooking with raw chicken in the slow cooker. Since the crockpot is such a great, hands-off way of cooking, slow cooker recipes will help simplify your nights and when done properly, it is an easy way to get juicy, tender chicken every single time.

Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker? ›

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

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Can you put raw meat in a slow cooker? ›

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level. Slow cooking steak is a convenient way to cook steak over several hours, tenderizing it and adding exceptional flavor along the way.

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Can I put frozen chicken in the Crockpot? ›

"It is entirely safe to prepare frozen chicken in a slow cooker or Crock-Pot as long are you are familiar with the make and model of the device," Super told TODAY.

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Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

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Why fry onions before slow cooking? ›

It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

What can I put in my slow cooker to make meat more tender? ›

Reheat with a liquid: One way to add moisture back into the beef is to reheat it in a liquid such as broth or gravy. You can do this by placing the beef in a pot or slow cooker with the liquid and heating it until it's heated through and tender.