20 Easy Weeknight Crockpot Meals

Are you looking for easy weeknight crockpot meals to try out?

Well you just landed on the right blog post.

As working continues to eat into much and much of our time, it is increasingly becoming difficult for people to do many other things including activities that are considered a necessity.

Indeed, cooking is one of these and when people do not prepare food, they sleep hungry or substitute good meals with junk. This of course, is not sustainable not least because of its health implications.

The good news is that there are alternatives to living this sort of life and today we are going to talk about one.

Crockpots also known as slow cookers merely require that you get your get your ingredients ready and then place them in this equipment. You can then go on with doing your business including going away from home. You will return to find the food ready.

Now, let us explore how you can best maximize this potential.

 

20 Easy Weekend Crockpot Meals

1. Slow Cooker Pulled Beef

I have shared recipe as number one because of its outstanding convenience even in a group of dishes that are already convenient enough.

It is so easy to scale if you have a number of people coming through at your place. The ingredients are meat and bouillon. You can also use beef bouillon cubes however, in the place of bouillon. About the meat, go for the toughest to cut.

To prepare, place chuck roast in the slow cooker together with soup mix and season with black pepper. Pour hot water next then cover and cook seven hours.

At this point, the beef is ready so place it on a cutting board and remove the layer of fat. If it is not yet time for you to eat, you can still place the meat back.

 

2. Crockpot Mexican Chicken

If you are into salads or quesadillas then you should try out pairing them with this chicken. You will quickly find that they are a wonderful combination.

The ingredients include; roasted tomatoes, garlic powder, chicken, oregano and onion.

Begin preparing the meal by sautéing the chicken. Once it is brown, it is ready to be placed in the slow cooker. You should ready the cooker first though by coating it with non-sticky spray.

With the chicken in the slow cooker, add oregano, onion, chili powder and garlic powder to spic it up. Lastly, add tomatoes and pepper before starting to cook.

When ready, you can remove the chicken, shred it, and then place back. Now add beans and Mexican corn then allow to cook a little more.

 

3. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

A perfect meal for parties, learn to prepare slow cooker buffalo chicken meatballs and add more fun to your life.

The ingredients are; garlic powder, smoked paprika, eggs, and ground chicken. For serving purposes, you can always add carrot and ranch dressing.

To start, mix paprika, onion, egg, ground chicken, panko, garlic powder, and parm. From the product, make the balls and bake them for ten minutes.

Now transfer them to the slow cooker and there add to them buffalo sauce. Toss then cook for two or so hours after which you can serve.

To save time, you can always use frozen meatballs instead. These are already baked so you should place them in the slow cooker right away and proceed with the other steps.

 

4. Easy Honey Garlic Chicken

If you are not going to try this meal for anything, you should now that it contains a natural sweetener. Other ingredients are chicken breasts (skinless and boneless), garlic, soy sauce, and red chili garlic sauce. It is fine to replace the breasts with thighs instead though they should too have no bones or skin.

To start off, mix red chili garlic sauce, honey, soy sauce, and garlic to form honey garlic sauce. Now place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over them.

Cook for five hours when heating low. That is it.

Should you wish that the sauce thickens a little more however, you should remove some of the sauce then add a spoon of cornstarch. Cook for another ten minutes.

 

5. Slow Cooker Jambalaya

The list of the ingredients here is quite lengthy though easy to find. Among them are; white onion, uncooked shrimp, Jalapeños, cilantro, chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), crushed tomatoes etc. White onion is substitutable with yellow onion and cilantro with parsley. You can however, live out the latter altogether.

Slice sausages then mix them with cajun seasoning, Jalapeños, broth, tomatoes, garlic, and pepper. Grease your slow cooker and add all these.

Stir and then cover and cook for about three hours. Next, stir in rice and cook for two hours after which your jambalaya will be alright to eat. Twenty minutes prior to this though, uncover and add some shrimp.

The cilantro and parsley are mixed to everything at service time.

 

6. Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes

One unique thing about the potatoes in this dish is that they are not soggy since they are neither cooked in juices nor water.

The necessary ingredients then are; rosemary, garlic, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, celery seed, prime pork tenderloin etc.

To prepare, remove one tenderloin of pork from package and then coat it with oil and a mixture of rosemary, black pepper, and garlic. Place onion in one side of the slow cooker and place the pork on its top. Now pour the sauces over it gently.

Wrap potatoes and butter in a piece of foil and add to the cooker carefully enough that pork spices do not reach them. Cook on low for three hours.

Remove the contents in the slow cooker and add parsley and some more butter to the potatoes before serving.

 

7. Honey-Soy Asian Beef with Cauliflower Fried Rice

This Chinese dish is not easy to prepare. Should you do so though (as the instructions later should help you to), you find out quickly that you want to do it again.

The ingredients here are; cauliflower fried rice, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, mushrooms and rice wine vinegar.

To cook, mix soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, oil, and pepper then together with roast, add the end product to a slow cooker. Cook on high for four hours or double the time on low. Remove from the slow cooker thereafter and shred then serve with cauliflower rice.

PS: You will have prepared the rice separately with some of the ingredients already listed as the roast cooks.

 

8. Vegan Slow Cooker Peanut Stew

The stew is inspired by a West African dish known as Maafe. It originates in Mali but is also cooked in Ghana, Mauritania, and Senegal. The ingredients include; peanut butter, vegetable stock, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes.

To prepare, add together potatoes, peanut butter, cayenne, ginger, onion, cumin, vegetable stock, and coriander in a slow cooker. Cover and cook.

For these to be ready on low, you will have to wait for six minutes. When this time has passed, open the cooker and add spinach then cook for another fifteen minutes.

Finally, using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes. This helps to thicken the stew. This step can be skipped though if you that is how you like it.

 

9. Easy Keto Chili without Beans

Some people love their chili with no beans others cannot think of a better combination. Well, this recipe specifically selects for the former group.

The ingredients include; jalapeño, bacon, garlic, and onions.

To cook, start with the onions, jalapeño, and garlic. Now add brown beef to the slow cooker and wait for a couple of hours.

When almost ready, add the stock, tomatoes, and any spices that you might have on you then allow to simmer.

You can also cook this dish with a stovetop or instant pot should you have no slow cooker. Use “natural release” if you are cooking with an instant pot.

It reduces the heating hence the meat comes out with more tenderness.

 

10. Slow Cooker Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

This Italian dish has its roots going as far as the 1930s for the case of America. It is said to have been prepared by immigrants in Chicago. The ingredients include; garlic, sandwich buns, chuck roast, and provolone cheese.

Begin by sprinkling some pepper and salt in the slow cooker. Then place roast there too and on its top, add garlic and pepperoncini. Cover then begin to cook.

After seven hours, remove the beef and shred it. Mix with sliced pepperoncini. Now to the bans, toast them in the oven for a couple of minutes then remove them to add meat and cheese in them. Place the sandwiches in the oven (though you do not have to) then serve.

 

11. Pork Carnitas with Pork Loin or Tenderloin

The ingredients for this recipe include; onion, pork tenderloin, fresh lemon juice, navel orange juice, jalapeño, and olive oil. You can also use pork loin instead of the tenderloin.

Be sure to not use the entire pork bought whichever used though as that would require substantial quantities of each of the ingredients. As for the jalapeño, do not remove the seeds for this cooking as it helps with heat.

To cook, mix oil, cumin, and oregano then coat pork using the product. Place the pork in a slow cooker and jalapeño, cloves, lime, onion, and cloves garlic.

After 4 hour or eight of high or low heating respectively, you can remove the pork out of the cooker and shred it.

 

12. Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

Crockpot pineapple chicken is for you to try if you want to try something different with your rice. The ingredients for this chicken include cornstarch, green onions, soy sauce, ginger, pineapple, honey, and chicken breast.

To prepare, spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Next, add lemon juice, pineapple juice, soy sauce, black pepper, ginger, and brown sugar and whisk.

Add pineapple, and the breasts then stir. Cover and cook at low for seven hours. Before eventually removing the chicken, whisk more pineapple juice with cornstarch and pour in the crockpot.

Remove the chicken, cut into cubes and place it back for another thirty minutes of cooking.

Depending on how the spices come out, you add sriracha if need more and brown sugar instead if you feel that the dish came out too spicy.

 

13. Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup

The ingredients for this soup include; tomato paste, oregano, ground beef, carrots, celery, garlic, ditalini pasta and kidney beans. Dependent on your preference, ground beef can be switched with ground sausages and things will still work just fine.

Begin by sautéing protein and onion in a skillet. When the mixture turns brown, pour in a slow cooker. Now add tomato paste, garlic, pepper, and the spices.

Add the rest of the ingredients though you should leave out the pasta for now. Cook for four hours (high). Open the cooker thirty minutes to the stipulated time and add the pasta. Simmer.

When buying the meat for this recipe, look out for one with some fat.

 

14. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This recipe is perfect for parties, picnics, and other outdoor occasions though you can try it with sandwiches too if you are curious soul. The ingredients are; kosher salt, cumin, paprika, pork butt, chili powder, and brown sugar.

To prepare, start by heating oil in a skillet then sear the pork in it. Transfer the pork to the crockpot and add broth.

Sprinkle garlic, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, and oregano around the pork. Cover the crockpot and wait eight hours. The pork is ready thereafter so remove it from the crockpot and shred it. Place it back and toss.

This meal can be stored in a fridge for up to three days. You will need an airtight container to aid you however.

 

15. Sausage Kale Soup

The ingredients for the dish include not least; garlic, onion, sausage, carrots, and kale. You are free to use any sausages you love depending on your taste. Turkey and chicken sausages for example are leaner if compared with to pork ones.

Find a skillet to prepare this meal. In it, break and then cook sausages until they turn brown. Next, fry onions, celery, carrot, and onions.

Now transfer them to a slow cooker, add stock and peer. Stir, then add the sausages. Cook for six hours on low.

 

Other Easy Weeknight Crockpot Meals

16. Easy Honey Garlic Chicken

The ingredients are; soy sauce, honey, garlic, red chili garlic, chicken breasts (boneless and skinless).

 

17. Vegan Chickpea Curry

The ingredients among other things include; chickpeas, coconut milk, ginger, sweet potato, apple, and spinach.

 

18. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

The ingredients include; cilantro, chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), garlic, black beans, jalapeño, and black beans.

 

19. Slow Cooker Spanish Shrimp and Quinoa Recipe

Here are some of the ingredients; cayenne pepper, broth, quinoa, lime juice, dried coriander, goat cheese, and lime juice.

 

20. Slow Cooker Cheesy Tortellini

The ingredients include; ground beef, cloves garlic, basil, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, and crushed tomatoes.