This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Whether you want to keep the kitchen cool or need an easy meal for a busy night, these crockpot dinner ideas are for you!

A collage of crock pot dinner ideas.

Making Dinner a Breeze!

Ditch the takeout and embrace the versatility of your slow cooker! Beyond a classic bowl of soups and stews, this kitchen workhorse tackles a variety of dishes. These easy main dishes can be prepped in the morning for a grab-and-go style dinner that night! Discover the endless possibilities of these crockpot dinner ideas – a lifesaver for busy weeknights!

  • For crock pot tips & tricks, scroll to the bottom of this post!

Best Crockpot Dinner RECIPES

From slow cooker pot roast, slow-cooker chicken tortilla soup, or stroganoff over noodles, these easy crockpot recipes include some of our favorite comfort foods. Create the tastes of home with these crockpot dinner ideas!

1 Crock Pot Pot Roast

Main Course Crock Pot Pot Roast
Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 120 votes
Get the recipe

2 Crockpot Spaghetti

Main Course Crockpot Spaghetti
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 8 votes
Get the recipe

3 Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 42 votes
Get the recipe

4 Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Main Course Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 21 votes
Get the recipe

5 Pulled Pork Recipe

Main Course Pulled Pork Recipe
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 46 votes
Get the recipe

6 Chicken Tortilla Soup

Main Course, Soup Chicken Tortilla Soup
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 383 votes
Get the recipe

7 Crock Pot Brisket Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Brisket Recipe
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 304 votes
Get the recipe

8 Kalua Pork Recipe

Main Course Kalua Pork Recipe
Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 81 votes
Get the recipe

9 Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

4.87 from 45 votes
Get the recipe

10 Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe

Main Course Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
5 from 110 votes
Get the recipe

More Crock Pot Ideas

Skip the oven and whip up slow-cooker chicken or loads of other favorites with even more crock pot go-tos!

11 Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

Main Course Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
Total Time: 3 hours 6 minutes
4.88 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

12 Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken Recipe

Main Course Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
5 from 4 votes
Get the recipe

13 Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe

Main Course Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes

Recipe Video

4.25 from 12 votes
Get the recipe

14 Crock Pot Turkey Chili Recipe

Soup Crock Pot Turkey Chili Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
5 from 10 votes
Get the recipe

15 Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Main Course Crockpot Ranch Chicken
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
4.75 from 8 votes
Get the recipe

16 Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Main Course Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
5 from 25 votes
Get the recipe

17 Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

18 Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Recipe

Main Course Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Recipe
Total Time: 7 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 13 votes
Get the recipe

19 Crack Chicken Recipe

Main Course Crack Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
4.80 from 10 votes
Get the recipe

20 Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Recipe

Main Course Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 42 votes
Get the recipe

21 Asian Meatballs

Appetizer Asian Meatballs
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
5 from 24 votes
Get the recipe

22 Crock Pot Lo Mein Recipe

Main Course, Side Dish Crock Pot Lo Mein Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours
5 from 14 votes
Get the recipe

23 Crock Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Mongolian Beef Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
5 from 14 votes
Get the recipe

24 Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Main Course Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 323 votes
Get the recipe

25 French Dip Sandwich Recipe

French Dip Sandwiches
Main Course French Dip Sandwich Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
4.94 from 15 votes
Get the recipe

26 Carnitas Recipe

Main Course Carnitas Recipe
Total Time: 9 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 8 votes
Get the recipe

27 Best Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Main Course Best Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
5 from 12 votes
Get the recipe

28 Crockpot Ham Recipe

Main Course Crockpot Ham Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 41 votes
Get the recipe

29 Crock Pot Ribs Recipe

Main Course Crock Pot Ribs Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
5 from 19 votes
Get the recipe

30 Crock Pot Pork Roast

Main Course Crock Pot Pork Roast
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 17 votes
Get the recipe

31 Sweet Pork Barbacoa Recipe

Main Course Sweet Pork Barbacoa Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 25 votes
Get the recipe

32 Hot Dogs in Crock Pot

Main Course Hot Dogs in Crock Pot
Total Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
5 from 40 votes
Get the recipe

33 Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Main Course Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 283 votes
Get the recipe

34 Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

Main Course Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 55 minutes

Recipe Video

4.94 from 15 votes
Get the recipe

35 Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

Soup Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 41 votes
Get the recipe

36 Chicken Florentine Soup Recipe

Soup Chicken Florentine Soup Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
5 from 9 votes
Get the recipe

37 Chicken Taco Soup

Soup Chicken Taco Soup
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 42 votes
Get the recipe

38 Crock Pot Hamburger Soup

Soup Crock Pot Hamburger Soup
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
5 from 7 votes
Get the recipe

39 Crockpot Tortellini Soup

Main Course, Soup Crockpot Tortellini Soup
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 217 votes
Get the recipe

40 CrockPot Chicken Stew Recipe

Soup CrockPot Chicken Stew Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 38 votes
Get the recipe

41 CrockPot Taco Soup Recipe

Soup CrockPot Taco Soup Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
5 from 14 votes
Get the recipe

42 Cheesy Potato Soup

Soup Cheesy Potato Soup
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 72 votes
Get the recipe

43 Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

Soup Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
5 from 4 votes
Get the recipe

44 Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe

Main Course, Soup Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 158 votes
Get the recipe

45 Green Chili Chicken Soup Recipe

Main Course, Soup Green Chili Chicken Soup Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 57 votes
Get the recipe

46 Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Main Course, Soup Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
4.99 from 54 votes
Get the recipe

47 Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

Soup Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 98 votes
Get the recipe

48 Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Main Course, Side Dish, Soup Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
5 from 2 votes
Get the recipe

FAQS

  • Pull out spices and canned food so you’re not digging for them in the morning. 
  • Chop any veggies and keep them in a separate container in the fridge. 
  • Brown ground beef in a skillet before adding to a crock pot, and store in the fridge until assembling the recipe.
  • Aromatics like onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and ginger are commonly used and should be activated before use. They are typically sautéed in a pan to get their flavor going, then added to the crock pot.
  • Do NOT add frozen meat to the slow cooker. Be sure to place frozen meats in the fridge to thaw.
  • Trim off extra fat from the cuts. 
  • Cheaper cuts do better in the crock pot than more expensive cuts. 
  • For the most even cook, be sure the amount of food will fill your pot ½ way to ⅔ full. Most recipes are adapted for a 5-6 qt pot.
  • For easy clean up use a crock pot liner. 
  • Despite the appeal of a “forget and go” meal, you do have to remember not to allow the recipe to overcook. 
  • Except for ground beef, you can skip the browning of red meats. Browning can help give an extra layer of texture and flavor, but the dish can be made without it. 
  • The appeal of the crockpot is to set it and forget about it, usually for several hours. This is where the LOW setting comes in handy. The LOW setting is about 200°F and the HIGH setting is about 300°F.
  • I have also found that the LOW setting generally cooks the food better than the HIGH setting. Most recipes will list both settings as an option with the LOW setting taking about twice as long as the HIGH setting. 
  • Set and go. Unless otherwise directed in the recipe leave the crockpot alone. Removing the lid may allow the needed liquid to evaporate. It also lets heat escape and can take up to 20 minutes to return to the set temperature.
  • Exception. If a recipe calls for adding any dairy, tender vegetables, fresh herbs, cooked rice, or pasta, then you will be instructed to remove the lid and add it during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time. 
  • Though they look the same and are used to cook foods for an extended period of time there is a key difference between the two: A crockpot has a ceramic pot insert that is heated from all sides, whereas slow cookers have a metal pot that is heated on the bottom.
  • Most people, including the recipes on this site, use the term slow cooker even though they are talking about a ceramic crockpot.
  • To adapt a soup recipe for the crockpot, reduce the amount of liquid by ¼-⅓ because there is little to no evaporation that happens. 
  • Most recipes will have you cook rice and pasta separately and add them during the last few minutes of the cooking time. This will help these two types of ingredients from becoming mushy during long cooking times. However, if the recipe instructs you to add uncooked rice or pasta at the beginning, it is specifically designed to cook the ingredients. 
  • Larger root vegetables such as beets, potatoes, onions, turnips, sweet potatoes, and carrots can cook for several hours. Be sure to cut them about the same size.
  • Don’t add tender vegetables like baby spinach, peas, mushrooms, corn, or artichoke hearts until the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
  • Fresh herbs add a lot of bright flavor to a soup. Remember that 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. Also, don’t add the fresh herbs until the last 30 minutes of the crock pot cooking time.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

Get my cookbook!

My new cookbook is the ultimate resource for feeding your friends and family with 200+ simple recipes including videos, tips & more!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *