55 Slow-Cooker Recipes We Turn To Every Fall (2024)

Set it and forget your way to Cozytown.

By Mackenzie Filson
55 Slow-Cooker Recipes We Turn To Every Fall (1)

When fall rolls around, our stoves and ovens are positively packed with our favorite fall cookies, holiday sides, and maybe even a cheeky little warm co*cktail too. Which is why we love to free up some space by breaking out our slow cookers to help us out all season long. So do yourself (and your oven) a huge favor during sweater weather season (amongst all your apple picking and pumpkin carving) by making some of these top fall comfort foods in your slow cooker instead. Best of all, if you're like us (and doing tons of fall baking), these recipes will also save you lots of time with dinner ideas you can truly set and forget so you can focus on what's most important (dessert). These 55 slow cooker recipes make all your fall cooking soooo easy—and will leave your kitchen smelling wonderful to boot!

When the temperatures dip, we're always looking for new ways to stay warm. And what better way to do that than with a steaming mug of slow-cooker mulled wine? (Well, our Crockpot red wine hot chocolate is pretty bomb.) Fall is also prime soup-making time. We're never mad about having leftovers of Crockpot butternut squash soup, Crockpot chicken enchilada soup, and slow-cooker split pea soup. Serve any of our slow-cooker soups with plenty of crusty French bread, and dinner practically makes itself!

Have too many apples from your most recent apple-picking trip? Bust out your slow-cooker for our Crockpot apple butter and Crockpot applesauce, or make these Crockpot baked apples for an impressive holiday dessert.

If you're hoping to take some of the stress out of Thanksgiving dinner, your slow-cooker is about to be your best sous chef in the kitchen. We have tons of Thanksgiving slow-cooker recipes that will help make your Turkey Day a total breeze (and make room in your oven for all those Thanksgiving pies). Try our recipes for Crockpot sweet potato casserole, Crockpot garlicky mashed potatoes, slow-cooker stuffing, and even Crockpot turkey breast to save tons of time (that you can use for that post-dinner nap).

1

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi

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Everything about Tuscany speaks to us: the landscape, the history, the art, and, of course, the food! The central Italian region has inspired many of our favorite hearty recipes, like creamy Tuscan chicken, saucy Tuscan butter shrimp, and Tuscan chicken pasta. This time, we’re doubling down on the comfort by giving meatballs and gnocchi the Tuscan treatment, in one dish. What makes this even better? It all comes together in the slow cooker.

Get the Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi recipe.

2

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

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When it comes to comfort food, there’s nothing better than a pot of warm, fragrant pot roast and potatoes. Some people might be intimidated at the thought of cooking such a large piece of meat, but in reality, pot roast is one of the easiest things you can make—and this recipe takes that simplicity to the next level by bringing in the slow cooker.

Get the Slow Cooker Pot Roast recipe.

3

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Looking for a low effort, stick-to-your-ribs dinner? You've come to the right place. This Tex-Mex inspired soup is hearty, delicious, and endlessly riffable. And if you love all things spicy, add some cayenne (a pinch at a time), hot sauce, or canned chiles to your soup to kick the heat up a notch.

Get the Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe.

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4

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Fact: A game day party or movie night-in is only as good as the Buffalo dip you serve. The best part? Your slow cooker will keep it warm and ready for dipping! Go all out and make a batch of homemade soft pretzels to serve with it.

Get the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.

5

Slow-Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken

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This slow-cooker creamy lemon herb chicken spends all day bubbling along and results in everything you want in a meal: delicious, comforting, and easy. By cooking low and slow, the humble chicken breast is transformed into something that melts in your mouth. Lemon, herbs, and garlic infuse the chicken with loads of flavor with some cream at the end to round out the sauce.

Get the Slow-Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken recipe.

6

Slow Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

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This vegan butternut squash soup is made in a slow cooker, so after you chop up all your vegetables, it’s essentially hands-off. A quick blitz with an immersion blender at the end, and you’ve got a silky, drinkable butternut squash soup.

Get the Slow Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup recipe.

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7

Crockpot Pepper Steak

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Pepper steak is a straightforward, savory sweet stir-fry that we think works amazingly when made in a slow cooker. The steak gets very tender, and it takes on some of the qualities of your favorite beef stew while still staying true to the original.

Get the Crockpot Pepper Steak recipe.

8

Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken & Potato Soup

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The slow cooker makes the chicken completely fall apart while making the potatoes creamy and tender. Use your favorite curry powder to spice up the dish and make it even more comforting. If you aren’t a fan of kale, you can always use spinach or Swiss chard instead!

Get the .

9

Crockpot Cube Steak

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Looking for a hearty slow-cooker recipe that you can set and forget until dinnertime? Look no further. This easy smothered cube steak is perfect for hungry crowds, best served with mashed potatoes and a light veggie side like spinach salad.

Get the Crockpot Cube Steak recipe.

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10

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash

News flash! You don't have to turn on your oven to make perfectly cooked spaghetti squash. Once you've cooked up your squash, why not put it to good use? Our four-cheese spaghetti squash is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 😍

Get the Crockpot Spaghetti Squash recipe.

11

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

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Few things feel as special—and as satisfying—as a well cooked beef short rib. This version is fall-off-the-bone tender and insanely flavorful, thanks to a quick sear before slow cooking and a Korean-inspired sauce that would make anything taste good.

Get the Slow-Cooker Short Ribs recipe.

12

Slow-Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Soup

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When the temperature drops below 60°, all we want for dinner is soup. Make it a slow-cooker soup and it's even better. With extremely little effort, you'll end up with a soup that's so warm and comforting, you'll completely forget there's a blizzard outside.

Get the Slow-Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Soup recipe.

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13

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

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We love slow cookers because they do all of the work for us, meaning we can do literally anything else while the chicken cooks. Need dinner faster? Make our classic chicken cacciatore instead.

Get the Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe.

14

Easy Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

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This is the perfect "set it and forget it" slow-cooker recipe for a busy fall weeknight. Make it in the morning, and this sweet and savory squash-filled dinner will be practically ready for you by the time you get home.

Get the Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup recipe.

15

Crockpot Spaghetti

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Yes, it's true: This entire meal (including the pasta!) can be made in the Crockpot. Love this recipe? Check out our slow-cooker chicken Alfredo for your next pasta night.

Get the Crockpot Spaghetti recipe.

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16

Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder

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The spiced garlicky herb sauce is absolutely heavenly and will make this the best pork shoulder of your life. For serving, we'd recommend some herb roasted potatoes and a bright, leafy sautéed green like Swiss chard.

Get the Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder recipe.

17

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

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Is it even the holidays without this cozy side? This recipe makes green bean casserole even simpler; instead of using an oven, it can be mixed and cooked in your slow cooker. Save all that oven space for the holiday ham or turkey!

Get the Crockpot Green Bean Casserole recipe.

18

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

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This split pea soup is so simple, filling, and full of flavor. And while it's especially good for those cold winter times, this soup is so easy to throw together, it's great all year round.

Get the Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe.

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19

Crockpot Whole Chicken

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We know it sounds crazy, but you can replicate the deliciousness of a rotisserie chicken at home... in your slow cooker. To get that iconic crispy skin, add a brown sugar spice rub and do a quick broil after slow cooking to get that beautiful, caramelized finish.

Get the Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe.

20

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup

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Come home to the best bowl of soup with zero effort. If you love our cheesy chicken and broccoli bake, you'll fall in love with our soup version. With all the same flavors—and less-effort required—this easy soup is perfect for cold, lazy days.

Get the Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Soup recipe.

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Mackenzie Filson

Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.

55 Slow-Cooker Recipes We Turn To Every Fall (2024)

FAQs

Can you just throw everything into a slow cooker? ›

One of the main attractions for many people is the ease of a slow cooker, so when you're looking for recipes, avoid those that suggest a lot of pre-preparation. For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in.

How do you prepare a slow cooker the night before? ›

Make-ahead when possible: If your slow cooker has a removable insert, assemble the ingredients the night before and refrigerate the entire insert overnight. It's important to note that starting with cool ingredients may lengthen cooking time (but be sure to keep them out of the temperature danger zone).

What do the symbols on my crockpot mean? ›

I for Low, II for High and the last symbol (it may be in the form of "squiggly lines" that look like SS) is the Warm setting.

What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker? ›

What not to put in a slow cooker
  1. Lean, tender cuts of meat. Lean, tender (and usually more expensive cuts) will actually become dry and tough if you cook them in a slow cooker! ...
  2. Meat with skin left on. ...
  3. Too much liquid. ...
  4. Delicate vegetables. ...
  5. Fresh herbs and spices. ...
  6. Milk and cream. ...
  7. Alcohol. ...
  8. Seafood.

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

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

Why putting a tea towel over a slow cooker? ›

Try putting a tea towel over the top of the slow cooker before replacing the lid. This absorbs the excess moisture, thickening the dish and deepening its flavours. The cloth can be replaced with a fresh one when needed, but usually one tea towel during the final couple of hours will do the trick.

Why put paper towel under crockpot lid? ›

According to slow-cooking expert Sarah DeGregorio, author of Adventures in Slow Cooking, lining the lid with a paper towel soaks up the extra steam and prevents it from dripping back onto the face of the dish.

Why put foil under the lid of a slow cooker? ›

The heat bounces off from the lid and allows your food to cook faster. Also, you will not lose any of the steam that usually evaporates.

What is the best meat to slow cook? ›

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Can you leave the lid off a slow cooker to thicken? ›

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

Do you put hot or cold water in a slow cooker when cooking? ›

Preheat the cooker and add hot liquids, if possible. Preheating the crock before adding ingredients or cooking on the highest setting for the first hour will ensure a rapid heat start and will shorten the time foods are in the temperature danger zone.

Is it better to slow cook on low or high? ›

Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used. Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting.

What are the 3 settings on a crockpot slow cooker? ›

With a removable ceramic cooking pot for easy cleaning after use, the Slow Cooker has 3 heat settings; low, high and keep warm to suit your recipe.

Should I leave my slow cooker on low or high? ›

Keep the slow cooker on low heat: When you use the low setting, you ensure the slow cooker won't overheat, which may lead to bubbling or spillover of ingredients. Low heat keeps the food cooking at a steady rate.

Can you cook things in a slow cooker without liquid? ›

A slow cooker does not need any liquid added at the beginning of the cooking process, because it will generate steam, which will become liquid in the bowl. For recipes that use liquid, and have not been written specifically for a slow cooker it make sense to reduce the amount of liquid by half.

Does everything need to be covered in a slow cooker? ›

There is no need to cover the meat in liquid when cooking with a slow cooker, you only need enough liquid to cover the base of the slow cooker as the meat and vegetables will release liquid as they cook. Slow cooking beef is a simple and soothing winter option that never goes out of style.

What happens if you don't brown meat before a slow cooker? ›

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Should everything be submerged in a slow cooker? ›

Just reduce the amount of liquid by a third to half, and don't be fearful if once all of the ingredients are added, everything isn't submerged. Meat and vegetables give off liquid of their own during the cooking process and will contribute to the overall amount.

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