15 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes That Do the Work While You Do Literally Anything Else

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If you’re looking to get dinner ready without hovering over the stove, healthy slow cooker recipes are your best friend. These recipes let you toss ingredients in, set the timer, and walk away while the cooker does all the hard work. Ideal for busy days or when you simply don’t feel like putting in the effort, they deliver meals that are both nutritious and satisfying. The beauty of healthy slow cooker recipes lies in their simplicity—no need for complicated prep or constant attention. Just follow the recipe, and you’ll have a delicious, home-cooked meal waiting for you at the end of the day.

Slow Cooker Keto Beef and Broccoli

Beef stir-fry with broccoli, onions, and a wooden spoon in a pan.
Slow Cooker Keto Beef and Broccoli. Photo credit: Primal Edge Health.

This one skips the fuss but still packs dinner with protein and greens. If you’re short on time and energy, this is the kind of healthy slow cooker recipe that won’t argue back.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Keto Beef and Broccoli

Gluten Free Honey Mustard Chicken

Chicken thighs cooking in a slow cooker with a creamy sauce, garnished with chopped parsley. A wooden spoon is stirring the dish.
Gluten Free Honey Mustard Chicken. Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear.

Sweet and tangy, but without turning into a sugar trap. It’s one of those healthy slow cooker recipes that feels like comfort food but still behaves.
Get the Recipe: Gluten Free Honey Mustard Chicken

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Verde with Potatoes

A blue bowl filled with stew containing chunks of meat, potatoes, and green broth. A spoon and white cloth are nearby on the table.
Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Verde with Potatoes. Photo credit: Ginger Casa.

You throw it all in, walk away, and return to chicken that’s got its life together. It earns points for being one of the easier healthy slow cooker recipes that still feeds like a full meal.
Get the Recipe: Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Verde with Potatoes

Easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

A bowl of chili topped with sour cream, sliced bell pepper, diced avocado, and cilantro. Served with tortilla chips on the side.
Easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili. Photo credit: MOON and spoon and yum.

Beans do all the work here while you do literally anything else. It’s a cozy choice when you’re into healthy slow cooker recipes but also want a break from chopping.
Get the Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Big Batch Black Bean Soup Recipe

A close-up of a colorful mixture of black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients in a pot, resembling a stew or chili.
Big Batch Black Bean Soup Recipe. Photo credit: An Off Grid Life.

This soup knows how to stretch a dollar and a dinner. Toss it in the slow cooker, and you’ve got one of those healthy slow cooker recipes that feeds a crowd or fuels leftovers.
Get the Recipe: Big Batch Black Bean Soup Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros

Flatbread topped with shredded chicken, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and creamy white sauce.
Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros. Photo credit: xoxoBella.

You get that Mediterranean feel without any juggling pans or sauces. For healthy slow cooker recipes with low drama and high flavor, this one’s solid.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros

Slow Cooker Porridge

A bowl of oatmeal topped with sliced apples, placed on a white wooden surface. A silver spoon rests inside the bowl. A striped cloth is nearby.
Slow Cooker Porridge. Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear.

Oats get the spotlight here, and they’re not complaining. It’s one of the easiest healthy slow cooker recipes for slow mornings or meal prep that doesn’t nag.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Porridge

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos in Crock Pot

Two tacos filled with shredded meat, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and cheese on a white plate. Small bowls with sauce and a side dish are nearby on a speckled table.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos in Crock Pot. Photo credit: Little Bit Recipes.

These tacos lean more meal-prep genius than Taco Tuesday chaos. It’s a no-brainer when you’re hunting for healthy slow cooker recipes that keep it casual.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos in Crock Pot

Gluten-Free Beef And Broccoli Crockpot Recipe

A bowl of rice with beef and broccoli. A hand is using chopsticks to pick up food. An empty metal bowl is in the background on a white wooden surface.
Gluten-Free Beef And Broccoli Crockpot Recipe. Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear.

Gluten-free and still ready to show up for dinner? Yes, please. Add it to your list of healthy slow cooker recipes that don’t ask for special treatment.
Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Beef And Broccoli Crockpot Recipe

Big Batch Three Bean Chili Recipe

A bowl of chili with beans, carrots, corn, green and red peppers. A logo with the text "Off Grid Life" is partially visible in the corner.
Big Batch Three Bean Chili Recipe. Photo credit: An Off Grid Life.

Beans, beans, and more beans—because who needs meat every night? It checks the box for easy, hearty, and healthy slow cooker recipes you don’t have to babysit.
Get the Recipe: Big Batch Three Bean Chili Recipe

Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo

A bowl of rotini pasta with peas, sun-dried tomatoes, and chunks of chicken, garnished with grated cheese, sits on a light-colored surface with a cloth napkin nearby.
Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo . Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear.

Creamy without the cream, and still holding it together. This one proves healthy slow cooker recipes don’t need dairy to bring their A-game.
Get the Recipe: Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo

Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe

Vegetable soup in a pot with sliced carrots, parsley, and yellow squash in broth.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe. Photo credit: An Off Grid Life.

Just enough chopping to feel productive, not enough to regret. This is the kind of healthy slow cooker recipe that lets the veggies do all the talking.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

A plate with three tacos filled with shredded meat, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeño slices, and sour cream. Lime wedges and additional toppings in bowls surround the plate.
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken. Photo credit: xoxoBella.

This chicken gets along with everything—rice, lettuce, tortillas, you name it. That flexibility earns it a spot in any healthy slow cooker recipe lineup.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

A white bowl filled with white rice topped with beef, red bell peppers, onions, and sauce, with a fork and napkin next to the bowl.
Slow Cooker Pepper Steak. Photo credit: Little Bit Recipes.

Somehow still fancy, even though your effort level was minimal. If you’re looking to impress your future self with dinner, this healthy slow cooker recipe has your back.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

A bowl of shredded chicken, black beans, rice, and diced tomatoes. Lime, shredded cheese, cilantro, and a red cloth are nearby on a white surface.
Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken. Photo credit: Two Cloves Kitchen.

Dump in a jar of salsa and walk away like a boss. It lands squarely on the list of healthy slow cooker recipes you’ll wish you tried sooner.
Get the Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

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Sarita Harbour has been stretching her food dollars to feed her family for over 30 years. As a former banker and current freelance writer, she's written boatloads of articles about budgeting, homesteading, gardening, personal finance and more. Her food-related articles have been widely syndicated through AP and MSN. Look for her food features at NBC, The Seattle Times, Yahoo! Life, Chowhound, Tasting Table and MSN.