Easy slow cooker recipes

Updated: 25/10/2021

I’ve been looking forward to writing about this for a while. You see, while I’m average (at best) when it comes to cooking, I won’t be winning a Michelin star anytime soon. But when I use my slow cooker, not only does the food taste great, but the recipes are incredibly simple too.

Simplicity is key for me. I don’t know how many times I’ve searched for new recipes only to be put off, either by ingredients I’ve never heard of or a complicated method. For the most part, slow cooker recipes are not like this. I’m not oversimplifying when I say, most recipes consist of cooking meat in a pan, adding it to various other ingredients and waiting for a few hours till it’s done- it’s really that simple.

I’ve put together a few recipes that are easy, delicious, and perfect for winter. If you don’t own a slow cooker, you can pick one up from Amazon for around £20.

 

Slow-cooked Irish stew

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 200g smoked streaky bacon (cut into chunks)
• 900g cheap stewing lamb (cut into chunks)
• Small bunch of thyme
• 3 onions thickly sliced
• 5 carrots (cut into chunks)
• 6 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)
• 700ml lamb stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 85g pearl barley
• 1 large leek (cut into chunks)
• Small knob butter

 

Method

Heat the oil in the frying pan. Cook the bacon until crisp and then put it into the slow cooker. Next, brown the lamb (you’ll probably need to do this in batches) then transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the thyme, onions, carrots, potatoes, stock, bay leaves, and if the stock doesn’t cover the lamb, top up with water. Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.

Stir in the pearl barley and leek until the pearl barley is tender.

Stir in the butter and season to taste.

 

Pork shoulder with cider & parsnips

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1kg pork shoulder (diced)
• 2 onions thickly sliced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 parsnips (cut into chunks)
• 2 bay leaves
• 330ml cider
• 450ml chicken stock
• Serve with mashed potatoes (optional)

 

Method

Heat the olive oil in the frying pan and brown the meat in batches. Transfer into the slow cooker along with the onions, celery, parsnips, and bay leaves. Add the cider and chicken stock so all the meat and vegetables are covered.

Cook for 8 hours on low heat. Season and serve with mashed potatoes.

Quick tip: remember to remove the bay leaves after cooking!

 

Beef & Stout Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1kg stewing beef cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 10 carrots cut into chunks
• 400ml of Guinness or other stout
• 1 beef stock cube
• Pinch sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• Big time sprig

 

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat in batches. Add to the slow cooker pot and stir in the flour until it disappears. Add the onion, thyme, carrots, and stout and crumble in the stock cube. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until the beef is tender.

 

Slow cooker ratatouille (vegetarian)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 large aubergines, cut into 1.5cm pieces
• 3 courgettes, halved and cut into 2cm pieces
• 3 mixed peppers, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 6 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• small bunch of basil, roughly chopped, plus a few extra leaves to serve
• few thyme sprigs
• 400g can plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Sourdough, to serve (optional)

 

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 8 mins until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the aubergines and fry for 5 mins until golden. Stir in the courgettes and peppers, and fry for 5 more minutes until slightly soft. Add the tomato purée, fresh tomatoes, herbs, canned tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil.

Transfer to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until everything is soft and the sauce has thickened. Season, scatter over some extra basil and serve with sourdough if you like.

 

Note – If you don’t think slow cooker recipes are for you, why not check out our favourite Curry Recipes here!