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!

Titled Photo Collage (and shown): healthy slow cooker recipes

For busy weeknights, the slow cooker is a lifesaver. 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!

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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)

overhead view of a full white bowl of keto chili with avocado slices on top

Christmas Morning Slow Cooker Omelet

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers (Pictured Below)

overhead view of a slow cooker pot containing Italian Sausage and bell pepper

Healthier Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken and Sweet Potato (Pictured Below)

overhead view of a slow cooker pot containing sweet potato and chicken

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chili

Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Beet Chili

Homemade Meat Sauce Recipe (Pictured Below)

close up of ladder containing meat sauce

Turnip and Carrot Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe (Pictured Below)

overhead view of two bowls containing slow cooker chicken chili

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Healthy Slow Cooker Red Wine Beef Stew (Pictured Below)

overhead view of a bowl containing beef stew

From Around the Web

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

close up of a bowl containing enchilada quinoa

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)

Slow Cooker beef daube Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Corn & Red Pepper Chowder from Oh My Veggies

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

Slow Cooker Indian Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes Primavera Kitchen Recipe

4-ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken from Running to the Kitchen

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

Slow Cooker Hoisin Chicken from Cookin’ Canuck

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

Slow Cooker healthy spaghetti meatballs Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Soup from Chelsea’s Messy Apron (Pictured Below)

slow cooker quinoa white bean and kale soup Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Skinny Parmesan Spinach Dip from The Cookie Rookie

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Soup from This Gal Cooks (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Tex Mex Soup Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna from Hip2Save

Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas from Diethood

Slow Cooker Sesame Garlic Chicken from Cooking Ala Mel (Pictured Below)

slow cooker sesame garlic chicken Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Quinoa and Vegetables Recipe from Moms with Crockpots

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs from Damn Delicious (Pictured Below)

slow cooker buffalo chicken meatball Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken from Gimme Some Oven

Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew Encore from TasteFood Blog

Slow Cooker Barbacoa from Gimme Some Oven (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup from Eat Good 4 Life

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

slow cooker Moroccan chicken Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Caprese from Well Plated

Slow Cooker Jamaican Jerk Chicken from Garden in the Kitchen.

overhead view of a slow cooker pot containing jerk chicken

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Pulled Pork Tacos from Well Plated (Pictured Below)

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Pulled Pork Tacos Primavera Kitchen Recipe

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)

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup Primavera Kitchen Recipe

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)

slow cooker enchilada quinoa Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Light Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and Rice Bowls from Julie’s Eats and Treats

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce from Damn Delicious (Pictured Below)

slow cooker spaghetti sauce Primavera Kitchen Recipe

Thanks a lot for reading. Want to browse all of my healthy recipe posts? Follow my Primavera 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!

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