77 Easy Recipes to Throw Together in the Slow Cooker

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Need some super easy meal inspiration? Dive into this collection of 77 ‘toss and go’ slow cooker recipes, perfect for busy lifestyles and families.

Need some super easy meal inspiration? Dive into this collection of 77 'toss and go' slow cooker recipes, perfect for busy lifestyles and families.

77 Quick Throw-Together Slow Cooker Meals

Not long ago, on our Facebook page, I asked you, Little House Living readers, what your favorite “throw-it-all-together” slow cooker meals were. I was amazed at the response. You all have so many great ideas!

I thought that we needed a way to keep these great recipes together, so today, I’m putting them in this blog post for you to bookmark, pin, and keep until you need some quick recipe inspiration.

*Note, for a recipe calling for Cream of Chicken soup you can easily substitute 1 cup cream + 1 cup chicken stock + 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer that mixture together for a few minutes on the stove until it thickens. Or just use my Cream of Soup Mix!

Herbed chicken on a white plate.

Throw Together Chicken Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Italian Chicken – 1 stick of butter, 3-5 chicken breasts, 1 packet Good Seasonings Dry Italian dressing seasoning packet, juice of 1 lemon, dash of pepper, minced garlic. Cook on high 3-5 hours, then low 1-2 or low for 6-8. – Kim T

Savory Chicken – Whole chicken with whatever spices you like. Chopped veggies and beer … It’s to die for. Or wine is also a good choice. – Nancy W.

Goop – 4-6 chicken breast, 1 pint of sour cream, 1 pkg of onion soup mix, 1 can of cream of what ever you like (I usually do cream of mush or cream chicken), mix the last 3 ingredients all together in the crock pot, add chicken and make sure all the chicken is covered with the goop. cook on low (the longer the better), serve over toast, noodles or rice. – Leslie H.

Chicken Tortilla Soup– 1 lb frozen chicken breasts, 1 qt chicken broth, 1 can black beans, 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, 2 c frozen corn, 1 T minced garlic, 1 large chopped onion, 1 c salsa, 4 oz can green chilis, 1 1/2 t cumin, 1 t salt. Cook on low for 8 hours, shred chicken and stir back in. Serve with crushed tortilla chips. – Lana D. 

Salsa Chicken – Chicken breasts and salsa. Cook on high about 6 hours and drain off the liquid. Shred and add sour cream to desired creaminess. Eat on tortillas. – Nance M.

Creamy Chicken Tacos – Two boneless chicken breasts, 8 oz. of cream cheese, 1 can of corn – drained, 1 can of black beans – drained, 1 can of rotel tomatoes w/green Chili peppers. Place chicken on the bottom, add salt and pepper, then corn and beans. Top with cream cheese and pour rotel on top. Cook until chicken is agreeable. Shred Chicken and mix contents of crockpot well. Serve in flour tortilla shells with your favorite taco rollings (sour cream, avocado, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes). – Diane M.

Chicken Tacos – Chicken breasts, salsa and taco seasoning  – Amanda W.

Chicken & Biscuits – Whole chicken w/spices: rosemary, thyme, dill and salt, and pepper. Use broth and leftover chicken to make homemade chicken soup. Don’t forget the biscuits. – Phyliss P.

Buffalo Chicken –  Put Chicken breasts in crockpot, cover with buffalo sauce, add in dry ranch salad dressing mix (I make my own), stir. Leave on low for 8 hours or high for 4 or so. Shred chicken when done. Viola! Tastes delish over potatoes, salads or anything else you might fancy! – Meaghan B.

Chicken Broth Bones, extra veggies (I throw veggie pieces in the freezer as I cut veggies and save for when I make broth.), salt, pepper and water. Cook 8-12 or more hours. Strain. Then use for soup or whatever you desire. Sometimes I strain it and throw the broth right back in the crockpot, add fresh veggies and meat and cook 6-10 hours on low. – Tina M.

Alfredo Chicken – Chicken breast and jarred Alfredo sauce. Cook all day and serve over noodles or my favorite, tortellini. – Kathy B.

BBQ Chicken & Corn – Steak or chicken in the bottom, cover with 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ or steak sauce, top with foil-wrapped baking potatoes, then top with foil-wrapped corn on the cob. Complete dinner in a crockpot. – Amy T.

Curried Chicken – chicken breasts (about 6) with a couple of cans of coconut milk, yellow curry and fresh garlic. Cook on low all day until chicken shreds. Serve w/ rice, top w/cilantro, green onion, and peanut sauce. – Rachel G.

Rosemary Chicken – Chicken breasts with rosemary. Then cook rice and make a salad 🙂 Not all crockpot but still pretty amazing! – Sherry H.

Green Beans & Chicken – Layered: Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs, 1 c Italian Dressing, a bit of salt and pepper, 4 potatoes peeled and quartered, 2 cans drained green beans added an hour before eating. Cook 6 hours on low. – Jayne T.

Shredded Chicken – One onion, peeled and quartered, one whole chicken, equivalent chicken pieces, or boneless, skinless chicken (either will work), one jar of salsa verde. Cook on high for four hours or low for six. Shred. Toss out bones & skin. Use for tacos or enchiladas, or my favorite way – just serving with rice and a dollop of sour cream for a wheat-free dinner. – Toni I.

Herbed Chicken Legs – I throw a bunch of chicken legs in with a can of crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and herbs. After it is cooked, it gets eaten with mash. – Christine P.

Tip: Chicken legs are a family favorite and very frugal, try these Crockpot Drumsticks with Fresh Tomato BBQ Sauce too!

 Orange Chicken – Chicken thighs, a jar of orange or peach marmalade, and a bottle of Catalina or Russian dressing. – Susan H.

Pulled Meat – Any kind of meat (chicken, beef, or pork) with a can of green chilis and a packet of taco seasoning. Cook it low and slow; great as shredded or pulled meat for tacos, enchiladas, over rice, or on buns. – Susan H.

Ranch Chicken – One family-sized can of cream of chicken, half of that can fill with water, 1/2 pack of dry ranch dressing mix, four chicken breasts. Put all in the pot on low for 6-8 hrs. Serve over egg noodles. – Kristina R.

Tip: Make your own powdered Ranch Dressing Mix Recipe to keep on hand.

Garlic Chicken – Chicken rubbed with garlic. Cut onions and potatoes covered with cranberry sauce then slow cook till done. – Stephanie B.

Toss-Together Crockpot Chicken Recipes from Bloggers:

Roast Beef on a white plate with carrots on the side.

Throw Together Beef Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Easy Roast – 1 chuck roast, a pound of baby carrots, eight or so potatoes, two cans golden mushroom soup mixed with one can milk. Cook on low for eight hours. – Becca H.

Beef and Noodles –  2 lb chuck roast and 2 packages of brown gravy mix. Cover roast with water, sprinkle gravy in. Cook 8 hrs. Shred beef, add back into crockpot juices, make your choice of egg noodles and stir into mixture. – Shawn H.

Old fashioned Yankee Pot Roast – beef roast, a little water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic cloves, salt & pepper. – Jennifer N.

Cranberry Roast – 3-4 lb. beef roast, 1 can cranberry sauce, 1 envelope of onion soup mix. Mix cranberry sauce and onion soup mix together, pour over roast. Cook on low setting 6-8 hrs. – Natalie M.

Meatloaf – I love crockpot meatloaf and making it is easy. Instead of cooking in the oven, just form the loaf in the crockpot. Cook on low. – Misty L.

Tip: This Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe is one of my favorites!

Chuck Roast – Brown the Chuck roast, toss in the crockpot with a can of tomato sauce, add some chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add a few dashes of hot sauce. When done, shred and use in burritos or tacos – Shelly T.

Beef Mostaccioli – I throw in 1 lb. of pre-cooked ground beef, 2 c. penne noodles, frozen chopped onion/bell pepper (about 1/4 c), 1/4 c. sliced black olives, 1/4 c. finely diced zucchini and 1 lg. jar mushroom Prego sauce. Stir well. Cook on low 3-4 hours. – Maggie W.

Roast & Veggies – Chuck roast with 1 carrot (cut up), 1 rib celery (cut up), onions, garlic, red wine, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and vegetable stock. Put all together, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. So easy. We had this tonight with oven-roasted potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and fresh mushrooms, all seasoned with 1 package of Italian seasoning mix and olive oil. – Julie H.

Thai Meatballs – 2 regular sized or 1 large-sized package of frozen Italian meatballs, 1 jar apple jelly, 1 jar Thai sweet/spicy dipping sauce. Cook on low until bubbly. You can also use your own homemade meatballs but cook them first. – Karen E.

French Dip Sandwiches – Put your roast, onion, spices, some dark beer or wine and beef broth in the crockpot. Serve on toasted rolls with a side of au jus. – Amanda M.

Tip: Learn how to use this Leftover Pot Roast to make a few different meals!

Athens Stew – Roast, beef broth (or stock) enough to cover the meat, salt, and pepper to taste, minced garlic to taste. Cook on low for 8 hrs. When finished, shred the meat and return to pot to heat through. You can serve this stew over steamed rice or sliced boiled potatoes. Some people like sweet potatoes with it. Easy, feeds a lot of people, and you can always can the stew meat and juice. – Leigh Ann M.

Toss-Together Crockpot Beef Recipes from Bloggers:

Pork and Beans in the Slow Cooker

Throw Together Pork Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Sweet Pork Chops – browned pork chops, chopped apple, maple syrup, cinnamon, onion, salt. – Jennifer G.

Ranch Pork – 3-4 pork chops, top with 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup and 1 pack of ranch (powdered) seasoning. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours. – Gracie B.

Pork and Beans – 1 cup each of dried garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, and navy beans on the bottom of crockpot. Cover with 3 big pieces of boneless pork, add garlic, parsley, celery seeds, salt, pepper (to taste) & a big pinch of cumin. Cover with water and cook all day. Whip up a batch of cornbread mix and TaDa! – Debbie B.

Kahlua Pork – Pork roast, sea salt, liquid smoke. 8 hours. – Sherri B.

Pulled Pork – Pork butt and root beer. Cook, Drain, add BBQ sauce and Shred for pulled pork sandwiches. – Kerry H.

Tip: We always have Homemade BBQ Sauce on hand or in the freezer.

Easy Pork Chops – Pork chops, sliced potatoes, chopped carrots, cream of mushroom soup. Cook all day. – Deanna M.

Pork Tacos – Rub a pork shoulder roast with two packages (or equivalent) of homemade taco seasoning. Cook on low for 12 hours. Shred and remove fat. Mix back into the juices and serve over rice. The next day, reheat for pork tacos. This is a super-easy way to feed a crowd. Add hot cornbread, fried cabbage, and sliced tomatoes from the garden. – Lana D.

Cherry Pork – Pork roast plus one can of cherry pie filling. You could add some mustard and spices to make it a bit less sweet. – Sara C.

Pineapple Pork Roast – Boneless pork roast, crushed pineapple, a bottle of teriyaki sauce. Serve with rice. – Lisa D.

Apples & Pork – Pork loin, apples, onions, and a little rosemary. – Amy C.

Tip: Save those apple peels! Uses for Apple Peels

Pork & Noodles – Boneless pork chops with spaghetti sauce poured over them. Serve over GF noodles. – Robin M.

Pork & Green Beans – brown 1lb. of cubed pork, toss in the cooker with green beans, onions (sauté), a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over 2/3 cup of rice when ready to serve. A good stew – Celia B.

Toss-Together Crockpot Pork Recipes from Bloggers:

Most of the throw-it-all in the slow cooker recipes listed here have just 5 ingredients (or even less!). That makes them super easy to toss in the crockpot in the morning when you are in a rush.

Meal Planning Made Simple

Which one of these easy throw together dinner recipes will you try first? Make sure to share your favorite toss-together recipes in the comments!

Me and Kady

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

These 77 Easy Recipes to Throw Together in the Slow Cooker were originally published on Little House Living in January 2015. They have been updated as of January 2024.

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43 Comments

  1. About the baked potatoes–No need to wrap in foil. The crockpot alone steams them well. Besides, even Reynold’s Wrap is now coated with plastic (which is why it won’t fold up well anymore.) I don’t want melted plastic, no matter how miniscule it is, on my food.

  2. Wow – some great recipes here! Chilly weather is here, and I am always looking for new crockpot ideas that are easy, filling, and tasty!

  3. Thanks for some amazing recipe ideas! I am always on the lookout for crockpot ideas for those really busy days. This is a great assortment to refer to alot..and repeatedly!

  4. Some great recipes here, and perfect timing as the weather is turning cooler. I found this over at Be.YOU.tiful Link Party! I am pinning these to my slow cooker Pinterest board!

  5. What a great tip! Hello, my name is Misty, from The LadyPrefers2Save, and I’m one of the new co-hosts for the Merry Monday Linky Party! I wanted to write and thank you for linking up to this weeks Merry Monday party, as well as to let you know that your post will be linked to the Merry Monday Pinterest board, as well my social media accounts. I would love to have you also stop by my blog as well! Thanks for linking up at the Merry Monday’s Linky Party this week, and I hope to see you linking up next week as well. Have an awesome week!

  6. Such amazing response! Love that question and all these answers! You’ve inspired me to break out my crock pot again, dust it off, and get slow cookin’!

  7. This is an amazing collection of quick healthy meals. Pinned to a round up board. Thanks for bringing this by Weekend Bites.

  8. I featured this post as my favorite from last week at the Pintastic Pinteresting Party! I love my slow cooker, thank you so much for sharing!

  9. Thank you for the recipe of a Cream of Chicken soup substitute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My children have different allergies and there are a lot of yummy recipes that have it… Also, great recipes… Greetings from Puerto Rico!

  10. I love how easy all these are! Thank you so much! I hate figuring out what to make for supper! And here’s two months worth of meals!

  11. Which recipe is the chicken picture at the top? It looks exactly like what I was wanting this past weekend with the flu!

      1. Hi –

        I looked for the recipe for the plain chicken soup, but didn’t see it anywhere on the other page. Any chance you moved it?? I’d really LOVE the recipe!

        Thanks,

        Helen

  12. Slow cookers are a new thing in my kitchen! I’m always at a loss as to what i can use them for! Thanks for posting all these great ideas!

  13. I Love these recipes! I think this is the first time other than some paleo/whole30 sites where I’ve found slow cooker recipes without canned soups! These are fantastic! I’ve never been much of a crockpot cook, but I’m always looking to learn more. We live on a 30 acre farm in Montana, we homeschool, have milk cows, hogs, chickens, etc. I preserve over half of what our family eats & I teach canning/preserving to my local community and I really appreciate how accurate & safe the canning recipes are on this website! Thanks to everyone for great ideas 🙂

  14. I love these easy slow cooker recipes! Thank you for sharing this post with the Pintastic Pinteresting Party last week, I chose this as one of my favorites and featured it this week. Thank you again!

  15. Oh, these look good. I have to admit, though, I’ll probably end up adapting these to the wood cook stove we’ll be getting soon. I’m thinking that the long, slow cook of the cook stove will be perfect for crock pot recipes.

  16. This is just the neatest recipe round-up! I absolutely love that you focused on your readers’ favorite recipes – I don’t know that I’ve ever seen something quite like this, and it’s just so wonderful! We’re really honored that you included our Crock-Pot Chicken Corn Chowder, and I’m definitely pinning this fabulous post to share with my followers, too! Love it! 😀

  17. Oh wow! This is quite a list! Thanks for linking up and sharing with Merry Monday this week.

  18. What an impressive and handy list! I’m always looking for new recipes to add to my “quick list!” Thanks for linking up with Delicious Dishes Recipe Party!

  19. Oh this is so getting Pinned and shared! It’s already super hot here in Georgia and my crockpot is going to be used A LOT!! I want to try the salsa sausage first!

  20. Best list I have ever seen of simple, slow cooker meals. I know it was so time consuming to gift us with this information. Thank you.

  21. Yum! I love cooking in my crockpot so I’ll have to try a few of these that are new to me. Thanks for compiling them, Merissa.

  22. Hi Merissa. Do you have any recipes for vegetarian/vegans? I usually steam, stir fry, roast veggies. Would like to see some veggie meats or processed foods on the market. I make my own veggie cheeses and sauces and that helps fill in.

    Thanks

  23. I meant to say I don’t use veggie processed meats or foods but would like to make more recipes using veggies, nuts and grains for meatballs, meatloaves, and other
    substitutes for meat.

  24. I love how you did this post… It makes it so easy to read, just going thru the list with all the simple directions & ingredients listed. So many times I see a recipe list with only the names of each recipe, but I don’t click on each one because I just don’t have the time. Plus, with the way you did this post, I was able to look thru and see quickly how other women are doing things and even make mental notes of things I want to try or try differently next time I cook. Because of this, I will definitley be bookmarking and coming back to this page often! Thanks!

  25. Wow, this is great, Merissa! I have a lot of years of cooking, yet still got a lot of good new ideas. And I agree that your design and presentation are very user-friendly. Thank you!

  26. This list is wonderful! How nice to have everything on one page and I don’t have to click on a million links to check out each recipe 🙂
    I also liked how you separated by protein choice.
    I plan to print this out and put it on the inside of a cabinet door for last minute throw-together meals in the morning.
    Thank you!