Summer slow cooker recipes can be life savers on busy summer days!
Whether it’s juggling kids home from school, or work schedules, or a project that was supposed to only take half a day, well, we have all been there.
Hunger hits and food still has to be prepared, but with summer slow cooker dinners already pre-started, there is no stress whatsoever!
Besides the wonderful benefit of flavors being brought together better and being safely cooked for a longer amount of time, summer slow cooker meals often mean less mess in the kitchen overall!
That is a win for everyone!
Summer slow cooker ideas often have more servings than just one meal which means fantastic leftovers for lunch or use in another meal.
If you meal prep, one summer slow cooker chicken recipe could be made specifically into four or five lunches!
Look at all the money that is saved not eating out!
Summer slow cooker beef recipes have quite a wide variety of cut options from ribs, to ground beef to steak being prepared in tasty entrees like wraps, stews or stir-frys!
Now soups may not be the first idea to come to mind for dinner on a summer evening, but summer slow cooker soups offer a lot of flexibility to be the meal unto themselves or a side to a sandwich or salad or cracker and cheese platter!
If you are considering buying a slow cooker, they do use very little electricity and many home chefs say they never want to be without one!
Everything from meats to vegetables to pastas and soups can be prepared in them!
Perhaps the very best reason to use a slow cooker might be for making the summer slow cooker dessert recipes I included on this list of 42 summer slow cooker recipes!
Because everyone deserves a treat now and again!
Now, onto the summer slow cooker recipes!
Summer slow cooker recipes are starting off with a bang with this tacos al pastor recipe of tender pork marinated in fresh pineapple with chiles and lime juice!
Taco-style is the best way to serve this shredded port, on corn tortillas with cilantro, red onions and queso fresco!
Next up on my summer slow cooker ideas list is this hot chicken Caesar sandwich because Caesar dressing should not be relegated to salads only!
Here the chicken and broth are slow cooked with the dressing, cheese and seasonings added the last thirty minutes.
Salmon is another lovely choice for summer slow cooker recipes!
It comes out tender, flaky and juicy because it cooks in a combination of broth and lemon juice with tons of great seasonings!
It only takes two hours though, so not a traditional all day cooking situation.
Using a six or seven quart slow cooker, this shrimp boil summer slow cooker dinner starts with potatoes, onion, garlic and bay leaves slow cooked for four hours with Old Bay seasoning mix.
For the next hour, the sausage and corn are added in with the shrimp added the last half hour.
Super fun way to enjoy a meal!
Peaches in summer slow cooker chicken recipes?
Absolutely!
The peach chicken recipe has us cooking sliced onions, vinegar and seasonings, four sliced peaches, and chicken.
Cook, shred, and mix again.
Serve with more sliced peaches and fresh basil.
Different and delicious!
The brilliant part of some summer slow cooker beef recipes is that you can prep the ingredients the night before, that way it all be added directly to the crock pot when ready to start the cooking!
Here the ground beef can be browned the night before.
Pasta is added in twenty minutes before serving with cheddar cheese last.
TIme to try out a summer slow cooker dessert!
Here fresh raspberries and blueberries are slowly cooked into a brain melting berry cobbler that absolutely needs a scoop of ice cream on top!
Note: It only cooks for two hours!
In many areas corn starts being harvested in August, so a delightful late summer slow cooker soup option would be this corn soup!
Thickened with cream cheese towards the end and garnished with bacon!
Summer slow cooker meals highlight many different meats and here we have a pork loin, first seared in a skillet, then surrounded by pineapple pieces, juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and orange zest!
Sweet and savory perfection!
Anything BBQ flavored is a crowd favorite for summer slow cooker ideas!
BBQ chicken, served on a bun brings smiles all around!
I love the addition of the slaw recipe!
Again, great seasonings plus a sauce added at the end.
Some recipes lend themselves easily to being translated into summer slow cooker recipes!
This sausage and peppers recipe is a dump, mix and cook recipe that couldn’t be easier!
It starts with the sauce of crushed tomatoes, broth and seasonings.
Next the sausage links, green bell pepper and onion slices are added in to cook for six hours!
Fantastic served on sandwich rolls!
Appetizers also are among these summer slow cooker ideas!
This jalapeno corn dip takes two hours and has lots of flexibility with ingredient choices.
At the base it is corn, jalapenos, cheese, sour cream, bacon, cilantro, queso fresco and lime juice.
Serve with your favorite chip!
When wanting full summer slow cooker meals, this beef enchiladas recipe is oh so delicious and no rolling of the enchiladas is necessary!
It includes beef stew meat cubes, red enchilada sauce, salsa, green chiles, garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin and pepper for eight hours of cooking.
In the last thirty minutes add the tortilla strips, cheese and green onions.
Craving Asian food?
Here is a wonderful summer slow cooker dinner of teriyaki chicken that will be a new favorite!
Chicken thighs cooked in soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic and ginger should satisfy that craving!
Four hours later with some straining and cornstarch added, it is ready to be served over rice or quinoa.
If Italian food is close to your heart, you know traditional bruschetta is made with olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes served on bread as an appetizer or side dish.
This summer slow cooker chicken recipe does the same except it swaps bread for chicken!
Beautiful pictures show the steps and the final outcome is beyond amazing!
Recipe included if you want to make more bruschetta to garnish with.
For those who buy beef in bulk, summer slow cooker beef recipes are a welcome sight on a hot summer day!
The beef chunks are browned first then put into the slow cooker with garlic, bay leaf, shallots, tomato paste and broth.
Six hours later, zucchini and pepper are added.
Yum!
What better way to end a lazy summer day than with a summer slow cooker dessert!
This peach cobbler is truly amazing!
Peach mix goes in first with sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The topping is next of flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cold butter and buttermilk.
Sooooo delicious!
This summer slow cooker soup of salsa verde chicken is more authentic to the Mexican flavor profile than Tex-Mex flavors are.
The chicken is seared first and onions added for softening.
Then everything else like white beans, salsa verde, green chiles and broth are added in and cooked for four hours!
Here’s even more chicken recipes in the Crock Pot!
Some summer slow cooker recipes are hard to beat.
If jambalaya flavors are a favorite, this slow cooker version is sure to please.
Adjust the spices to your preference and follow the list of when to add which ingredients.
It includes andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, peppers, onion, jalapenos, rice, broth, tomatoes, garlic and seasonings for miles!
Lettuce wraps are one of my personal favorite summer slow cooker ideas!
This Korean beef recipe does not disappoint!
All that is needed is beef roast, say sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and garlic chili paste.
Garnish the lettuce wraps with thinly sliced radishes, carrots and cucumbers!
Meatballs for summer slow cooker recipes are so versatile as they can stand alone with toothpicks, be put in sandwiches or on top of a bed of pasta!
These buffalo chicken meatballs have great flavor!
Once the meatballs are made, they are broiled for a few minutes and then cooked on low for several hours!
Sometimes summer slow cooker ideas that are sides are of great help in putting together dinner!
Especially if the entree is a leftover or is being grilled outside.
This recipe for cheesy ranch potatoes goes with lots of entrees!
It includes red potatoes, ranch seasoning, cheddar cheese, and bacon!
Need more side dish ideas in the CrockPot?
Sandwiches are always welcome in the summertime and summer slow cooker meals for the filling are fabulous!
Here we have a Boston butt slow cooked with a flavorful sauce for eight hours!
Then a homemade BBQ sauce is mixed in with the pork once it has been drained and shredded.
Serve on buns with coleslaw on top before adding the top bun!
We saw that idea in #10 as well!
Build it yourself summer slow cooker dinners are fantastic allowing everyone to plate their dinner just the way they like it!
Chicken fajitas are what’s on tap in this simple recipe including bell peppers, onion, tomatoes (or salsa) and seasonings!
Tortillas, cheese and guacamole would round out this meal perfectly!
When looking for a meal that is all included in summer slow cooker chicken recipes, this one is great!
Chicken, mushrooms, onions, broth and seasonings are slow cooked with the orzo added the last twenty minutes.
Protein, veggies and carbs all in one pot!
If stir-fry is something you enjoy, summer slow cooker beef recipes like this one for beef and broccoli will fit in perfectly!
Flank steak, thinly sliced along with a sauce will cook for three hours.
The broccoli is added for thirty more minutes.
Serve over white rice and garnish with chives!
Occasionally, nothing but chocolate will do and that is where this summer slow cooker dessert of chocolate lava cake comes to the rescue!
The beautiful part is it starts with a box mix of chocolate fudge cake with milk, oil and eggs.
The topping is made of instant chocolate pudding, milk and chocolate chips.
Great instructions create a heavenly taste.
Ice cream is a definite must!
WIth a well balanced creamy, brothy base, this summer slow cooker soup of tortellini and sweet Italian sausage is delicious!
The veggies included are onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and baby spinach.
Add in all the ingredients and spices after browning the sausage and four hours later the soup is ready!
When you are asked to bring a side to the next potluck gathering, summer slow cooker recipes are lifesavers!
This one for baked beans is full of bacon and beef so you already know it’s gonna be out-of-the-world good!
It calls for kidney beans, white beans, and pork & beans.
Onions, brown sugar, ketchup and molasses round out the sweet part!
Be prepared for many compliments to the chef!
House guests will always be hungry in the morning, so summer slow cooker ideas for breakfast help out tremendously by cooking for you overnight!
This breakfast casserole is a classic with sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes and veggies!
Lots of very specific instructions to help yours turn out just right!
If vegetarian summer slow cooker ideas appeal to you, this one is certainly worth a try!
All the ingredients for this cheesy Mexican quinoa casserole are added at one time.
Liquid, uncooked quinoa, diced sweet potato, black beans, salsa, bell peppers, onions, cilantro and seasonings.
Cheese is added at the end of the cooking time.
Tons of toppings to choose from!
Lots more Mexican CrockPot Recipes here, too.
Just to be clear, this recipe for black bean burritos among the summer slow cooker meals is for the filling only.
After the filling made of tomatoes, salsa, black beans, chipotle peppers, brown rice, corn, broth and taco seasonings has simmered in the slow cooker, the burritos are then made with tortillas.
Ribs are an entree summer slow cooker recipes excel at due to the long slow cook time giving the ribs plenty of time to soak in seasonings from the rub turning juicy and tender.
This recipe instructs to coat the ribs with a sauce and broil them for a few minutes right before serving.
Tender and addicting!
If Thai style curry is a meal you would enjoy, summer slow cooker dinners can accommodate!
Here coconut milk, spicy chilies, sweet coconut sugar, fish sauce, lime juice are the base with the chicken, jalapeno, garlic and ginger added for cooking.
Cilantro and basil are sprinkled on just before serving.
Hawaiian luau night at home this summer?
Several summer slow cooker chicken recipes come to mind, but this chicken with pineapple is great!
A pineapple sauce (with lots of ingredients) is made and poured over the chicken for cooking!
Garnish with cilantro or green onions.
Even though it is hot outside, summer slow cooker beef recipes served warm are still enjoyable like this meatloaf.
Having something warm and filling at the end of a summer day of working or playing is so satisfying!
This meatloaf is comfort food extraordinaire!
Lining the slow cooker with foil helps with cleanup!
When you love apple pie, but do not want to take the time to make an eye pleasing pie, this summer slow cooker dessert recipe for apple crisp is a tasty stand-in!
The time invested is in preparing the apples.
The ingredients are added in with a simple three layered approach of apples, flour and sugar mixture, and the oats and butter topping.
It cooks in two hours with the lid off the last thirty minutes to crisp up!
When using all the vegetables summer has to offer, a summer slow cooker soup is a recipe that’s not to miss!
It only takes one hour to make this chunky soup with onion, garlic, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, lima beans, mushrooms, eggplant, broth, vinegar, and seasonings!
Garnish with herbs or parmesan cheese.
Fast forward to Fall with this list of 24 slow cooker options.
Summer slow cooker recipes like this chicken pesto pasta can become a family favorite.
This is such an easy recipe it may sneak in your regular rotation!
Oil first, then the chicken with the pesto coating it completely, and diced vegetables like zucchini, squash, tomatoes, red onion, colored peppers and mushrooms on top.
Cook pasta separately and stir in before serving!
Okay, okay, hear me out here, summer slow cooker ideas do tend to be lighter fare.
But a good Italian meal is always a welcome for a celebration or simply a welcome to the weekend meal.
This lasagna is not going to heat up your kitchen in the oven, but it will deliver on taste and enjoyment!
The short ingredient list has a creative shortcut that is equally delicious!
When the whole crew is coming over, summer slow cooker recipes can deliver delicious taste without you spending hours in the kitchen!
These bacon cheeseburger sloppy joes include ground beef, garlic, velveeta, onion, and bacon!
Serve on buns with tomato, cheese, and pickles.
I end this list of summer slow cooker ideas with a delicious cinnamon roll monkey bread recipe!
Looking for a little something to put a surprise in a morning routine or end the day sweetly?
Look no further than this bread which is made from two cans of cinnamon rolls, sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter.
You know these are gonna be scrumptious!
The bottom line
Summer slow cooker recipes offer a wide variety of meal options from breakfast to lunch to dinner to dessert!
I hope some of these summer slow cooker ideas caught your eye and help make summer evenings enjoyable.
Embrace The Summer Slump: 42 Slow Cooker Meals
These summer slow cooker recipes can be life savers on busy summer days!
Ingredients
- Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
- Slow Cooker Hot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Salmon With Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil
- Slow Cooker Peach Chicken With Basil
- Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
- Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler
- Slow Cooker Summer Corn Soup
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Loin
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwich
- Slow Cooker Sausage & Peppers
- Crockpot Jalapeno Corn Dip
- Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Bruschetta Chicken
- Slow Cooker Summer Beef Stew
- Crockpot Peach Cobbler
- Salsa Verde Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Jambalaya
- Slow Cooker Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- Crockpot Chicken & Mushrooms
- Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli
- Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini & Sausage Soup
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole With Sausage & Bacon
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Burritos
- Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
- Slow Cooker Thai Basil Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken With Pineapple
- Slow Cooker Meatloaf
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
- Summer Vegetable Soup
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Slow Cooker Lazy Lasagna
- Crock Pot Sloppy Joes-Bacon Cheeseburger
- Crockpot Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread
Instructions
- Choose your favorite recipe from our list of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes!
- Wave your magic wand to make it your own special recipe!
- Leave a comment on our Facebook page and share your new dish.