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A slow cooker does its best work with the cheapest ingredients, which makes cheap crockpot recipes some of the best meals on a budget. Chicken thighs, chuck roast, dried beans and oats all get better with a long, slow cook, and the hands-on part is usually 10 minutes or less in the morning.
These five crockpot recipes cover dinner, a party appetizer and breakfast. Below them you’ll find tips for better flavor, the budget cuts that suit a slow cooker, and the food safety basics worth knowing.
Jump to a recipe
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
- Crockpot Creamy Tuscan Pasta
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs
- Crockpot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Slow Cooker Tips for Better Flavor
- Budget Cuts That Suit the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Food Safety
- Free Printable: Kitchen Cheat Sheet
- Cheap Crockpot Recipes: Your Questions
5 Cozy Slow Cooker Recipes
1. Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs cook low and slow in garlic butter until they pull apart with a fork. Thighs cost less than breasts and stay juicy over a long cook. Serve them over rice or mashed potatoes.
Time: 6 hours 10 minutes (10 minutes of prep) · Serves: 6
2. Crockpot Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a creamy sauce, with the pasta stirred in near the end so it doesn’t go soft. It’s a full dinner from one pot.
Time: 6 hours 10 minutes (10 minutes of prep) · Serves: 6
3. Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs
Frozen meatballs in a sticky honey garlic sauce. Set them on low before guests arrive, or spoon them over rice for a few days of lunches.
Time: 4 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes of prep) · Serves: 8
4. Crockpot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff
Beef and mushrooms simmer all day in a savory sauce, and sour cream goes in at the end. Serve it over egg noodles or rice.
Time: 8 hours 15 minutes (15 minutes of prep) · Serves: 6
5. Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Oats, apples and cinnamon cook overnight, so breakfast is hot when you wake up. One batch feeds six from pantry staples.
Time: 6 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes of prep) · Serves: 6
Slow Cooker Tips for Better Flavor
- Brown the meat when you can. Five minutes in a hot skillet adds a lot of flavor. On a rushed morning, skip it. The recipe will still work.
- Keep the lid on. Every peek lets heat out and adds to the cooking time.
- Fill it half to two-thirds full. Too little food can overcook, and too much may not heat evenly.
- Add dairy, pasta and greens at the end. Cream, sour cream, noodles and spinach only need the last 20 to 30 minutes.
- Taste before serving. A pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon at the end wakes up a dish that has cooked all day.
Budget Cuts That Suit the Slow Cooker
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks: they stay juicy over a long cook and usually cost less than breasts.
- Chuck roast and stew beef: tough cuts turn tender after hours on low.
- Pork shoulder: good for pulled pork, and one roast makes several meals.
- Dried beans: soak them first, and boil red kidney beans for 10 minutes before they go into the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Food Safety
- Thaw meat and poultry in the fridge before cooking. Frozen meat takes too long to come up to a safe temperature in a slow cooker.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow containers so they cool quickly.
- Reheat leftovers on the stove or in the microwave until steaming hot. A slow cooker heats too slowly for reheating, though it can keep hot food warm for serving.
More slow cooker dinners: Slow Cooker Chili, Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Bowls.
Free Printable: Kitchen Cheat Sheet
The food safety basics above, along with safe cooking temperatures and storage times, fit on one page you can tape inside a cabinet door.
Kitchen Cheat Sheet
One page: safe cooking temperatures, thawing methods and how long food keeps in the fridge and freezer. Free, with no sign-up needed.
See all of our free printables.
Cheap Crockpot Recipes: Your Questions
Can I put raw chicken in a slow cooker?
Yes, as long as it is thawed. It’s done when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Can I cook on high instead of low?
Usually. Most recipes take about half as long on high as on low. Tough cuts like chuck roast turn out more tender on low.
Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on while I’m out?
Slow cookers are made for long, unattended cooking on low. Set it on a clear, heat-safe counter away from the wall, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your model.
