The benefits of using a slow cooker are endless; not only does it add ease and convenience to your cooking, but it allows you to create beautifully tender, fragrant and hearty one-pot meals every time, without fail. Simply pop your ingredients in your slow cooker, and come back to a delicious dinner. Too easy!
The versatile slow cooker really comes into its own in winter. After all, cold weather calls for hearty, warming and flavoursome meals—savoury or sweet! These super-easy, melt-in-the-mouth meals and delicious desserts are something that the whole family can look forward to after a long, chilly day. From soups and shanks to stews and steamed puddings, hit the supermarket, grab your ingredients and sit back and relax this winter!
If you can’t get enough of slow cooking we have plenty more recipes in our delicious chicken recipes to make in your slow cooker and beautiful beef recipes for your slow cooker collections.
How to adapt your favourite recipes for a slow cooker
When it comes to winter comfort food, you can’t go past a heart slow cooker recipe. These one-pot wonders, perfect with almost any cuts of meat, are guaranteed to turn out fragrant, tender meals every time. Best of all, you can just pop your ingredients in and return in a few hours with all the work done for you.
However, not all of our favourite recipes were designed with the slow cooker in mind. Luckily, most of your favourite casserole, curry and soups can easily be converted for a slow cooker.
Here, we’ll take you through what you need to know for adapting your favourite recipes.
Keep in mind that a recipe that takes 2 hours to simmer or slow-roast will take about 6-8 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High in the slow cooker.
And, as a general rule, a slow cooker should be at least half-full when cooking casseroles, curries and soups. Place vegetables into the cooker, put meat on top, then add the liquid.
The best cuts of meat for a slow cooker
Budget-friendly, and light on prep-work, it’s the tougher cuts of meat that tenderise well in a slow cooker. Look for:
BEEF: Topside, oyster, blade, skirt, round, chuck, gravy beef.
VEAL: Osso buco, shanks, shoulder.
LAMB: Neck chops, shoulder, shanks, forequarter.
PORK: Forequarter chops, neck/scotch, belly, shoulder.
CHICKEN: Drumsticks, thigh cutlets.
SEAFOOD: Seafood is generally not suitable for a slow cooker. The exception is large octopus, which becomes tender in a cooker.
Looking for more tips on adapting recipes to your slow cooker?
01
upside down chicken
Spicy upside down pineapple chicken
A delicious way to cook a whole chook in the slow-cooker.
02
Vegan curry
Cashew and cauliflower curry
Serve with roti or brown basmati rice.
03
Tunisian lamb stew
Tunisian lamb stew with almonds
With just 15-minutes prep time, this set-and-forget recipe is your ticket to weeknight comfort.
04
cottage pie
Cottage pie
Seasoned beef topped with buttery mash and browned under the grill to finish.
05
deep pan pizza
Deep-pan pepperoni pizza
Who knew you could make pizza in the slow cooker? We did! This is our easier-than-ever spin using store-bought pizza dough and sauce.
06
Slow-cooker loaded veg ‘bolognese’ baked potatoes
Slow-cooker loaded veg ‘bolognese’ baked potatoes
Vegie-packed and delicious.
07
Slow-cooker beef korma
Slow-cooker beef korma
Come home to a delightfully fragrant beef curry.
08
Slow cooker chicken tikka masala
Using a slow cooker in this chicken tikka masala recipe is the perfect way to develop the flavour of delicious spices, and creates the most tender chicken.
09
This shredded beef tacos recipe with slow cooked beef is a midweek dinner superstar, packed with flavour and simple to throw together.
10
Mexican pull-apart pork
Mexican pull-apart pork
Serve in tortillas topped with sour cream and coriander.
11
Slow-cooker honey mustard chicken
This sweet, succulent and oh-so-tender slow-cooker honey mustard chicken will have you coming back for more! Full of tasty nutritious ingredients, this will easily become a family favourite!
12
Slow-cooker lamb & eggplant curry
A rich, fragrant and warming slow-cooked lamb and eggplant curry that will melt in your mouth.
13
Slow-cooker lamb shanks
Slow-cooker lamb shanks
There’s a reason lamb shanks are among the best cuts of meat for your slow-cooker. There’s nothing like coming home to a perfectly tender lamb shank.
14
Slow cooker vegetable minestrone
The king of winter soups, minestrone is simple to make, comforting, hearty and delicious, especially when the weather is a little cooler.
15
Slow-cooker ribollita
Ribollita [ree-boh-lee-tah] literally means ‘reboiled’. This Tuscan soup was originally made by reheating leftover minestrone or vegetable soup and adding bread, white beans and vegetables such as carrot, zucchini, spinach and cavolo nero.
16
Slow-cooker massaman beef curry
Slow-cooker massaman beef curry
A slow-cooked, meltingly-tender, rich Thai beef curry topped with crunchy peanuts.
17
Slow-cooked Mexican beef chilli mole
Slow-cooked Mexican beef chilli mole
This traditional Mexican meat dish, where chocolate, chilli and beef are combined in a delicious, hearty casserole, is even more flavoursome in this gorgeous version of the recipe made in a slow cooker.
18
Vietnamese beef brisket
Slow cooked to tender perfection, this fragrant Vietnamese beef brisket is beautiful served atop steamed rice. With Asian spices and vegetables, this beautiful Vietnamese dish is great enjoyed straight out of the slow cooker.
Looking for hearty and full-of-flavour dinner options? You can’t go past these beer and thyme beef cheeks.
20
Slow-cooker borscht
Borscht is a beetroot soup of Ukrainian origin that is popular in many Central and Eastern European cuisines.
21
co*ck-a-leekie soup
co*ck-a-leekie soup
Perfect for a chilly winter’s night- the entire family will love this nourishing chicken and leek soup.
22
Beef and vegetable soup
Warm up the family with this hearty beef and vegetable soup on a cold winter’s night.
23
Split pea and capsicum curry
This delicious split pea and capsicum curry is packed full of flavour, and is sure to be a family favourite.
24
Peppered pork curry
Packed with bold flavour, this deliciously hearty peppered pork curry is perfect for any night of the week.
25
Slow-cooker coq au vin
Slow-cooker coq au vin
This traditional French chicken, bacon and mushroom stew is made even more flavoursome when cooked overnight in a slow cooker.
26
Lamb, spinach and chickpea rice pilaf
Warm your body and soul with this hearty lamb, spinach and chickpea rice pilaf. It’s utterly delicious and packed full of flavour and protein to keep you charged through the cooler months.
27
Slow-cooked beef rib bourguignon
Slow cooked beef rib bourguignon
The addition of tender beef ribs in this traditional French dish brings a wonderful flavour and texture to the classic beef bourguignon. Serve it straight out of the slow cooker with a side of mashed potato or crusty bread.
28
Chicken and mushroom soup
Warm up with this delicious chicken and mushroom soup – a true family favourite.
29
Shredded Mexican chicken and beans
The delicious combination of tender shredded chicken and slow cooked beans makes this slow cooker Mexican dish absolutely delicious. Enjoy it warm for a family weeknight dinner.
30
Slow-cooker dessert recipes
Take the fuss out of dessert with these gorgeously melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooker recipes, from rice pudding to rich chocolate cake.
31
Boston baked beans
Hot, heart and the ultimate comfort food, these delicious slow cooked Boston-style baked beans are great enjoyed with a thick slice of toast for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
32
Lamb, kumara and almond curry
Enjoy this hearty and nourishing lamb, kumara and almond curry on a winter’s night.
33
Sicilian meatballs in spicy tomato sauce
Warm, hearty and utterly delicious, these lamb meatballs are simmered in the slow cooker to tender perfection in a fragrant spicy tomato sauce. Serve with warm pasta or mashed tomato for a delicious family dinner idea.
34
Coconut curried beef
Love Thai food? Then you can’t go past this full-of-flavour coconut curried beef – hearty and delicious.
35
Sun-dried tomato and balsamic lamb stew
Sun-dried tomato and balsamic lamb stew
Chunky bits of lamb sit in a nourishing stew with hints of fresh thyme and basil to cut through the richness. This is winter comfort food at its hearty best.
36
Moroccan chickpea stew
Chock full of veggies and tender chickpeas, this rich Moroccan-inspired stew is packed with nutrients and the best cold-busting remedy for winter nights.
37
Red pork with lychee curry
This hearty red pork and lychee curry is perfect for any night of the week- delicious and satisfying.
38
Lamb shanks and eggplant stew
Nourish your family with this delicious lamb shank and eggplant stew.
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