Dinner that cooks itself? With a slow cooker, this dream becomes a reality: Combine ingredients in the machine, push a button, and enjoy a hearty, homey supper hours later.
The Basics
The slow cooker (commonly referred to as Crock-Pot, which is a brand name) is an electric appliance with a ceramic, porcelain, or metal insert and a tight-fitting lid. The vessel can safely be left unattended as it cooks ingredients in liquid at low temperatures (approximately 200 degrees). Over a period of about four to eight hours, it transforms tougher cuts of meat, such as beef brisket or lamb shanks, making them wonderfully tender. The lid prevents evaporation, for great soups and saucy stews. No fuss, no stirring—you set it up in the morning and come home to a delicious dinner.
Cooking Tips
• Start with the right ingredients. Chicken breasts and lean, tender cuts of beef, pork, and lamb can dry out. Ground meat and seafood both cook too quickly for the slow cooker.
• Pay attention to the size of the slow cooker called for in a recipe. When cooking, the pot should be between halfway and two-thirds full. If it’s not full enough, food can overcook. If it’s too full, the machine can overflow as the food simmers and condensation accumulates.
• Resist the temptation to peek into the pot. It takes a while for a slow cooker to warm up; if you lift the lid, you release the steam and lower the temperature inside. For each time you do that, add about 15 minutes to your cooking time.
• Need even more time than a recipe calls for? Set up your ingredients in the crock, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Starting with a chilled crock and ingredients will add about an hour to your cooking time.
• Get to know your slow cooker. Different models heat at different rates and to different temperatures. If you notice that your food tends to overcook or takes longer than a recipe indicates, start adjusting the cooking time on recipes you make.
• Never put frozen food into a slow cooker; the meat may end up at an unsafe temperature for too long, causing harmful bacteria to grow.
BROWNING INSERT
Some models (including this one) have a metal insert that can be used on the stovetop before being transferred to the slow cooker, or can heat up enough to brown. We like these models, as they allow you to sauté onions and other aromatics and to brown meat.
TO-GO OPTIONS
If you like taking your slow cooker to potlucks, look for features such as a locking lid and carrying case.
SMART SETTINGS
For slow-cooking, you just need “low” and “high” modes. But many models come with other features, such as a “keep warm” mode and a programmable timer. Decide which ones, if any, will
be useful for you.
A NOTE ABOUT SIZE
A five- to six-quart slow cooker will work for most recipes and feed four to eight people. Oval- or rectangular-shaped ones fit roasts and whole chickens more easily than round ones.
Spiced Chicken Stew with Carrots
Spiced
Chicken
Stew with Carrots
ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 4 HOURS 10 MINUTES
We use a slow cooker with a browning option to crisp the chicken skin for this Moroccan-flavored dish. The stew is great on its own, but couscous would be an easy and fitting side dish. SERVES 4
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds total)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
2 pounds carrots, cut into 1½-inch lengths
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a browning option, brown chicken in oil; transfer to a plate. (If your slow cooker doesn’t have a browning option, just remove skin from the chicken.) Add carrots, garlic, cinnamon stick, and cumin to pot. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on high until chicken is cooked through, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low), adding raisins 15 minutes before done.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and carrots to a serving dish (remove cinnamon stick); top with cilantro and almonds. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken before serving.
Pulled Pork
ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 6 HOURS 30 MINUTES
Barbecue purists may claim that pulled pork has to be smoked in a pit to be the real thing, and we won’t quibble with that. But this recipe, prepared right in your kitchen (on the counter, no less), is one deliciously simple variation on the theme. SERVES 8
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 dried bay leaves
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree
2 teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2¾ pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and halved crosswise
8 sandwich rolls, split, for serving
Coleslaw, for serving
Pickles, for serving
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine onion, oregano, bay leaves, chipotle, adobo sauce, tomatoes (and puree), salt, and pepper. Add pork and turn to coat completely.
Cover and cook on high until meat is pull-apart tender, about 6 hours. Transfer pork to a bowl; shred with two forks. Return pork to pot, and toss with sauce. Discard bay leaves.
Serve pulled pork with rolls, coleslaw, and pickles.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 5 HOURS 15 MINUTES
This celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day meal is too satisfying to make only once a year. Its name comes from the process of salting—or “corning”—a large cut of beef to preserve it. SERVES 6
3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact)
½ pound new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
6 sprigs thyme
1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice
6 cups water
½ head Savoy cabbage, cut into 1½-inch wedges
Grainy mustard, for serving
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, and thyme. Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of vegetables; sprinkle with pickling spice. Pour in the water (or enough to almost cover meat). Cover and cook on high until corned beef is tender, 4 hours 15 minutes (or 8 hours 30 minutes on low). Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 45 minutes (or 1 hour 30 minutes on low).
Thinly slice corned beef against the grain. Drizzle beef and vegetables with cooking liquid, and serve with mustard.
EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME
If you have corned beef left over, make a quick hash. Fry up some of the boiled potatoes with onions and chopped corned beef; add some chopped leftover cabbage, too.
Spicy Turkey Chili
ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 3 HOURS 45 MINUTES
Think of this as a three-chile chili: It gets its depth, smokiness, and heat from serrano peppers,
canned chipotles in adobo sauce, and chili powder. The heat of fresh chiles varies widely. Taste a tiny bit of your serrano; if it’s incendiary, use just one.
SERVES 6
1½ pounds boneless, skinless turkey thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced, plus sliced chiles, for serving
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
2 tablespoons chili powder
Coarse salt
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Sour cream and fresh cilantro, for serving
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine turkey, onion, garlic, serrano chiles, chipotle chile, tomatoes, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook on high until turkey is fork-tender, 3 hours (or 6 hours on low).
Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 30 minutes more. Stir in vinegar, and season with salt. Serve with sliced chiles, sour cream, and cilantro.
ABOUT CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO
Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. They are often sold in cans, in a tangy sauce called adobo, in the Latin section of supermarkets. Their smoky heat is great in soups and stews, but a little goes a long way—this recipe calls for just one. Freeze the rest in a resealable bag for up to three months.
Garlic Chicken with Barley
Garlic
Chicken with Barley
ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS 20 MINUTES
With hearty barley and sweet green peas, so evocative of spring, this meal straddles the seasons beautifully: It’s hearty and satisfying, but full of fresh promise for the warm days to come. SERVES 4
1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅔ cup pearl barley
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1½ cups frozen peas, thawed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a browning option, brown chicken in oil, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a plate. (If your slow cooker doesn’t have a browning option, just remove skin from the chicken.) Add barley, broth, wine, onion, and garlic to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through, 2 hours.
Stir peas and tarragon into barley; season with salt and pepper; and transfer to a platter. Arrange chicken on barley and serve.
THE RIGHT WINE
A good rule of thumb is to cook with a wine you’d like to drink. A dry Sauvignon Blanc works here and would make a crisp accompaniment to the meal as well. For an alcohol-free version, substitute low-sodium chicken broth.
One Pot, Four Ways
Pot RoastACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 5 HOURS 15 MINUTES
For pot roast—a tough cut of beef braised until succulent and tender—we start with a well-marbled chuck. Pair it with familiar carrots and potatoes, or try one of the variations that follow. SERVES 6
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 beef roast (3 pounds), preferably chuck, trimmed of excess fat
4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons broth until smooth. Add remaining broth, tomato paste, potatoes, carrots, onion, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
2. Season roast with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and rub with garlic. Place on top of vegetables. Cover and cook on high until roast is fork-tender, 5 hours (or 8 hours on low).
3. Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain. Place vegetables in a serving dish; skim fat from pan juices, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Serve roast and vegetables drizzled with juices.
with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon
 |
• In step 1, omit tomato paste, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce. Add 2 sprigs rosemary.
• In step 2, during the last 20 minutes of cooking, add 12 ounces broccoli rabe to slow cooker, pressing down into juices; cook 20 minutes, then transfer to serving dish. Stir 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice into juices.
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with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ginger
 |
• In step 1, replace tomato paste with reduced-sodium soy sauce. Replace potatoes with turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges. Replace carrots with 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced. Replace onion with ¼ cup minced peeled fresh ginger. Replace Worcestershire sauce with hoisin sauce.
• In step 3, garnish with sliced scallions.
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with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes
 |
• In step 1, omit tomato paste. Replace potatoes with sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges. Replace carrots with ½ cup halved prunes. Replace Worcestershire sauce with ¼ cup red wine.
• In step 3, stir an additional ½ cup halved prunes into sauce.
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CLASSIC POT ROAST
POT ROAST with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon (TOP), POT ROAST with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes (RIGHT), POT ROAST with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ginger (BOTTOM)
Potato and Bacon Soup
ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 4 HOURS 20 MINUTES
When nightfall comes early and you just can’t shake the chill, this soup is exactly what you need. It’s stocked with thick-cut bacon and nutritious root vegetables. Golden Gruyère toasts floating on top make the whole thing even more cozy and comforting. SERVES 8
1 (1-inch-thick) slab bacon (4 ounces), rind removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 leeks (white and light-green parts only), sliced into rounds and rinsed well
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped into ½-inch pieces, fronds reserved
¼ head Savoy cabbage, chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
Toasted baguette slices topped with melted cheese, such as Gruyère, Comté, or Tomme de Savoie, for serving (optional)
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place bacon and potatoes. Toss together leeks, chopped fennel, cabbage, garlic, thyme, and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl; add to slow cooker. Pour in broth and the water (or enough water until vegetables are just covered, pressing them down to submerge).
Cover and cook on high until vegetables are tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in reserved fennel fronds. Serve with toasted baguette slices, if desired.
Lamb Shanks and Potatoes
ACTIVE TIME 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 5 HOURS 20 MINUTES
Fragrant spices and the sweetness of apricot jam are the perfect complements to rich, meaty lamb shanks. Have your butcher cut the shanks into pieces for a better fit in the slow cooker. SERVES 6
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons apricot jam
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 strips orange zest
¾ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3½ pounds lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat, cut into thirds widthwise
1¼ pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together tomatoes, tomato paste, apricot jam, garlic, orange zest, rosemary, ginger, and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Add lamb and potatoes, stirring to combine.
Cover and cook on high until lamb and potatoes are tender, 5 hours (or 8 hours on low). Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with parsley.
Whole Poached Chicken with Asian Flavors
Whole Poached Chicken with Asian Flavors
ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES
This light, delicate chicken isn’t your typical slow-cooker dinner. But the appliance’s low temperature poaches the bird beautifully, yielding moist meat in a delectable broth. SERVES 4
3 bunches whole scallions
1 bunch cilantro (stems and leaves)
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
2 celery stalks, chopped into 2-inch pieces
12 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
6 (¼-inch) slices peeled fresh ginger
6 star anise
2 teaspoons peppercorns, preferably white
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt
8 cups water
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place 2 bunches scallions and half a bunch of cilantro. Place the chicken on top. Add celery, mushrooms, ginger, star anise, peppercorns, and salt, arranging everything around the chicken. Add the water. Cover and cook on high until chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 2 hours (or 4 hours on low).
Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and carve into portions; slice breast. Divide among large bowls. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms to bowls. Ladle broth over chicken and mushrooms, avoiding star anise and other ingredients (or strain first). Coarsely chop remaining cilantro and scallions, and sprinkle over each bowl before serving. (Strain remaining chicken broth, and reserve for another use.)
Turkey Stew with Lima Beans
Turkey
Stew with Lima Beans
ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME 6 HOURS 20 MINUTES, PLUS SOAKING
The two main ingredients here aren’t a common combination, but they work together beautifully. Strips of lemon zest and a squeeze of juice at the table add a little zing. SERVES 8
2 cups dried large lima beans (10 ounces), sorted and rinsed
2 boneless, skinless turkey thighs (1½ pounds total), cut into 1½-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 large strips of lemon zest; plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; and wedges, for serving
Cover beans with cold water; let sit overnight. Drain beans. Season turkey with salt and pepper.
If using a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with a browning option: Brown turkey in oil, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 4 minutes. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add broth, lemon zest, the beans, and the turkey to slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.
If using a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker without a browning option: Place beans in the slow cooker. Add all other ingredients, except lemon juice and wedges.
Cover and cook on high 6 hours. (Beans should be tender and turkey will be just beginning to fall apart.) Add lemon juice and stir. Serve with lemon wedges.
