25+ Summer Slow Cooker Recipes Dinner + Sides
25+ Summer Slow Cooker Recipes Dinner + Sides
This collection of summer crock pot recipes features all the best main dishes and side dishes to save you from heating up your kitchen on warm summer days!
More Favorites: Favorite Summer Recipes, Summer Salads, Summer Drinks, Summer Dinner Ideas, Summer Desserts
Tips for Summer Crock Pot Recipes
The crock pot is a chef’s best friend for many reasons. For the purposes of this article, one of the great things about cooking in a crock pot is not having to use the oven on a hot summer day! ! This is especially important to me here in Arizona as it already costs an arm and a leg to keep the house cool without the extra heat of the oven. That’s enough to sell me a crock pot meal.
Before I introduce some of our favorite crock pot dishes, I just want to share some general crock pot cooking tips:
- Use an appropriately sized pot: The ingredients should fill between ½ and ⅔ of the pot.
- Go cheap: In this case, cheap cuts of meat are usually rich in fat and connective tissue, which will result in moist and tender meat.
- Plan Ahead: Make sure you have all the ingredients ready the night before, so all you have to do is toss it in.
- Never use frozen meat in crock pots.
- Preheating the crock pot for about 20 minutes while preparing the ingredients will help speed up the cooking process.
- Fry the meat in the wok first.You’ll end up with richer flavors that can’t be achieved by slow cooking alone
- Close the lid! Every time you open the lid, heat escapes, slowing down the cooking process. It will take 20-30 minutes for the pan to return to the correct temperature.
- Use a crock liner for easy cleanup, or coat the inside with cooking spray.
- On many pots, the high temperature is 280°F and the low temperature is 170°F. Cooking at high heat for 1 hour is about the same as cooking at low temperature for 2 hours.
- Fresh herbs are added at the end to keep their flavor alive.
main course
Crock Pot Main Dish
Here are some of our favorite dinner ideas (all in the slow cooker) that we especially love to make during the summer.
Main Dish How to Cook Hot Dogs in a Crock Pot
The easiest way to make hot dogs for a crowd! Cook hot dogs in a crock pot for all your summer potluck needs.
Total time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Kalua Pork Recipe
This Slow Cooker Kaluua Pork is a Hawaiian favorite and can be easily made in a slow cooker with just a few ingredients. Eat it on its own, or in a taco or slider.
Total time: 9 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for the best slow cooker pork chops for a main course
These easy and delicious slow cooker pork chops are sure to become a family favorite. They’re tender and juicy with an amazing gravy on top, and we love it over ribs and mashed potatoes!
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Sweet Pork Barbacoa Recipe
Sweet Pork Bar​​rbacoa is the best slow cooker pork recipe you’ll ever try. Better than Cafe Rio – you better make a double batch!
Total time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Brisket Recipe
Juicy and delicious meat that’s easy to make in the slow cooker! This crock pot brisket is so tender it just crumbles.
Total time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Vegetables and Chicken Recipe
Crock Pot Vegetable and Chicken Recipe, this is the new family favorite. It’s so easy and filled with your favorite veggies, pineapple and chicken!
Total time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Appetizer Crockpot Meatballs Recipe
These crockpot meatballs are full of flavor and perfect for a party. Best of all, they only require 5 minutes of prep work!
Total time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Crockpot Ranch Chicken Recipe
You’ll love how easy and delicious this delicious chicken is. Made entirely in the crock pot, Creamy Ranch Chicken can be served on its own or with rice.
Total time: 3 hours 35 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Ribs Recipe
Juicy BBQ Crock Pot Ribs are the best and easiest dinner idea! Perfect for small families, large families or cooking for a crowd!
Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Pasta Recipe
We’ve been making this delicious crock pot pasta! Butter noodles served with a delicious bolognese sauce – delicious!
Total time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Pork Roast Recipe
Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by this ultra-tender, off-the-bone crock roast pork. Made with just a handful of ingredients, including free gravy.
Total time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Meatloaf Tacos Recipe
Tender pulled pork makes up these delicious burritos! These tacos are delicious and easy to make for dinner with the help of a crock pot.
Total time: 9 hours 10 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Pork Tacos Recipe
Pork Tacos are made easy using slow cooker pork and all your favorite taco toppings! These tacos are delicious, easy to make, and a hit.
Total time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Course Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Hot and Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas can feed your family any day of the week! It’s easy to throw in all the ingredients and let the crock pot work for you.
Total time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Classic Lasagna in the Slow Cooker! This delicious crock pot recipe contains all the layers everyone loves but makes easier noodles, cheese, sauces and meats.
Check out this recipe for Entree Coffee Rio Chicken Recipe
Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken – An easy and delicious chicken recipe perfect for salads, burritos, quesadillas and tacos!
Total time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Beef Salad Dressing Recipe
This easy beef stroganoff recipe is easy and delicious. Served with egg noodles, this creamy slow-cooker Stroganoff is a classic Sunday dinner recipe perfect for any night of the week.
Total time: 4 hours 10 minutes
check out this recipe
side dish
crock rim
Don’t forget the sides either! Cook some easy, delicious side dishes in the slow cooker to accompany your favorite foods.
Side Dish Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These Cheesy Garlic Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes are the perfect addition to any meal and are super easy to make. They’re creamy, smooth and delicious, and the cheese adds a lot of goodness.
Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish, Side Dish Crock Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe
The crock pot takes all the guesswork out of baking potatoes. Just prep and wrap the potatoes, toss them in the crock pot and they’ll be perfectly loaded with your favorite toppings!
Total time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Check out this recipe for Entree Crockpot Cheese Potatoes Recipe
Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes are the perfect easy side dish for your next family dinner.Dump, cook and enjoy some cheesy baby potatoes for your next meal or holiday party
Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Main Dish Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, and this Crock Pot Mac and Cheese is so easy, cheesy and delicious. With loads of cheese, butter, and sour cream, it’s hard not to love this creamy macaroni and cheese recipe.
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Check out this recipe for Side Dish Crock Pot Creamed Corn Recipe
No great holiday dinner is complete without rich and delicious creamy corn! It’s creamy, buttery and cheesy. Everyone’s favorite holiday side dish!
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Check out this recipe for Side Dish Homemade Baked Beans
This Homemade Baked Beans recipe is a must-have for all of our BBQ places. This is such a simple and easy recipe that requires only five ingredients to cook in a crock pot.
Total time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe for Side Dish Crockpot Scallop Potatoes Recipe
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes – These creamy potatoes are the perfect side dish for almost any meal! You just need a few simple ingredients and your crock pot will do all the work.
Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Check out this recipe for Side Dish Crock Pot Rice Recipe
No need for a rice cooker when you have a crock pot in your cupboard! Follow our Crock Pot Rice recipe – it’s the easiest way!
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Check out this recipe with Cauliflower Bean Crock Pot Recipe
Nutritious pinto beans are cooked to perfection. These are delicious additions or delicious side dishes to any of your Mexican dishes.
Total time: 12 hours
check out this recipe