20 Easy Crockpot Meals + Free 7-Day Slow Cooker Meal Plan & Grocery List

Cold evenings, busy weeks and a house that smells like dinner when you walk in: that’s why crockpot meals are back on everyone’s Pinterest boards. Searches for “crockpot meals” are up 200% compared to last year on Pinterest Trends, and it’s easy to see why. Ten minutes of prep in the morning, and dinner cooks itself.

To make it even easier, we put together a full 7-day slow cooker meal plan with simple recipes, plus 13 more easy crockpot dinner ideas. You can download the whole plan as a free printable PDF with a grocery list, recipe cards and a blank planner for your own weeks.

Free Printable: 7-Day Slow Cooker Meal Plan + Grocery List

The 5-page PDF includes:

• The weekly plan: one crockpot dinner for each day with cook times.
• A grocery list for the whole week, sorted by store section, with checkboxes.
• 7 recipe cards plus a card of slow cooker tips, ready to cut out.
• A blank weekly planner to plan your own slow cooker week.

How This Meal Plan Works

Every recipe uses a standard 6-quart slow cooker and serves about 6 people (the pulled pork serves 8). Leftovers make great lunches. Each recipe has two options: Low if you start in the morning before work, or High if you start around lunchtime. Most of the prep is just chopping an onion and opening a few cans.

A few rules for great results: thaw meat in the fridge the night before, brown ground beef before it goes in, keep the lid on, and add pasta, dairy and fresh herbs at the very end.

The 7-Day Crockpot Meal Plan (Recipes)

1. Salsa Chicken Tacos (Monday)

Serves 6 · Low 6–7 h or High 3–4 h

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar (16 oz) salsa
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning
• Juice of 1 lime

1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker, sprinkle with taco seasoning and pour the salsa over it.
2. Cook until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F.
3. Shred with two forks, stir in the lime juice and let it soak up the sauce for 10 minutes.

Serve with: tortillas, shredded lettuce, cheddar, sour cream, cilantro.

2. Easy Beef Chili (Tuesday)

Serves 6 · Low 6–8 h or High 3–4 h

• 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cans (15 oz) kidney or black beans, drained
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt

1. Brown the beef in a skillet first (raw ground meat shouldn't go straight into a slow cooker).
2. Add everything to the slow cooker and stir.
3. Cook, then taste and adjust the salt and chili powder.

Serve with: shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, cornbread.

3. Honey Garlic Chicken (Wednesday)

Serves 6 · Low 5–6 h or High 3 h

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water

1. Whisk honey, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cook until tender. Move the chicken to a plate.
3. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce, cook on High 15 minutes until thick, pour over the chicken.

Serve with: rice, steamed broccoli, green onions.

4. Vegetable Minestrone (Thursday)

Serves 6 · Low 6–8 h or High 3–4 h

• 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning, salt, pepper
• 1 cup small pasta

1. Add everything except the pasta to the slow cooker.
2. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
3. Stir in the pasta and cook on High for 20-30 more minutes, until tender.

Serve with: crusty bread, grated parmesan.

5. BBQ Pulled Pork (Friday)

Serves 8 · Low 8–10 h or High 5–6 h

• 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp salt
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup BBQ sauce

1. Rub the pork with sugar, paprika and salt. Put the onion and broth in the slow cooker, pork on top.
2. Cook until the pork falls apart. Drain most of the liquid.
3. Shred the pork and stir in the BBQ sauce.

Serve with: burger buns, coleslaw, pickles.

6. Classic Beef Stew (Saturday)

Serves 6 · Low 8–9 h or High 4–5 h

• 2 lb beef chuck stew meat
• 1.5 lb potatoes, cubed
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp thyme, salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water

1. Put the vegetables in first, then the beef. Whisk broth, tomato paste and spices and pour over.
2. Cook until the beef is fork-tender.
3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook on High 20 minutes to thicken.

Serve with: crusty bread, a green salad.

7. Loaded Potato Soup (Sunday)

Serves 6 · Low 7–8 h or High 4 h

• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup milk
• Toppings: cheddar, bacon, green onions

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic and broth to the slow cooker.
2. Cook until the potatoes are very soft, then mash about half of them right in the pot.
3. Stir in cream cheese and milk until smooth. Top with cheddar, bacon and green onions.

Serve with: toppings bar, crackers or bread.

13 More Easy Crockpot Dinner Ideas

Want to swap a day? These easy slow cooker dinners fit right into the blank planner:

8. White chicken chili: chicken breasts, white beans, green chiles, chicken broth, cumin. Stir in cream cheese at the end.
9. Classic pot roast: chuck roast on top of potatoes, carrots and onion with beef broth. Low 8–10 hours.
10. Chicken tortilla soup: chicken, salsa, black beans, corn and broth. Top with tortilla strips and avocado.
11. Butter chicken: chicken thighs, tomato sauce, garam masala, garlic and ginger. Stir in cream at the end, serve with rice.
12. Italian meatballs: thawed frozen meatballs or homemade ones in marinara. Serve on subs or spaghetti.
13. Beef stroganoff: stew meat, mushrooms, onion and broth. Stir in sour cream and serve over egg noodles.
14. Chicken fajitas: chicken strips, peppers, onion and fajita seasoning. Serve in warm tortillas.
15. Red lentil curry (vegan): red lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, curry powder and spinach.
16. Teriyaki chicken: chicken thighs with soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger. Thicken the sauce at the end.
17. Black bean soup: dried black beans (soaked), onion, garlic, cumin and broth. Blend half for a creamy texture.
18. Crockpot mac and cheese: uncooked elbow pasta, milk, evaporated milk and plenty of cheddar. Ready in about 2–3 hours on Low, stir once or twice.
19. Chicken and dumplings: chicken, cream of chicken soup and broth, with biscuit dough pieces added for the last hour.
20. Warm apple crisp: sliced apples with cinnamon, topped with an oat crumble. Dessert while you eat dinner!

Slow Cooker Tips for Busy Weeks

• Prep the night before. Chop vegetables and measure spices into a container, keep everything in the fridge, and just dump it in the morning. Don’t put the cold ceramic insert straight into a hot base.
• Don’t cook frozen meat in a slow cooker. It can stay too long in the unsafe temperature zone. Thaw it in the fridge first.
• Fill it 1/2 to 2/3 full. Too little and food can overcook, too much and it may not cook evenly.
• Keep the lid on. Every peek lets heat escape and adds cooking time.
• Use a thermometer. Chicken is done at 165°F, ground beef at 160°F, and pork shoulder shreds best around 195–205°F.
• Root vegetables go on the bottom. Potatoes and carrots take longer than meat, so put them closest to the heat.
• Cool leftovers fast. Move them to shallow containers and into the fridge within 2 hours.

FAQ

How do I convert High to Low cooking time?

As a rough guide, 1 hour on High is about 2 hours on Low. So a recipe that takes 4 hours on High needs about 8 hours on Low. Always check that meat is tender and cooked through.

Can I leave my crockpot on while I’m at work?

Slow cookers are designed to run unattended for many hours. Set it on Low, place it on a heat-safe counter away from the wall, and make sure the cord isn’t damaged. Many models switch to “warm” automatically when the time is up.

Can I make these recipes in a smaller slow cooker?

Yes. For a 3–4 quart slow cooker, cut the recipes in half. Cooking times stay about the same.

How long do slow cooker leftovers last?

Most leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Chili, stew, pulled pork and soups (without pasta) also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Final Thoughts

A slow cooker is the easiest way to get a warm, homemade dinner on the table on even the busiest days. Print the free meal plan, stick the grocery list on the fridge, and enjoy a week where dinner is already done when you get home. Save this post to Pinterest so you can find the plan next week too. Planning the holidays as well? Grab our free printable December calendar and Christmas wishlist. 🍲

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