10 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

With fall in full swing, it’s time to dust off your secret weeknight weapon: the slow cooker. The dream is to dump ingredients in the morning, and come home to a cozy dinner as soon as you walk through the door. Traditional recipes focus on beefy stews and starches. But you can definitely keep slow cooking in the realm of healthy, so long as you shop for lean meats, swap in beans and lentils, and chop and drop colorful veggies.

Check out these easy and saucy slow cooker recipes, shared by healthy eating bloggers who love comfort and convenience.

Photo courtesy of The View from Great Island

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Find the full recipe on The View from Great Island

Bouef bourguignon is the hearty beef stew to rule them all. Jam lots of fall veggies in there, from button mushrooms to sweet and petite onions.

Photo courtesy of Cafe Delites

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
Find the full recipe on Cafe Delites

There’s pasta sauce, and then there’s pasta sauce. Slow simmer your bolognese all day, and bump it up with lots of veggies. Serve it over zoodles for a low-carb option, or try half linguine, half zucchini.  

Photo courtesy of Show Me the Yummy

Slow Cooker Carnitas
Find the full recipe on Show Me the Yummy

Pork shoulder is a succulent cut. Simply trim the fat before cooking, and top it off with a pineapple salsa, to keep your tacos fresh.

Photo courtesy of Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Slow Cooker Moroccan Lamb Shanks
Find the full recipe on Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Lamb shanks are affordable and incredibly flavorful. Slow cooked, they become fall-off-the-bone tender. This recipe pairs lamb with Moroccan spices and chickpeas, balancing red meat with plant protein.

Photo courtesy of Simple Healthy Kitchen

Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Find the full recipe on Simple Healthy Kitchen

Slow cooker chicken can be just as pull-apart succulent as the classic pulled pork recipe. Mound it on a whole-wheat bun with lightly dressed slaw.

Photo courtesy of The Kitchen Paper

Healthy Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Find the full recipe on The Kitchen Paper

Craving curry? This better-than-takeout tikka is saucy, spicy, and comforting, even without the cream.

Photo courtesy of Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Crockpot Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
Find the full recipe on Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Chicken soup is always satisfying, but these enchilada-style bowls, filled with gentle green chiles, will warm your stomach and your soul. Use low-fat Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese for a healthy swap.

Photo courtesy of Aberdeen’s Kitchen

Slow Cooker Three-Bean Chili
Find the full recipe on Aberdeen’s Kitchen

No meat? No problem! This veggie chili, featuring three types of beans, is the ultimate comfort food of vegetarians.

Photo courtesy of Pinch of Yum

The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup
Find the full recipe on Pinch of Yum

When the holidays start to rev up, this blogger makes weeknights less hectic with a humble crock of lentils. She simmers them with wholesome butternut squash and kale, and seasons it all with plenty of herbs and aromatics.

Photo courtesy of Well Plated by Erin

Banana Slow Cooker Overnight Oats
Find the full recipe on Well Plated by Erin

Slow cookers do more than dinner! Take your overnight oats to the next level with chewy steel-cut grains, and wake up to a warm bowl in the morning. Inspired by banana bread, this version packs in the fruit and nuts.

Hungry for more? Get inspired with these delicious roundups and recipes.

• Healthy Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken with Artichokes & Olives
• Healthy Recipe: Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats
• A Slow Cooker Plan for Busy Weeknights
• 10 Quick & Easy Lunch Boxes

Becky Duffett

Becky Duffett is a contributing nutrition editor for Fitbit and a lifestyle writer with a passion for eating well. A former Williams-Sonoma cookbook editor and graduate of San Francisco Cooking School, she’s edited dozens of cookbooks and countless recipes. City living has turned her into a spin addict—but she’d still rather be riding a horse. She lives in the cutest neighborhood in San Francisco, spending weekends at the farmers’ market, trying to read at the bakery, and roasting big dinners for friends.