What’s better than an easy slow-cooker recipe? The answer is a slow-cooker recipe that also has a short ingredient list. Plenty of our favorite slow-cooker recipes call for just five main ingredients—but that doesn’t mean they skimp on flavor. Our Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, for example, uses a jar of salsa to supercharge the chicken with big flavor. We’ve rounded up our best five-ingredient slow-cooker recipes that will make getting dinner on the table easier than ever before.
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Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
The Mexican version of pulled pork, these carnitas make for a tender and tasty dinner. In addition to tacos, slow-cooked pork shoulder can be used for enchiladas, sliders, quesadillas, and more.
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
From game day meals to kid-friendly dinners, this brisket will be a new favorite. You can even make it up to two days ahead of time. Serve it with or without a bun plus your favorite toppings like pickles, slaw, and extra sauce.
Credit: Melina Hammer
You’re just four inexpensive ingredients away from a comforting, homemade meal. Prep this pot roast in the morning and it’ll be fall-apart tender by dinnertime.
Credit: Hector Sanchez
Whether you need a side to bring to your next potluck, or a dinner the whole family will love, you can never go wrong with mac and cheese. Just like Grandma used to make, this comfort food uses evaporated milk and cheddar to create cheesy goodness.
Credit: Iain Bagwell
Cooking green beans low and slow will ensure they are tender and filled with flavor. Crispy bits of bacon make everything better, but especially this Southern comfort food classic.
Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
There’s nothing easier than throwing the ingredients in a slow cooker and having dinner ready when you get home. This pulled pork is great as a main dish, or can be used for sandwiches, tacos, nachos, and more. The best part? This delicious dinner needs only 10 minutes of hands-on time.
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
With a few pantry staples, it doesn’t get any easier than this dump-and-go citrusy dessert.
Credit: Caitlin Bensel
Perhaps our easiest slow-cooker recipe of all time, this dish is versatile and delicious. We recommend serving salsa chicken over rice for your first taste, but it also shines in potato dishes and topping off a taco salad.
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Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Rather than hovering over your stove top to intermittently stir for hours on end, simply toss all the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it do all the work.
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
We aren’t hurting for peach cobbler recipes, but this ridiculously easy slow cooker version is ideal for entertaining. Start it just before your guests arrive and two hours later it’ll be perfectly golden, juicy, and crispy for serving with a scoop of ice cream.
Credit: Jennifer Davick
This super easy pork barbecue can be paired with coleslaw, cheese grits, or cornbread for a delicious dinner that makes even better leftovers. A can of cola is the secret ingredient in this flavorful and juicy meat recipe.
Credit: Alison Miksch
While these boiled peanuts might take 18 hours to come to perfection, they’re as easy as tossing two ingredients in the pot and pressing start. Best of all, you’ll have a fan-favorite snack that will last in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, you basically have dinner ready. Just five main ingredients plus some delicious spices get dumped into the pot. All you have to do i check back in 6 hours.
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Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
A handful of affordable and easy-to-find ingredients make up this simple weeknight dinner recipe. We recommend serving it over rice or mashed potatoes for a delicious meal.
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Jennifer Davick
Don’t fuss with wondering if your chicken is cooked properly when you turn to this no-fail, slow-cooker recipe. Bonus: The sides are built into the one pot dish.
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Vanessa Rocchio; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Toss together coffee, cake mix, and cocoa plus a few pantry staples and you’ll have an impressive dessert that only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time.
Credit: Southern Living
Whether for a holiday meal or weeknight kid-friendly dish, you’ll save oven space with this recipe. Simply peel and cube the potatoes then add them to the slow cooker with the other ingredients.
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Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Just over five base ingredients (but you can subtract to your taste, time, and availability) gets you to this delicious lemony chicken soup, which can be made at low temperatures in a slow cooker.
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
If you’re a fan of onions, you’ll no doubt be delighted by this recipe, which will allow you to slow-cook your way to sweet-savory French-onion-soup goodness. Already have the onions on hand? You’re halfway to dinnertime.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Once you’ve had your fill of French onion soup but aren’t ready to retire the flavor profile just yet, try your hand at our French Onion Pasta, which takes the sweet-savory combo and applies it to a tender pasta base.
Dining and Cooking