18 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes for Your Next Nutritious Meal
These slow cooker dishes are packed with nutrients.
CAITLIN BENSEL
Slow cooker meals are quick and easy to prepare, making them one of the most convenient ways to get dinner on the table on busy weeknights. They can also be quite healthy, filled with protein- and fiber-rich foods like chicken, legumes, and vegetables.
Dumping all of your ingredients in a pot in the morning and having a steaming hot dinner ready in the evening may sound too good to be true, but we’re here to tell you that the right recipes won’t leave you disappointed in the taste or texture. Here, we’ve gathered healthy slow cooker recipes that are satisfying, easy to whip up, and full of nutrients for your family.
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
If you’re trying to cut down on carbs from white rice and flour tortillas, taco soup is a healthy way to enjoy the flavors you know and love with more macro-friendly ingredients. This slow cooker recipe involves adding everything into the slow cooker and letting the flavors meld together until the chicken is tender. Once the meat is cooked through, take a fork to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Ladle the soup into a bowl, and add your preferred toppings to enjoy a protein-rich dinner that’s also lower in fat.
Slow Cooker Chicken Congee
Coconut milk is full of antioxidants. Mix it with veggies and protein like slow-cooked chicken, and you have a nutritious meal that's easy to make. When the slow cooker is done in about eight hours, all you have to do is shred the meat, discard of the skin and bones, and mix the meat back into the rest. Top it with some sliced scallions, cilantro, peanuts, sriracha, and more coconut.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Posole
Posole is a traditional Mexican soup, and if you’re fortunate enough to come across it, prepare to go back for seconds and thirds. Traditional recipes typically call for pork or chicken, but if you’re looking for a lighter way to enjoy the warming flavors, this meat-free recipe uses beans in lieu of meat. It’s also made in the slow cooker, so all you have to do is add your ingredients to the inner pot and leave it to do its thing. When the posole is ready, you can enjoy it as-is or add toppings like avocado, cilantro, and radish for more flavors, textures, and nutrients.
Slow Cooker Ragù With Spaghetti Squash
If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to spaghetti, try spaghetti squash. While there are many ways to cook the pasta-like insides of this gourd, using a slow cooker means you only need to do 15 minutes of hands-on work, while the appliance does the rest. Shower the finished dish with plenty of basil and freshly grated Parmesan, and you’re all set.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Pasta Soup
Get your protein and your carbs in a nice and light soup. This chicken and pasta soup hits the spot with boneless chicken thighs for some lean protein, carrots, celery, and onions for a dose of vegetables, and some small pasta (like alphabet pasta) to fill you up. Serve it with some saltines for added crunch, or just sip it.
Slow Cooker Soy Braised Chicken
Americans eat more chicken than beef since it’s a leaner protein with a lower fat content. Fortunately, there are a million ways to make and season chicken, so you shouldn’t worry about getting bored of it. Here, we braise chicken thighs in a sweet and sour sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper. Cook it on low for seven to eight hours, and serve over a bed of rice and bok choy for a balanced plate complete with protein, carbs, and veggies.
Big Batch Black Beans
Black beans are considered a "superfood" because they're high in fiber and packed with nutrients. There’s nothing wrong with canned or store-bought beans, but homemade beans are arguably tastier and undoubtedly more cost-effective. You only need a few ingredients to bring out the flavor in this slow cooker bean recipe—white onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt. One pound of dried beans will yield about six cups, so you can reheat the leftovers or freeze them for later. Use these beans as a topping for tacos and burritos, or serve ‘em alongside rice and your favorite protein for a hearty meal.
Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin
Dry pork tenderloin? Not today. The secret to juicy pork that pulls apart effortlessly is cooking it low and slow. This recipe requires about five hours of cook time, but the prep couldn’t be simpler. You’ll add some sweet and spicy seasonings for some depth of flavor, and let the slow cooker do all the hard work. Serve with rice and veggies for a healthy meal that comes together quickly, tastes incredible, and emits a mouth-watering aroma that wafts throughout your whole home.
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes
This chili recipe has it so many nutritious elements—legumes for protein, sweet potatoes for fiber, and aromatics for flavor. It’s a “dump and run” recipe, so if you’re looking for a quick and healthy dinner with no long cooking time, this is the one to try. You’ll need to chop up some sweet potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, so there is some prep, but finding pre-cut ingredients will shave off some time. Topping the finished chili with sour cream makes it a vegetarian dish, but you can omit it to make this meal vegan-friendly.
Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie
Hailing from Ireland, shepherd’s pie originates from the creative use of ingredients to reduce food waste during times when money was tight. So, take a page from the Irish and give this beef stew a try. You’ll need the basic healthy stuff, like beef for protein, as well as carrots, peas, and mashed potatoes for veggies, but it also calls for a surprising ingredient—one cup of beer, which adds a unique flavor to the gravy.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tostadas
This healthy slow cooker recipe is ready in about four hours. It involves making a tangy chicken filling for tostadas. Combine chicken, salsa, onion, poblano peppers, and salt in a slow cooker. While the chicken cooks, make a simple pico de gallo using tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onion, and salt. Add the chicken and pico de gallo to crispy corn tostadas and top with cheese and lime for a delicious, quick, and easy dinner.
Slow Cooker Pork With Peppers and Olives
Cuban ropa vieja meets pork (instead of the traditional beef) in this healthy slow-cooker recipe. Here, the meat is bathed in a tomato-y bell pepper and onion sauce. Once you add pimiento-stuffed olives and generous amounts of oregano, cumin, and garlic, you’ve got a deep, flavorful stew. Serve with black beans for the fiber content and brown or white rice to soak up every last bit of the delicious sauce.
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili With Sweet Potatoes
Toss some sweet vegetables and unique ingredients into the slow cooker for a healthy vegetarian chili that packs a protein punch—from bell peppers and sweet potatoes to unsweetened cocoa powder and ground cinnamon. This chili has both black beans and kidney beans for nutrients like magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium.
Slow Cooker Puttanesca With Roasted Broccolini
If you're in the mood for some pasta but don't want to skimp on your greens, consider roasting some broccolini to toss into your pasta with some simmered sauce. The ingredients for your puttanesca can all go right into the slow cooker, so you don't need to stand around stirring your sauce. While you'll need cook the broccoli in the oven and the pasta in a pot, your homemade sauce is taken care of for you.
Slow Cooker Curried Chicken With Ginger and Yogurt
If you're in the mood for a little comfort food—the kind with a kick—you can't go wrong with curried chicken with ginger and yogurt. There's nothing like a blend of curry powder, cumin, and fresh ginger to ignite your palette (and clear your sinuses). This healthy slow cooker meal takes just over eight hours in total, but you really only need 15 minutes to whip it up. When it's ready, just mix in some yogurt and sprinkle in some scallions.
Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Chili
This flavorful Mexican mole is full of nutrients with a mélange of ingredients like cinnamon, radish, and almonds. You may not necessarily think to blend these together, but they combine to create a chicken dish you could easily find yourself craving often. The best part: You only need to do 15 minutes of preparation yourself, and the slow cooker can serve up enough for several people.
Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs
Short ribs provide the protein, and the carrots and cabbage complete the meal with this healthy slow cooker recipe. You cook it, covered, on high for 5 to 6 hours (or on low for 7 to 8 hours) until the ribs are tender, and then you use the cooking liquid to stir up a sauce. While the meat is heavy, the cabbage and carrots are lighter vegetables to balance out the meal.
Slow Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili
This slow cooker recipe is rich in protein and full of fiber. With ground beef, tons of fresh vegetables, and a bunch of beans, you have a well-rounded meal you can toss in the slow cooker. The oregano, chopped garlic, and fresh cilantro give this chili a punch of flavor, while the avocado provides a healthy fat, and the black beans fill you up with fiber.
Related: 24 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes With Less Than 20 Minutes of Prep
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