Slow Cooker Pot Roast made with Red Wine

February 7, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Juicy and tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Red Wine is comfort food at its finest. With simple rustic ingredients like Chuck Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, and Red Wine this meal was made for a low and slow cook in the crockpot.

Large white serving bowl filled with carrots, baby potatoes, and juicy pot roast chunks garnished with little specks of parsley.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

Is there anything more comforting and rustic as a pot roast? A perfectly cozy yet impressive dinner. It is just as perfect for a family Sunday supper, as a weeknight meal, or as a dinner party. So versatile yet also so easy.

In order to get the most out of your pot roast a few things can be done to make the most of the flavor.

Using red wine as a base for your sauce to bring a richness to the flavor.

Browning the chuck roast before it goes in the slow cooker so you lock in the juices and flavors.

Adding the vegetables on the bottom and the roast on top so it can properly braise.

These simple steps will help you get the most out of your roast!

Serving bowl filled with carrots, baby potatoes, and pot roast garnished with parsley and a gold serving fork.

Ingredients

Boneless Chuck Roast – In case it isn’t obvious this is the center of the dish. The chuck roast is the cut from the upper shoulder of the cattle. When choosing a chuck roast you will want to look for a few things. First you will want your roast to be BONELESS. Next is you will want to make a decision about the quality of the beef:

So let’s dive in, beef comes in a number of different grades, you will commonly see three different grades in the grocery store: Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime is at the higher end of the spectrum, it has the most marbling which in turns yields the juiciest and most flavorful results. Prime most often will be found at higher end restaurants, because it is higher end there might be few choices for this cut at the grocery. The middle grade is Choice. Choice grade will still have marbling but tends to have less then the prime, it is usually a solid pick for a good piece of meat, and it usually the most commonly found at the grocery store. And then Select, Select grade will have the least amount to no marbling making the cut leaner but also a little less juicy and flavorful. Select grade will be the most budget friendly. When making this dish I often reach for a Choice Boneless Chuck Roast. The size will be in-between 3 to 5 pounds. Note: Some grocery stores might tie the roast together, it is okay and you can leave that attached to keep the roast together

Olive Oil – Just a little for when searing the beef. You may sub out a different oil of your choosing.
Kosher Salt – Kosher salt works best especially when adding to meat, the structure of the salt is different from that of table salt. Sea salt is a good substitute if you need one.
Dried Thyme – Just a little flavoring for this pot roast, I find the thyme goes well with the red wine for flavoring.
Red Wine – When in doubt don’t overthink this and just use what you like to drink, especially with what you would choose to drink with a pot roast. But if you need a little more guidance these are considered the best red wines to use with a pot roast: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bordeaux, Shiraz, or Rioja. Personally I typically will use a Cabernet Sauvignon, I think it adds a good flavor but I also enjoy a glass of it while eating the pot roast! (Keep in mind if you aren’t a big drinker you can use a small bottle or box of a cheap wine for cooking OR yes you can skip the wine and just deglaze the pan with extra beef broth.)
Yellow Onion – You can also use a white onion. Either way you will want the onions cut into wedges, think like slicing an apple into thin slices.
Carrots – Peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks. Now some people will tend to use baby carrots, which I will note are fine in a pinch but using regular carrots are going to yield in a not as much and more flavorful (think sweet) end result.
Baby Potatoes – I like to use baby potatoes instead of cut russets or golds because they don’t get mushy in the crockpot! They maintain their shape and don’t get mushy. Plus there is essentially no prepping them since most come pre-washed, just open the bag and dump in.
Garlic – I use quite a bit of garlic in my version of pot roast, I personally think it boosts the dish quite a bit. I highly recommend using fresh cloves minced yourself instead of the pre-minced garlic in this dish.
Beef Broth – Now I am aware that beef broth gets a little bad rap in the high end chef world BUT we are all at home making the best dish we can. So we are going to use beef broth to help with the flavors in the dish. You will notice that I only call for two cups and it shouldn’t cover or submerge the roast when you add it, don’t worry this is intentional.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All the ingredients needed to make crockpot pot roast with red wine laid out on a table top.

Instructions

pro tip

Pre-heat your crockpot as you are getting everything prepped and added! So before you start all the prep get the crockpot out and turn on to LOW. This ensures that your food starts the cooking process immediately once everything is added instead of waiting for the crockpot to come to temperature.

Start by adding the cleaned and cut carrots as well as the baby potatoes to the bottom of the crockpot.

Heat a cast-iron or other large skillet to medium-high heat. Let it get hot. Add the olive oil to the skillet.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt all over the chuck roast. Add the chuck roast to the hot oiled skillet and cook about 3 to 5 minutes per side until the outside is browned on all sides. Transfer the chuck roast to the crockpot on top of the vegetables.

Add the onions to the skillet cook tossing about 1 minute.

Add the dried thyme, remaining salt, and red wine to the skillet and deglaze the skillet, cooking 1 to 2 minutes making sure you are scraping up all the beef bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the beef broth, cook about 3 to 5 minute or until a slight steaming simmer starts. Remove from heat.

Collage showing the first steps of browning the pot roast, cooking the onions, and deglazing the pan with red wine.

Collage sowing the steps of adding minced garlic to the pan and broth to form a sauce for the pot roast.

Carefully (it is hot) add the broth mixture over top to roast. Let the onions sit on top of the roast.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours depending on the size of your roast. The roast should pull apart easily when done. If it still seems tough the roast probably needs more time.

To serve transfer the roast to a cutting board and gently pull apart. Serve with the vegetables and the sauce from the crockpot.

Collage showing the steps of adding the carrots and potatoes to the crockpot, adding the chuck roast on top, and then topping with the red wine sauce.

Collage showing the pot roast after it is done cooking.

Optional: If you want a thicker gravy for serving remove all the vegetables from the crockpot and transfer the liquid to a sauce pan. Make a slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstrach and 2 tablespoons water. Add to the liquid and bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stovetop. Cook down until thickened, should take just a few minutes. Remove from heat to serve with the rest of the meal.

A white serving bowl filled with crockpot pot roast with red wine, baby potatoes, and carrots all garnished with fresh parsley.

tips, tricks and questions

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the Crock-Pot?

Technically speaking no. BUT Yes if you want the best results. By browning the roast first you create a Maillard reaction which helps intensify the aromas and favors in cooking.

Is it better to cook a roast on high or low in a Crock-Pot?

LOW! This is one of those dishes that ‘low and slow’ is best. Cooking on high will result in a dried out roast.

Should pot roast be covered with liquid in slow cooker?

No. We are braising the chuck roast, it isn’t a stew. With braising the majority of the roast will be out of the liquid. As the roast and vegetables cook they will releases juices which will cover the roast as it cooks.

What is the best wine for pot roast?

These red wines are my favorite. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bordeaux, Shiraz, or Rioja.

A close up of a serving bowl filled with slow cooker pot roast, carrots, and baby potatoes.

If you like this Chuck Roast Crockpot Recipe you might also like:

what to serve with this

White bowl full of fluffy mashed potatoes dripping with melted butter and garnished with fresh parsley.

The BEST Classic Mashed Potatoes

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Simple Spinach Salad

overhead shot of a cast iron on a table filled with apple crisp topped with ice cream and part of it scooped up with a spoon

G rilled Apple Crisp

Yield: Serves 6

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Red Wine

Name: Slow Cooker Pot Roast Red Wine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 7 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3-5 pound boneless chuck roast; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 teaspoons Kosher salt; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; ½ cup red wine; 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges; 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups beef broth

This tender and juicy Slow Cooker Pot Roast is made with Red Wine for a flavorful dinner. A rustic meal that uses simple ingredients like a chuck roast, carrots, potatoes, onions, and red wine to make a savory meal that cooks slowly in the crockpot.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

3-5 pound boneless chuck roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup red wine
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth

Instructions

Add cleaned carrots and baby potatoes to the bottom of the crockpot.
Heat cast-iron or other large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt on to the chuck roast. Cook the chuck roast about 3 to 5 minutes per side until the outside is browned on all sides. Transfer the chuck roast to the crockpot over the vegetables.
Add the onions to the skillet cook about one minute. Add the dried thyme, remaining salt, and red wine to the skillet and deglaze the skillet, cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds then add the beef broth, cook about 3 to 5 minute until a slight simmer. Remove from heat.
Add broth mixture over top to roast. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours depending on the size of your roast. The roast should pull apart easily when done.
To serve transfer the roast to a cutting board and gently pull apart. Serve with the vegetables and the sauce from the crockpot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/6 of the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1077Total Fat: 61gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 314mgSodium: 1061mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 98g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

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Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup

December 13, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Easy to prepare in the morning and simmer all day this Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup is comfort in a bowl. This midwestern favorite has been developed with ease in mind as well as no heavy creams, making it a perfect addition to a meal rotation!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Growing up in Minnesota and most of the midwest you are very accustomed to finding Chicken Wild Rice Soup everywhere. Most local restaurants and diners were sure to have it on their menu. It is a comfort food that maybe people outside the midwest aren’t used to seeing as often.

I know now that I am living out in New England it is something I seldom see, so you know what a food blogger does. Makes their own version.

When I wanted to start working on this recipe I will admit it was even hard for me to find true Wild Rice at my New Hampshire grocery store. Most of it comes in blends, which sorry is mostly not wild rice. Luckily I did happen to find Reese’s Paddy Grown Minnesota Wild Rice. So I stocked up! I noted you can also purchase true wild rice online, honestly I would check Etsy out of all places, you will find real hand harvested wild rice for sale there!

Why am I getting so picky about the actual rice??

Real Minnesota Wild Rice is a naturally grown grain, native to Minnesota, it is not a farm crop.

Wild rice is not technically a rice, it is a persistent annual grass that reproduces each year from seed stock deposited in previous fall seasons. The plant typically grows in shallow water depths in fresh lakes and is affected by water flow, turbidity, water quality and water level fluctuations.

In Minnesota the Native American Tribes have the ownership and management of any wild rice that respectively grows on reservation land. All Minnesota Wild Rice is harvested by hand with paddles and boats, no machinery can be used. In addition to the Native American tribes (who don’t need a license to harvest), limited numbers of licenses can be purchased for others to try their hand at wild rice harvesting.

Growing up I remember being up at my family’s cabin watching the Native Americans harvesting the wild rice out of the lake in their canoes.

So needless to say this simple soup musters up a lot of memories of growing up, one of the things I love about food!

So what does Minnesota Wild Rice Taste Like?

Wild Rice has an outer shell that gives it a chewy texture. Wild rice has a slightly earthy and nutty flavor.

Tabletop filled with four bowls filled with slow cooker chicken wild rice soup sitting next to spoons, a blue kitchen towel, and a loaf of bread.

Ingredients

Carrots – Peeled and diced.
Celery Stalks – Cleaned and Diced.
Onion – Diced, you may use a yellow or white onion in this recipe.
Chicken Thighs – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs is what I found works best. I tried this recipe a few times with chicken breasts and the chicken breast would get overcooked and dried out every time. Luckily chicken thighs can handle the cooking time better so they aren’t as prone to getting dried out like chicken breasts can.
Minnesota Wild Rice – Well I just went into this is detail above but make sure this is Minnesota Wild Rice. I found Reese’s to be the most popular brand to be in groceries nationwide. Obviously if you live in or near Minnesota it is going to be easier to find!
Chicken Broth – A lot of broth/stock is used in this soup because the wild rice really soaks up the liquid. So you will need two cartons of broth as well as milk at the end of cooking as well!
Salt – Taste your soup at the end and make sure you don’t need to add more than this.
Thyme, Rosemary, and Garlic – Chicken Wild Rice soup isn’t super dependent on a lot of spices but I chose to go with a little thyme, rosemary, and garlic to give it a flavor boost.
Butter – Now at the end you will be using the butter and following ingredients to make a ‘mushroom gravy’ if you will opposed to adding heavy cream and having overcooked mushrooms. This only takes about 10 minutes so don’t let it scare you, it is pretty easy.
Mushrooms – I buy the pre-sliced mushrooms I find it easy!
Flour – To help thicken, if need you can use a gluten-free substitute as long as it does have thickening capabilities.
Milk – I prefer whole milk here because it does add quite a bit of flavor but use the milk that you have available.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for crockpot chicken wild rice soup laid out on a table top.

Instructions

To a crockpot add the carrots, celery, onion, chicken, wild rice, chicken broth, salt, thyme, rosemary, and minced garlic. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Collage of ingredients for chicken wild rice soup in crockpot and chicken broth being added.

15 minutes before serving melt the butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté 5 to 6 minutes until they have softened.

Add the flour and toss until mushrooms are coated. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk at a time until the mushroom mixture thickens. (It should take about 4-5 minutes to whisk in all the milk). Once all the milk is in and the mushroom mixture is fully combined and thicken remove off the heat.

Collage showing mushrooms cooking with butter and the getting flour added in a skillet on the stovetop.

Collage showing milk being added to the mushrooms in a skillet on the stovetop and being whisked together.

Remove the cooked chicken. Carefully shred into bite size pieces.

Add the mushroom mixutre to the crockpot and stir to combine. Add back in the shredded chicken stiring again to combine. Serve immediately.

Collage of cooked chicken wild rice soup in a slow cooker, taking the chicken out to shred and adding the mushroom milk mixture.

Collage showing the finishing touches being put on the chicken wild rice soup including add the shredded chicken back in.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

This soup can overcook pretty easily, you will be able to tell because the rice will start to curl ad the chicken will begin to dry out, while the rice is still good once it is curly I recommend not letting this soup cook at a max longer than 7 hours in the slow cooker. I start checking at about 5 hours and it is usually ready at just about 6 hours on LOW.

Close up of a white bowl with a spoon filled with slow cooker chicken wild rice soup.

If you like this Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup you might also like:

Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This Crockpot Chicken Wild Rice Soup is the definition of cozy. An easy dump and go meal with a quick method at the end to keep the soup creamy with no heavy cream. Full of healthy vegetables and grains as well as protein packed chicken this is a soup that you can feel good about!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
2 lbs chicken thighs, skinless boneless
1 cup wild rice (8 ounces)
64 ounces chicken broth (8 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons thyme
½ teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 tablespoon butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk

Instructions

To a crockpot add the carrots, celery, onion, chicken, wild rice, chicken broth, salt, thyme, rosemary, and minced garlic. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
15 minutes before serving melt the butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté 5 to 6 minutes until they have softened.
Add the flour and toss until mushrooms are coated. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk at a time until the mushroom mixture thickens. (It should take about 4-5 minutes to whisk in all the milk). Once all the milk is in and the mushroom mixture is fully combined and thicken remove off the heat.
Remove the cooked chicken. Carefully shred into bite size pieces.
Add the mushroom mixutre to the crockpot and stir to combine. Add back in the shredded chicken stiring again to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

This soup can overcook pretty easily I would advise to not let it cook much longer than 6 hours on the low setting.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

April 19, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This Crockpot Beef Barbacoa recipe is easy and delicious! Blend up a quick flavorful sauce, dump it with the beef in the slow cooker, and you have a wonderful meal waiting for you at the end of the day! This easy slow cooker barbacoa is perfect in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and so much more!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A tabletop with a blue towel, limes, cilantro, and a white plate with a bunch of tacos that are filled with crockpot beef barbacoa.

Easy Barbacoa Recipe

This is one of those super classic crockpot meals. It is easy to throw together in the morning, it cooks all day, and you have a super delicious meal ready for you at the end of the day.

Barbacoa is the perfect contender for a slow cooker meal because the origins of this Mexican dish is cooking the meat all day long in an underground pit! And as much as we all wish we could have that version for a weeknight meal we have to adapt that to our modern lifestyle, that is where the slow cooker comes in!

By doing the barbacoa in the slow cooker it gives it a chance to cook slowly and become super tender while soaking in all the flavor from the delicious sauce.

Close shot of a plate of tacos with beef barbacoa garnished with onions and cilantro.

Ingredients

This recipe is developed to make it easy as possible by blending up all the sauce ingredients quickly. The list may look long at first but at closer look you will see that it is a lot of spices, easy pantry items, and just a few fresh items.

Beef Chuck Roast
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Garlic Cloves
Onion
Cumin
Oregano
Kosher Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar
Lime
Orange
Ground Cloves

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All the ingredients needed to make slow cooker barbacoa laid out on a table top.

How to Make Barbacoa in the Slow Cooker

Start by making the sauce, this can be done in a food processor or blender. Peel the garlic cloves and the onion. Then cut the onion into large chunks to make it easier to blend. Add the garlic and onion to the food processor or blender.

Next juice the lime and orange into the food processor. Now add in the remaining sauce ingredients into the food processor the chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano, salt, apple cider vinegar, and cloves. Blend smooth about 30 seconds until no chunks remain and a sauce has formed.

Collage showing the before and after of the sauce for crockpot barbacoa being made.

Prepare the beef for the slow cooker by carefully cutting into 4 large even sized chunks by doing this it gives the beef more surface volume to soak in the flavors of the sauce. Now add the beef to the slow cooker and pour all the sauce overtop. Cover and cook on LOW 6-7 hours.

Once beef barbacoa is done cooking it should be ready to be gently pulled apart with forks before serving!

Collage showing the steps of adding the beef and sauce to the slow cooker.

Close look inside a black crockpot showing shredded beef barbacoa garnished with cilantro and two golden spoons for serving.

How to Serve Barbacoa

Barbacoa is traditionally served with onions, cilantro, and tortillas. But honestly you can make so many meals with it! Especially because this is a larger recipe you likely can make multiple meals!

Tacos
Burritos
Burrito Bowls
Quesadillas
Nachos

Often times will will have tacos with barbacoa beef for dinner and then next day we will have quesadillas or nachos with the leftover barbacoa!

Side angle of a white plate filled with a bunch of tacos filled with crockpot barbacoa and garnished with onions, radishes, and cilantro.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

Freeze the leftover chipotle peppers from the can with the sauce for future use, you can do this in a small bag or in ice cube trays!
This can be cooked on high for 3-4 hours but I am think it does do better on low.
Even with the addition of the chipotle peppers I do NOT find this to be a spicy dish, my 3 & 5 year old will eat it no problem and my oldest does not care for spicy things.

If you like Slow Cooker Barbacoa you might also like:

Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

So easy to prepare this crockpot beef barbacoa is sure to become a family favorite. With help from a very quick sauce this Mexican barbacoa recipe is a perfect dump and go meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 pounds beef chuck roast
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
6 garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 lime
1 orange
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

Peel garlic and onion, cut onion into large chunks. Add to a food processor or blender. Juice the lime and orange into the food processor. Add the remaining sauce ingredients into the food processor the chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano, salt, vinegar, and cloves. Blend smooth about 30 seconds until no chunks remain and a sauce has formed.
Prepare the beef for the slow cooker by carefully cutting into 4 large even sized chunks. Add the beef to the slow cooker. Pour all the sauce overtop all the beef. Cover and cook on LOW 6-7 hours.
Once beef barbacoa is done cooking it should be ready to be gently pulled apart with forks before serving.

Notes

You can also cook on high 3-4 hours but I found that this recipe does a lot better low and slow.

Slow Cooker Gumbo (Red Creole Style Gumbo)

January 25, 2021 by Lauren Schmidt 31 Comments

Soon to be a new family favorite this flavor packed Slow Cooker Gumbo recipe is an easy ‘dump and go’ meal. This Gumbo is easy to assemble in the crockpot with an optional roux for an authentic Creole taste!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A large white bowl with a large scoop of gumbo on top of a bed of white rice with a fork.

Crockpot Gumbo Recipe

I am a little hesitant to post this recipe because I don’t want people with Cajun and Creole roots to yell at me…

I am a complete northern girl so because I don’t have a family recipe for Gumbo or Jambalaya passed down to me I had to make my own up.

I stuck to tradition for most of this dish but also wanted to make it delicious and easy, so hopefully you will find this Gumbo fits all of that

What is the difference between Jambalaya and Gumbo?

Both come from Creole and Cajun roots and have vast similarities but the main difference is how the rice is cooked.

Gumbo is a stew served along with rice cooked separate, and depending on Creole or Cajun it is either brown with no tomatoes (Cajun) or with tomatoes (Creole).

Jambalaya is cooked with the rice, think of it as a distant cousin of the Spanish paella, with the rice in the pot.

Both typically use a roux, the ‘holy trinity’ of vegetables (bell pepper, onions, celery), and proteins such as chicken, shrimp, and sausage.

Now I will point out that both Gumbo and Jambalaya have a lot to do with how each family prepared it, so these recipes might look quite different to everyone.

But in the spirit of being a huge fan this northern girl has made her own crockpot gumbo…

Ingredients placed in a black crock of a slow cooker including chicken thighs, andouille sausage, and shrimp.

I have heard it said many time Cajun and Creole cuisine, they say “start with a roux”.

When I went to work on this Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe I didn’t want to stray too far from its Creole roots, so in this spirit I put a roux in my crockpot.

STOP, before you leave because that sounds complicated don’t.

First off, the roux I put in this recipe is very simple and only adds about 5 minutes. Second, you don’t have to do the roux, so much so that I wrote it as ‘optional’ in the instructions.

BUT you should totally put the roux in. Not only does it add flavor to the dish but it also adds as a thickening agent.

AND at this point if you still aren’t sure what a roux is, a roux is a mixture of fat (in this case butter) and flour used in making sauces.

Beyond the roux this recipe is a great ‘dump and go’ option. Besides making the rice and throwing in the shrimp during the last 15 minutes you really just dump and stir everything into the crock and let it works its magic.

Close up of a bowl of red gumbo on top of a bed of rice with a fork.

So here is what you need…

Supplies

Crockpot/Slow Cooker
Cutting Board & Knife
typical Kitchen Accessories such as measuring cups/spoons, can opener, and large spoons
for the Roux, a Skillet and Whisk

Ingredients

You will need:

Red Bell Pepper – diced into small pieces
Onion – yellow or white onion works, the onion will be diced
Celery Stalks – chopped up
Diced Tomatoes (the big can) – a large can of diced tomatoes (or 2 of the regular size), if you aren’t a fan of chunky tomatoes you can use crushed tomatoes
Chicken Thighs – Boneless and Skinless, try to not to substitute for chicken breasts here as they probably will get mushy and not hold up to the rest of the ingredients
Andouille Sausage – you can find them in a package usually somewhere near the package meats, sizes will probably vary slightly but anything around 12 to 16 ounces should work
Shrimp – a pound of medium sized RAW shrimp, I suggest leaving the shells in tact during cooking because it will add more flavor to the final dish, you can simply peel the shrimp during eating (also heads up I took a little artistic liberty and took the photo of the shrimp in the crockpot with everything else, the shrimp will get added during the last few minutes)
Cajun Seasoning – or Creole Seasoning, I have a hard time finding anything called Creole Seasoning where I live but have an easy time finding Cajun, I figured this might ring true to others as well
Kosher Salt – or sea salt, if using table salt, use half the amount
Dried Thyme – if using fresh use twice the amount
Chicken Broth
Minced Garlic
Cooked Rice for Serving – I recommenced checking out my post of How to Make Rice on the Stovetop, you will make the rice as you add the shrimp
Butter + Flour – if you are making to roux

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All of the ingredients needed to make gumbo in the crockpot on a table top in bowl and on plates.

NOTE – In a lot of traditional Gumbo recipes you will see Okra, it is not easy to find fresh okra where I live, keeping in step with the Cajun/Creole seasoning above I did not use it in this recipe. If you have okra plentiful use some!

Instructions for Making Gumbo in the Crockpot

First up the ‘optional’ roux. To make the roux for this dish add a skillet to the stovetop and add the butter bring to medium heat.

Once the butter is fully melted and starting to bubble add the flour. Whisk to combine, it might seem hard and chunky at first but just keep whisking. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth, keep whisking slowly until the roux becomes a dark brown color about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat, set aside until you are ready to add the the crockpot.

To make the Gumbo add the diced red bell pepper, onion, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, sliced andouille, cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, broth, and minced garlic to the crock. And if you made a roux add that in. Do NOT add the shrimp yet.

Add a dark brown roux to the crockpot before stirring it in.

All the ingredients except shrimp stirred together in a crockpot ready to be cooked.

Stir together to combine and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking stir in the shrimp. I recommend leaving the shells on for maximum flavor but it isn’t absolutely necessary.

When you add the shrimp make sure you also make your rice for serving!

Overhead view of a crockpot filled with cook gumbo including cooked shrimp on the top.

Please note:

ADD THE SHRIMP AT THE END, for artistic purposes I took the ingredients photo with them in the crockpot, they will turn out better if you add them at the end.

Close look inside a crockpot filled with cooked gumbo with shrimp and andouille sausages on the top.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

While the shrimp is cooking is a good time to make the rice, use my Foolproof Stovetop Rice Recipe HERE.
You can use the traditional green bell pepper in place of red. I use red because I think the sweetness adds to the dish a lot although a green bell pepper might be more traditional.
The roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

What do I serve with Crockpot Gumbo?

Most would consider this a ‘one-pot’ meal but you could certainly serve with French bread or biscuits to soak up any extra sauce on the plate!

Flatly looking down at two large bowls of rice topped with saucy shrimp gumbo.

If you like this Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe you might also like:

Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Gumbo

A delicious crockpot gumbo that is easy to 'dump' and cook. With an optional roux base for a more authentic flavor this traditional Creole dish can now be a weeknight favorite.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
28 ounce can diced tomatoes (the big can)
1 ½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless
1 package andouille sausage, sliced
1 pound raw shrimp (add at the end)
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups cooked rice for serving

optional:

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

Optional: Make a roux using the optional butter and flour. On the stovetop add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted and starting to bubble add the flour to the butter. Whisk to combine and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes a dark brown color about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside until you are ready to add the the crockpot.
Add the diced red bell pepper, onion, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, sliced andouille, cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, broth, minced garlic, and if you are using it the optional roux from step one. Do NOT add the shrimp yet.
Stir to combine and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking stir in the shrimp. I recommend leaving the shells on for maximum flavor but it isn't absolutely necessary. Once the shrimp is pink and no longer translucent the gumbo is ready to eat. Serve over a bed of rice.

Notes

ADD THE SHRIMP AT THE END, for artistic purposes I took the ingredients photo with them in the crockpot, they will turn out better if you add them at the end.

The package of andouille sausage I used was 13 ounces, anything from about 12-16 ounces should work perfectly fine here.

While the shrimp is cooking is a good time to make the rice, use my Foolproof Stovetop Rice Recipe HERE.

You can use any color bell pepper in place of red. I use red because I think the sweetness adds to the dish a lot although a green bell pepper might be more traditional.

The roux can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Recommended Products

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Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

about 1.5 cups over rice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 501Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 327mgSodium: 2443mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 50g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Easy Healthy Crockpot Recipes

December 16, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Everyone one loves a good Healthy Slow Cooker Meal, so I have rounded up some of the best and easiest crockpot dinner ideas to try for your next family meal!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Photo collage of different crockpot meals with text overlay 'Easy Crockpot Recipes'.

Crockpot Ideas

Below you will find some awesome slow cooker recipes! I have gathered some of the best crockpot dinner recipes to try out.

Slow cookers have become such a staple in many families kitchen’s and it is easy to see why. They make dinner easy to dump, cook, and when you are ready eat!

So I gathered some of the best generally healthy, easy, and tastiest crockpot recipes on the Internet.

I have sectioned it out into 3 sections for your convenience.

Main Dishes
Soups & Stews
Meatless

So scroll on through and start picking some out for dinner this week!

Main Dish

All your classic healthy entrees to make in your slow cooker all in 1 place.

Clean Eating BBQ Pulled Chicken made in the Slow Cooker

Throw out your sugary store bought BBQ sauce because this Healthy BBQ Pulled Chicken is going to blow your mind. An easy homemade sauce replaces that sugary store bought bbq sauce, mixed with chicken thighs and an onion it is cooked to perfection in the crockpot for a great BBQ pulled chicken!

Artichoke & Lemon Slow Cooker Chicken

Photo Credit: whoneedsacape.com

Need a dish that is family-friendly and easy? This Artichoke & Lemon Slow Cooker Chicken fits the bill perfectly! You can even make this a freezer meal!

Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili

What gives this turkey chili a unique nutty and creamy flavor? Click to find out! This fun chili is made easy with the help of the slow cooker, just dump and go!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken - Easy, Healthy Crockpot Recipe

Photo Credit: www.runningtothekitchen.com

There’s no need for takeout when you can make this honey garlic chicken at home right in the slow cooker. With a sticky, sweet, addicting sauce (that’s way healthier than the Chinese takeout joint) and pieces of pineapple throughout, this EASY recipe will become a family favorite.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas + How to Make Them Crispy!

A simple recipe for delicious Crockpot Pork Carnitas! This Mexican classic comes together in no time using flavorful pork butt, spices, onion, oranges, and beer! With a special trick to get your carnitas tasting better than what you get at a restaurant! Perfect for filling tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!

Tasty Slow Cooker Pork Salsa Verde for an easy week night dinner

Photo Credit: www.keepinglifesane.com

Who doesn’t need a quick meal in their recipe book? This super easy slow cooker pork salsa verde is a winner. It will be perfect for dinner tonight.

Slow Cooker Curry Chicken Legs

Photo Credit: www.fearlessdining.com

This budget friendly slow cooker curry chicken legs makes a delicious family meal.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

Skip the stop on the way home from work and make this Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken instead! A flavorful whole chicken made at home in the slow cooker, it can be eaten as is or used in pastas, salads, quesadillas, casseroles, and so much more!

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

Photo Credit: foodmeanderings.com

This healthy Slow Cooker Swiss Steak with tomatoes (smothered steak) is the ultimate comfort food and dump and go recipe! It requires no pre-cooking and is economical.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts

Photo Credit: www.thecookingcollective.com.au

This recipe for chicken with cashew nuts is fast, simple and affordable- and it tastes just as good (if not better!) than your favourite takeaway. Make it on the stovetop, or slow cooker (crockpot).

Classic Crockpot Chili

Not much can beat a bowl of classic chili, except a bowl of easy to make Crockpot Classic Chili. To me this chili is the epitome of what chili should be full of beef, onions, peppers, beans, and tomatoes.

Slow cooker turkey keema

Photo Credit: daisiesandpie.co.uk

Simply switching the ground lamb for ground turkey makes our super tasty slow cooker keema curry a whole lot healthier, and it's so easy to prepare, ideal for weeknight dinner.

Mediterranean Crock-Pot Chicken Taco Bar

Photo Credit: twohealthykitchens.com

Next time you’re thinking “taco night,” think beyond the typical Mexican-style taco bar and try this incredibly delicious (and healthy!) Mediterranean Chicken Taco recipe! It’s a fun make-it-your-own dinner that’s easy to prep ahead for busy nights!

Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma

If you are looking for the best weeknight Chicken Shawarma look no further. This restaurant quality chicken shawarma is so easy to throw into the crockpot in the morning and have dinner ready to eat when you get home! With minimal ingredients and a finishing method to make the chicken really pop this Chicken Shawarma in the Slow Cooker will become a regular on your dinner rotation!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potato

Photo Credit: bakingqueen74.co.uk

This delicious Moroccan chicken tagine is packed full of goodness from vegetables and chicken breast and is spiced with Moroccan flavours.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Photo Credit: recipesfromapantry.com

Make delicious Dump and Start Crockpot Chicken Fajitas with almost no effort. This perfect family meal is super flavorful, versatile, and budget-friendly.

Crockpot Bolognese

Isn’t there something so comforting about a big bowl of pasta piled high with delicious meat sauce? Bolognese Sauce aka Meat Sauce is such an ultimate comfort food so my goal was to make it easier by making it Crockpot Bolognese.

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Photo Credit: www.thismamacooks.com

Crock-pot teriyaki chicken is better than takeout. This recipe for slow cooker teriyaki chicken can be made ahead or into a freezer meal.

Soups & Stews

Easy and healthy soups that let the crockpot do all the hard work!

Easy Crockpot Beef Pho

Crockpot Beef Pho uses easy and recognizable ingredients to simmer a pot of delicious tasting broth. Then when you are ready to eat you will simply add onions, noodles, beef, and garnishes for a warming and comforting meal.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup - The Kitchen Girl

Photo Credit: thekitchengirl.com

Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup is a hands-free, slow cooked chicken soup that tastes like Grandma made it. Boneless chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, chicken broth, and savory seasonings create all the flavor and comfort of classic homemade chicken soup.

Lightened Up New England Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder on a Healthy Recipe list? YUP, this one is made light! Warm up with a bowl of healthy New England style Slow Cooker Clam Chowder! Easy to make make in the morning, this crockpot clam chowder is packed with flavor but is made light so you can enjoy it without all the guilt plus packed with veggies, you will be making this chowder regularly!

Slow Cooker Campfire Stew

Photo Credit: vikalinka.com

Tender chunks of pork shoulder in a savoury tomato sauce, spiced with smoked paprika and chilli powder, this warming stew is what you’d choose to eat around a campfire!

Homestyle Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

There is nothing more comforting than Chicken Noodle Soup. If it has been a rough week it is a meal I always make for dinner, Easy to dump in the veggies and broth and whenyou are ready to eat the noodles only take a few minutes!

Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Photo Credit: glitterinc.com

Our favorite crockpot chicken vegetable and quinoa soup is healthy and hearty and requires so little work it’s almost embarrassing; a.k.a., it’s the perfect weeknight meal. This soup is packed with flavor, and the whole family is obsessed.

Hearty Hungarian Beef Stew (Paleo, GF)

Photo Credit: perchancetocook.com

This Hearty Hungarian Beef Stew is a comforting slow cooker recipe full of paprika, thyme, rosemary, and tomato flavors. It cooks until the meat is juicy and falls apart and the veggies absorb all the stew flavors.

Slow Cooker Beef Bone Broth Recipe (Crock Pot Option)

Photo Credit: www.primaledgehealth.com

You can make this nourishing staple any day of the week. Gather the ingredients and dump them in a Crockpot. Broth is a warming comfort to sip on hot or use as a base in homemade soups. Plus, if freezes well and is great for meal prep!

Meatless & Vegetarian

Go meatless more often with these awesome recipes made so simple in the slow cooker!

Slow Cooker 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

The heartiest meatless meal I know… Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe. This chili is jammed packed with three different kinds of beans, a bunch of vegetables, a ton of flavor. The perfect comfort food that couldn’t be easier to make in the crockpot. This is a vegetarian chili that could stand its own against any chili with meat!

Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup

Photo Credit: www.livinglou.com

Slow cooker navy bean soup is a hearty, vegetarian crockpot soup made with dried navy beans, carrots, celery and fennel.

Vegan Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup with Winter Squash

Photo Credit: www.justinecelina.com

This vibrant Vegan Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup with Winter Squash comes together with pantry staples, seasonal produce and minimal effort! Hearty winter squash, brown rice, protein packed black beans, bright cherry tomatoes, sweet orange peppers, yellow onion, garlic and a mosaic of spices infuse a tomato and vegetable stock base with feisty mexican flavour — topped off with creamy avocado, crispy corn tortillas, cilantro and a drizzle of Tahini Lime Crema.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Black Bean Tortilla Soup is a hearty and delicious vegetarian soup made in the crockpot using canned goods and fresh ingredients.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup

Photo Credit: www.greedygourmet.com

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Soup is an easy recipe that is simple to prepare and completely vegan. The coconut milk ads a lovely, creamy touch!

Easy Vegetarian Crockpot Refried Beans

These better than a restaurant refried beans are a healthy meatless meal made easy in the slow cooker with only a few ingredients and no 're-frying' required.

Vegetarian Feijoada Recipe (3 Ways)

Photo Credit: www.easyanddelish.com

Vegetarian feijoada is the meatless version of Brazil’s national dish, Feijoada. Vegetarian feijoada, which is also vegan and gluten-free, is a black bean and vegetable stew loaded with plant-based protein and fiber. Learn how to make this vegetarian feijoada recipe in the Crockpot.

Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

Applesauce is one of those things that is so much better homemade! Now with the help of your slow cooker it has become even easier! Get delicious Homemade Applesauce in just a few hours with just apples, cinnamon, and water!

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Slow Cooker 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

November 24, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 30 Comments

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

The heartiest meatless meal I know… Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe. This chili is jammed packed with three different kinds of beans, a bunch of vegetables, a ton of flavor. The perfect comfort food that couldn’t be easier to make in the crockpot. This is a vegetarian chili that could stand its own against any chili with meat!

Two bowls and a crockpot full of Three Bean Vegetarian Chili on a table top with garnishes, saltine crackers, a kitchen towels.

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

I love a good chili, I mean who doesn’t?

So today I am finally ready to share my vegetarian chili with you all!

This one took me a while before I deemed it ready for the blog because I wanted it absolutely perfect… I find a lot of vegetarian chili’s to be too sweet or depend on hard to find ingredients. That isn’t what I wanted, I wanted something that could be hardy and stand up to any other chili is a cookout but still remain wholesome with easy to find fresh ingredients. So this is what I made…

Growing up the chili my mom made never had meat in it, she filled it with a ton of vegetables and flavors, it wasn’t until I was older that I realized that a lot of people will typically make chili with meat.

So I relied on my memory of what my mom made along with what I thought would taste good, here is what happened:

Texture: I really wanted to make sure that my vegetarian chili had the right consistency, some (not all) tend to not have a lot of structure. So I ended up adding not 1 or 2 types of beans but 3. Three different beans to add to the texture I wanted.

and

Peppers: This chili ended up with quite a bit of peppers including jalapeños. I balanced out the sweet bell peppers with the jalapeño to get a flavorful mix!

These are what I built this chili around. Together it makes a wonderful yet filling meal!

A white bowl for slow cooker vegetarian chili without any garsnishes showing of a lot of beans and colorful vegetables.

Supplies

This recipe is an easy one:

Typical Kitchenware such as knifes, measuring spoons, can opener. spoon
Slow Cooker

See so easy right?!?

Ingredients

onion – white or yellow works in the recipe
bell peppers – I use a red and a yellow, you can really use any color you would like though
jalapeños – the recipe calls for 3, if you remove the light colored middle and seeds this will stop your chili from being spicy, if you are really worried about it you could use only 2 jalapeños, if you want more spicy keep some of the light colored insides and seeds attached
diced tomatoes – the large 28 ounce sized can, or two of the 15 ounce ones
chickpeas – aka garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
kidney beans – drained and rinsed
black beans – drained and rinsed
minced garlic – I opted for actually garlic instead of garlic powder like I have done in the past here for that fresh flavor
chili powder – have to have this for chili right?
kosher salt – I think kosher is the best salt for cooking but you could use seat salt here too
cayenne pepper powder – Just a little bit, not enough to make the whole thing spicy, although you can add more if you wish…
cumin – another classic chili spice

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make slow cooker vegetarian chili all laid out on a table.

How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

I swear this has to be one of my easiest recipes, the hardest part is dicing up the peppers.

Dice the onion, bell peppers, and jalapeños. With the jalapeños ensure to remove the seeds and light colored insides, the easiest way to do this is to cut the jalapeño in half the long way and use a small spoon to scoop everything out, then you can dice the green part of the vegetable for the chili discarding the seeds and center part.

Once that is done add the diced vegetables, tomatoes, rinsed beans, garlic, chili powder, salt, cayenne, and cumin to the crock of a slow cooker stir to combine.

Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve with garnishes such as sour cream/greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilantro, green onions, or any of your favorite chili toppings.

All of the ingredients for easy vegetarian chili laid out nicely in the black crock of a slow cooker.

An overhead view of a crockpot filled with freshly cooked vegetarian chili showing off bright peppers and lots of beans.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

The spiciness of the jalapeño is all in the white insides and seeds, so if they are removed you get the jalapeño flavor without the spiciness (even my spicy sensitive kid will eat this). If you are making this for yourself and others that love spicy feel free to leave some of the insides/seeds attached to the jalapeños.
This can easily be made on the stove top. Start by sautéing the diced vegetables until the start to become tender, then add everything to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer together until the vegetables are soft.

Is this Vegan?

Yes, If you do not add any animal products as garnishes such as cheese or sour cream.

A bowl of vegetarian chili garnished with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro sitting next to some spoons and saltine crackers.

A spoon full of three bean chili roasting on the side of a white bowl full of chili.

You might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

A hearty slow cooker vegetarian chili, made with three different beans and plenty of vegetables. This meatless meal is one that everyone will enjoy, it is full of bold flavors and textures plus it isn't too sweet like many vegetarian chilis.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 onion
2 bell peppers (red & yellow)
3 jalapeños
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

Dice the onion, bell peppers, and jalapeños. With the jalapeños ensure to remove the seeds and light colored insides, the easiest way to remove the insides and seeds is to cut the jalapeño in half the long way and use a small spoon to scoop everything out, from there dice the green part of the vegetable.
Add the diced vegetables, tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, garlic, chili powder, salt, cayenne, and cumin to the crock of a slow cooker stir to combine.
Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve with garnishes such are sour cream/greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, cilanto, green onions, or any of your favorite chili toppings.

Notes

The spiciness of the jalapeño is all in the white insides and seeds, so if they are removed you get the jalapeño flavor without the spiciness (even my spicy sensitive kid will eat this). If you are making this for yourself and others that love spicy feel free to leave some of the insides/seeds attached to the jalapeños.

This can easily be made on the stove top. Start by sautéing the diced vegetables until the start to become tender, then add everything to the pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer together until the vegetables are soft.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas + How to Make Them Crispy!

April 8, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 135 Comments

A simple recipe for delicious Crockpot Pork Carnitas! This Mexican classic comes together in no time using flavorful pork butt, spices, onion, oranges, and beer! With a special trick to get your carnitas tasting better than what you get at a restaurant! Perfect for filling tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

close up photo showing crispy carnitas on a sheet pan with an orange slice

Let’s Make Easy Pork Carnitas in the Slow Cooker

The best recipes in my opinion are ones that are simple to make, delicious, and can be stretched into multiple meals AND THIS ONE DOES IT ALL!

These Crockpot Carnitas are:

Easy to make. Basically a dump and go slow cooker recipe!
Super flavorful, a recipe the WHOLE FAMILY will devour.
It is a large recipe that keeps really well so it is perfect for stretching into multiple meals!

I love these Carnitas so much in fact that I am working on a whole recipe series of what to make with your Leftover Carnitas!

all of the ingredients needed to make crockpot carnitas together in the crockpot

What you need to make Easy Crockpot Carnitas:

Equipment you need:

Slow Cooker/Crockpot
Standard Kitchen Tools (Cutting Board, Knife, Fork, Measuring Spoons)
Oven
Sheet Pan/Tray

Ingredients you need:

Pork Butt: Around 4 pounds & preferably boneless, also called a Boston Butt. It is actually the cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the front shoulder. It is the cut of pork typically used for making pulled pork.
Onion: Diced, a sweet, yellow, or white variety will work.
Spices: Chipotle Chili Powder, Dried Oregano, Cumin, and Salt. NOTE: The Chipotle Chili Powder is different from just normal Chili powder, most big brands like McCormick Spices do carry the Chipotle variety, known to be more smoky and slightly more subtle.
Orange: Just 1 orange, a navel variety works best but any standard size orange will work. You will be using the zest and the juice.
Blue Moon Beer: Or similar beer, Blue Moon is a Belgian-style Witbier AKA a Wheat Ale, so look for something similar if you can’t find Blue Moon. You will just need one bottle for this recipe.

all of the ingredients laid out to make the crockpot carnitas recipe

How to make Crockpot Carnitas Recipe:

Carefully cut the pork butt into 4 even pieces. Leave any fat pieces on, this adds to the flavor and the fat can be picked off when it is time to pull the pork. I cut the pork but into pieces to allow more flavor soak into the meat.

Transfer pork pieces to the crock. Add the diced onion, chipotle chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt over top pork.

Zest entire orange over top the spices and juice the entire orange into the crockpot.

step by step photos for slicing and placing the pork in the crockpot, the onions & spices, and orange in the crockpot

Now slowly pour the beer overtop the crockpot contents.

a blue moon beer being poured over the contents of the crockpot

Cover the crockpot and set to LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Cooking times will vary depending on size of meat and equipment used.

a photo showing the crockpot contents before it is cooked and after it is cooked

Once the pork is done in the crockpot (able to be easily pulled apart) there is one last step that is a game changer for making these carnitas better than a restaurant. You will shred the pork and then it will be crisped up in the oven.

So set your oven to BROIL. Transfer all the pork to a sheet pan. Pull/shread pork apart and spread over the entire sheet pan.

Measure out about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the crockpot and sprinkle evenly over the pulled pork.

Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and broil 5 to 6 minutes until the pork gets nice and crispy edges.

Serve immediately. Suggested serving, for delicious tacos serve with warm tortillas, queso fresco cheese, cilantro, and red onions.

a sheet pan full of crispy crockpot carnitas recipe

a sheet pan of carnitas next to a plate of pork carnitas tacos

three carnitas tacos on a white plate with onions, cheese and cilantro

If you like this recipe you might like:

Have Leftover Carnitas?? Here are some great recipe ideas on how to use up those leftovers:

Need Chipotle Chili Powder? Order some here:

Yield: 8 servings

Crockpot Carnitas

A simple recipe for delicious Crockpot Pork Carnitas! This Mexican classic comes together in no time using flavorful pork butt, spices, onion, oranges, and blue moon beer! With a special trick to get your carnitas tasting better than what you get at a restaurant! Perfect for filling tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours 5 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 pounds pork butt
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 large orange
1 (12oz) Blue Moon or similar wheat beer

Instructions

Carefully cut pork butt into 4 even pieces. Transfer pork pieces to the crock. Add onion, chipolte chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt over top pork. Zest entire orange over top the spices and juice the entire orange into the crockpot. Slowly pour the beer overtop the crockpot contents. Cover the crockpot and set to LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
Set oven to BROIL. Once pork is done (able to be easily pulled apart) transfer all the pork to a sheet pan. Pull pork apart and spread over the entire sheet pan. Measure out about 1/4 cup of liquid from the crockpot and sprinkle evenly over the pulled pork. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and broil 5 to 6 minutes until the pork gets nice and crispy edges.
Serve immediately. Suggested serving, for delicious tacos serve with warm tortillas, queso fresco cheese, cilantro, and red onions.

Notes

Chipotle Chili Powder is different than plain Chili Powder, use Chipotle Chili Powder in this recipe.

If you skip broiling in the oven I do find that the carnitas are really wet and mushy which isn't great, so don't skip the broiling step!

While I highly suggest beer for this recipe, if you don't have beer in your house you can use broth instead.

The Pork Butt cut is also referred to as a Boston Butt, they are the same thing. This cut of meat sometimes will contain a bone, I recommend a boneless cut.

Easy Crockpot Ham with Pineapple and Cherries

March 19, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Crockpot Ham with Pineapple is an easy holiday recipe to make. This old fashioned ham is made with simple ingredients like brown sugar, pineapple slices, and cherries. Free up space in your oven with this simple recipe perfect for a special holiday meal like Easter or Christmas.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

glaze being poured over a spiral ham with pineapple slice

Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapples and Cherries

Call me old fashioned but when it comes to any holiday meal I like to keep them classic. Turkey with mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, Hot Dogs & Hamburgers on July 4th, & Ham with Au Gratin Potatoes for Easter, you get the idea.

So when it comes to the holiday ham you can imagine I like to keep it easy and simple yet classic.

Adding the pineapple slices and cherries to the ham brings that classic feel I like but putting it in the slow cooker updates the recipe and helps keep everything easy!

By using the slow cooker you are able to free up oven space making it easier to get your side dishes done, plus if you set up the crockpot out of the way you might even save yourself some counter space as well!

an easter ham on a white platter with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries for garnish

Recipe for Spiral Ham in the Crockpot

Ingredients:

Bone-in Spiral Cut Ham: In order for the ham to cook evenly in the crockpot you will want a 7 to 8 pound ham, anything smaller will work as long as you adjust cooking times but any thing bigger than that probably won’t fit in the crockpot. Depending on the size of your slow cooker you might be able to fit a ham up to 9 pounds but otherwise you might want to use an oven for your ham if it is larger. Another thing to not about the ham is that while the most popular option is a spiral cut you can use a ham that does not come precut.
Brown Sugar: The sweetness of the brown sugar pairs so nicely with ham, which is why it is used frequently on holiday hams. In this recipe I use the brown sugar as a rub mixed with spices.
Spices: To flavor our ham I use what is probably considered an ‘old fashioned’ pairing for ham, dry mustard and ground gloves. The cloves and mustard flavor balances out the sweetness of the sugar but without overwhelming the ham.
Sliced Pineapple: One can of sliced pineapples should be plenty. The juice will be drained, set it aside for another use like a fun beverage or baking. The pineapple rings will then be used to top the ham as it is cooking.
Maraschino Cherries: Lastly the cherries, kids LOVE this part. While they aren’t absolutely crucial to this recipe they are fun, giving the recipe the ‘holiday flair’ and spirit. I always look for the maraschino cherries marked ‘salad cherries’ when you buy them this way they come without the stem.

Instructions for a Crockpot Ham

This recipe is really simple and only requires a few minutes of prep.

Start by prepping the brown sugar rub. In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, mustard, and cloves.

Now unwrap the ham, and pat off any excess juice with a paper towel. Tip: do this over the sink so your counter isn’t a mess! Add the ham to the crockpot pre-cut side down.

Rub the brown sugar mixture all over the ham, getting inbetween the crevasses and slices for maximum flavor.

step by step pictures of the ham placed in the slow cooker, the brown sugar mix, and the brown sugar mix being rubbed onto the ham

Now place pineapple slices overtop the ham, resting on the side of crock if needed. If you have trouble getting them to stay in place you can use toothpicks to hold them in spot but I don’t find it necessary. Add 1-2 cherries to the center of each pineapple.

step by step pictures showing how the pineapple and cherries are placed on the ham in the slow cooker

pineapple slices on a ham in a crockpot with maraschino cherries

Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 4-6 hours. Time will vary depending on the size of your ham.

When heated through, set aside pineapple and cherries for serving. Carefully remove ham from crockpot, a pair of sturdy large tongs and spatula is helpful here. To get mine out I use my set of grilling tools since the ham is pretty bulky!

To make glaze transfer the remaining liquid in the crockpot to a small saucepan. You can do this with a ladle, or very carefully with oven mits on lift the crock up and pour into a saucepan.

Heat the liquid over medium-high heat and bring to a boil to reduce down until ready to serve. If you want a thicker glaze add a cornstarch slurry made up of 1 tablespoon cornstach and 1 tablespoon water.

To carve the ham place pre-cut side down. Carve down along the bone to remove boneless section of meat, the sprial cut should now be perfect serving slices. Cotinue to cut the meat from off the bone in sections. Transfers the slices to a platter for serving. Serve ham with glaze.

To keep warm transfer sliced ham back to the crockpot on the warm setting.

Refrigerate or freeze any leftover ham.

Recipe Tips & Tricks:

How much ham do I need per person?

About 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person. So a 7 pound ham should feed about 9.3 people (insert joke about 1/3 of a person here 😉 ) However, if you are hosting a hungrier crowd, you can increase it to 1 pound so you have plenty of leftovers.

How to store baked ham?

Baked ham can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Ham also freezes really well and can keep for up to 2 months, giving you plenty of time to make more meals out of the leftovers.

Help I got my ham and it doesn’t fit?!

Breath. There are two different things you can do. First, if the ham is close to fitting go ahead carefully with a knife and trim to make the ham fit. Second, replan your meal schedule and put it in the oven. You can do the same toppings as in the slow cooker and loosely cover them ham in tin foil on a shallow roasted pan. Cook in the oven at 350º F for 10 minutes per pound, so example a 7 pound ham would be 1 hour 10 minutes.

What to serve with the Ham:

a glazed ham on a platter with pineapple slices and cherries

Yield: 10 servings

Crockpot Ham with Pineapple

This old fashioned Ham is made with simple ingredients like brown sugar, spices, pineapple slices, and cherries. Made in the slow cooker you get to free up space in your oven. Perfect for a special holiday meal like Easter or Christmas!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

7-8 pound bone-in spiral cut ham
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cloves
1 (20oz) can sliced pineapple
16 maraschino cherries

Instructions

In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, mustard, and cloves.
Unwrap the ham, and pat off any excess juice with a paper towel. Add to crockpot pre-cut side down. Rub the brown sugar mixture all over the ham, getting inbetween the crevasses and slices for maximum flavor.
Gently place pineapple slices overtop the ham, resting on the side of crock if needed, if you have trouble getting them to stay in place you can use toothpicks. Add 1-2 cherries to the center of each pineapple.
Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 4-6 hours. Time will vary depending on the size of your ham.
Set aside pineapple and cherries for serving. Carefully remove the ham from crockpot, a pair of sturdy large tongs and spatula is helpful here. To make glaze transfer the remaining liquid from the crockpot to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, bring to a boil to reduce down* until ready to serve.
To carve the ham place pre-cut side down. Carve down along the bone to remove boneless section of meat, the sprial cut should now be perfect serving slices. Cotinue to cut the meat from off the bone in sections. Transfers the slices to a platter for serving. Serve with the fruit and glaze.

Notes

Size of ham does matter in this recipe, anything larger than 8 pounds you might not be able to fit in a slow cooker, anything larger than 8 pounds is probably easier to make in the oven.

This recipe does work if your ham is not a sprial cut ham.

* If you want a thicker glaze add a corntarch slurry made up of 1 tablespoon cornstach and 1 tablespoon water.

Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili

November 7, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

It wouldn’t be Fall on The Schmidty Wife without a chili recipe. To me chili is the ultimate Fall comfort food, everything about it is so perfect. So this year I conjured up Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili. So you want to know what the secret ingredient is?

Peanut Butter! Yaaaasss peanut butter!

Peanut butter in chili is a thing. I didn’t know it was a thing until I met my husband who claimed it was in his famous ‘Dorm Room Chili’ that he used to cook up in his dorm room and sell by the bowl to people. Such a spirited entrepreneur my Matt is haha* (*I would like to note though after 4 years of marriage I still have yet to taste his famous chili).

Anyways we were watching an episode of Triple D on the Food Network and I honestly don’t remember what they were making but they added peanut butter, it was a food that was weird to add peanut butter to. So Matt and I were discussing it and I decided that peanut butter would be the perfect addition to a bowl of turkey chili.

Ground Turkey can sometimes be a little on the bland side if you don’t give it some great flavors. So I set out to make a flavorful turkey chili but I also didn’t want it spicy and relying on heat to give it all its flavor. I do have little kids after all and I didn’t want to make a large batch of chili and for them not to touch it.

So lets take a look at what I put in this super flavorful Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili.

The Ingredients

Ground turkey. I love me some ground turkey, all the convenience of ground beef but not red meat! Yay! I have slowly been cutting my family down on red meat. Born in the midwest both Matt and I grew up with a lot of beef, turns out red meat is only okay in moderation, so I have been trying to serve red meat to my family no more than once a week. So a great replacement for us has been ground turkey, hence why I set out to make an awesome Turkey Chili.

The vegetables. For this chili I chose to go with 3 fresh vegetables, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 green bell pepper. I feel like an onion is a must for chili, and as Kevin Malone from The Office would claim “The trick is to undercook the onions”. For fresh peppers I choose a variety of bell peppers, not known for their heat I thought they would bring a nice addition to the chili. For canned vegetables I went with a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of green chilies. For the diced tomatoes I like to chose the no salt added variety because that way I get to control the salt levels in the chili. And for a slight flavor kick, a small can of minced green chilies.

The legumes, or beans if you will. I decided to not fuss to much about the beans and just chose a single variety and went with the classic kidney bean. Not only are kidney beans great because they generally are really good at taking on the flavors of whatever spices you use but they are also very healthy for you, they are high in protein, folic acid, and fiber just to name a few of the health benefits.

The spices. Ditch those seasoning packets, it is so darn easy to make a good chili seasoning at home. The seasoning for this chili includes classics like chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, and onion but I also decided to go with. little cocoa powder for added smoothness and flavor not the mention chocolate goes perfect with…

Peanut Butter. I always make my own peanut butter, which sounds a little pretentious but you guys know how easy it is right?! You can check out my post How to Make 100% Peanut Butter if you are interested. Otherwise I recommend using 100% peanut butter to keep the sugar levels low but feel free to use what peanut butter you have on hand. It brings a creaminess and nuttiness you otherwise wouldn’t get in a chili. I would like to note, if you are planning on bringing this chili anywhere make sure people know it contains nuts, nut allergies can be serious and people most likely don’t expect peanut butter to be in their chili.

The Method

Brown ground turkey in a skillet.

Dump everything into your slow cooker.

Cook on low 6-8 hours.

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE CROCKPOT MEALS!!! But for real, I love my crockpot, just dump it all in there and give it a stir. I honestly think that slow cookers are the perfect device for chili.

So now that you know the secret ingredient to this Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili are you excited to try it? Tell me what you think about peanut butter in your chili in the comments!

TIPS & TRICKS:

• Like with most chili it gets more flavorful if you make it a day ahead, I found that the peanut butter is a little more prevalent when the chili is fresh and gets more mellow after I let it sit overnight and then reheated it back up

• I use one green and one red bell pepper, you could probably use whatever colors you really wanted to

• Looking for other chili recipes, check out my Classic Crockpot Chili or my Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili

Yield: 6 servings

Secret Ingredient Turkey Chili Recipe

peanut butter gives this turkey chili a unique nutty and creamy flavor made easy in the slow cooker

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

20 ounces ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
4.5 ounce can green chilies
28 ounce can red kidney beans*
1/2 cup 100% peanut butter
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground turkey, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and add to slow cooker.
Add onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, diced tomatoes, green chilies, red kidney beans, peanut butter, chili powder, salt, cocoa, garlic powder, onion powder, and garlic to the crockpot. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with garnishes such as sour cream, green onions, cheese, and saltines.

Notes

*two 15 ounces cans of kidney beans will also work (same with diced tomatoes), don't drain the cans it adds extra flavor to add the liquids

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 18gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 621mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 14gSugar: 7gProtein: 36g

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Love your slow cooker like me? Check out my Crockpot Cheater Beef Pho or my Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas.

Please note that my links above may be affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. I recommend them because they are helpful, and are companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas

June 21, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY SLOW COOKER. I don’t know if I’ve ever came out and said it before on the blog but Crockpot cooking is one of my favorite ways to feed my family. Since we received our slow cooker as a bridal shower gift from my aunts it has come out AT LEAST once a week, usually more to make our dinner.

It has been approximately 5 months since I shared a new slow cooker recipe with you. My Crockpot Bolognese in January to be exact (One of my last Recipes before Fred was born, so in all fairness some of that time I was taking a break). So it is time to share a new one.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas.

Carnitas is one of those classic crockpot meals, the pork is slow cooked for hours to get nice and tender, ready to be eaten after a busy day. Well recently I had been playing with some leftovers in my fridge that I wanted to use up and I found some unused Chipotle Peppers in Adobe sauce. What a perfect start to some flavorful carnitas!

Usually I like to use oranges as my sweet ingredient in Carnitas but with the chipotle peppers I felt like I needed to switch it up. Well I found a can of crushed pineapples that was collecting dust in my pantry and I knew that would be a perfect match!

So with a few chipotle peppers and pineapple I added in a variety of classic carnita spices like oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cinnamon. And gave it a mix!

I decided to add a little liquid smoke that I already had to give it a little smokey flavor (although this dish would still be great without it), and I knew before I even put it in the crockpot that this was going to be a great meal.

The pork roast goes into the crock and the pineapple spice mixture is poured over and that’s it! Set it to cook on low for 6-8 hours and get ready for your house to smell like carnitas!

So when it came to serving this carnitas it took a little trial and error. I first tried to serve them like you would a classic beef taco and it just wasn’t right so I tried them again street taco style and OMG, perfection.

The simpler the better, corn tortillas stuffed with the slow cooker chipotle pineapple carnitas, topped with crumbled queso fresco, diced red onion, and a bunch of chopped cilantro. It is seriously drool worthy!

I have also used the leftover carnitas to make nachos, and would highly recommend if you have leftovers to make some nachos.

Any way you make it these Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas are full of flavor and extremely easy to make. Exactly what you should be making for your next meal!

TIPS & TRICKS:

• for the pork roast I have used both a bone-in picnic roast and a large pork butt, both worked terrific, I would recommend cutting off any fatty sections before placing it in the crockpot

• this is a pretty spicy meal, my two year old thinks it is too spicy, I always put in 3 peppers, if you want to use a little less spice you could only go with 2

• because of the pineapple these pork carnitas are super juicy so make sure to drain the pork a little more before serving than you would otherwise so you don’t get soggy tacos

• I recommend warming your corn tortillas on a skillet before serving

• a little splash of lime juice is always welcome on these tacos, also a margarita would go with these wonderfully

• my Mexican Rice recipe pairs perfectly with these carnitas

Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas Recipe

chipotle peppers and pineapple makes these slow roasted pork carnitas extra juicy and flavorful

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

3 lbs pork roast (bone-in picnic roast or a pork shoulder work best)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
2-3 adobe peppers in chipotle sauce, diced
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
OPTIONAL: 1/2-1 teaspoon liquid smoke

to serve:

~18 corn tortillas
queso fresco (usually comes in a 10oz round)
a red onion, diced
a bunch of cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Mix together pineapple, peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cinnamon (plus liquid smoke if using) in a large bowl until combined.
Add pork roast into the crockpot. Dump pineapple and spice mixture over top the roast. Cover.
Set and cook on low 6-7 hours.
A few minutes before serving shred the pork roast and let rest in the juices for a few minutes. Best served street taco style on corn tortillas topped with queso fresco, red onions, and cilantro.

Notes

the carnitas tend to come out watery from the juice so use a tongs or slotted spoon to let the juice run off to serve

Nutrition includes only the pork carnitas, it does not take into consideration the tortillas or toppings. Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

3-4 tacos
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 47g

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more crockpot recipes like my Slow Cooker Chipotle Pineapple Carnitas? Check out my Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken or my Crockpot ‘Cheater” Beef Pho.

Crockpot Bolognese

February 7, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

So I started first making Bolognese because my husband would ask for it all of the time, and I would use my handy dutch oven on the stovetop. Not that it is a hard dish to make on the stove top but after a few times of making it I knew it could be done easier in the crockpot. So I adapted it to the crockpot and pure magic happened! My husband thinks it is actually tastier in the crockpot, woohoo!

The crockpot makes this so good because bolognese is already a sauce that should be made at a low temperature and simmered slowly, so basically a perfect contender for the crockpot.

To get it ready you just brown the meat, mince the vegetables, and add everything else to the crockpot and let it simmer away. Dinner is then as easy as boiling some pasta and making a side salad! Crockpot Bolognese has become a staple in our house and is not leaving our meal rotation any time soon.

TIPS & TRICKS:

• The recipe calls for the vegetables to be minced in a food processor, which makes prep fast but you can mince the vegetables by hand or a chopper if you don’t have a food processor, the vegetable pieces might stick out in the sauce a little more and prep might take a tad longer

• I would recommend cooking this only on low, the beauty of bolognese sauce is to have it simmered low and slowly. Also I imagine this could cook longer than 6 hours (6 hours was the longest I tested it) by adding additional liquid, 1/2ish cup of water/broth/wine could probably let this cook in the slow cooker for up to 8 hours if you are wanting it to cook while at work (this is my best guess, someone let me know if they try it)

Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Bolognese

simmered slowly in the crockpot this bolognese is made without standing over a stove for hours at a time

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
1 pound ground beef
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt*
2 bay leaves

Instructions

In a skillet cook ground beef over medium heat until brown and fully cooked. Drain access fat. Add cooked ground beef to crockpot.
Peel carrot and onion. Add carrot, celery, and onion to a food processor (and garlic if it isn't already minced). Process for about 10-15 second until finely minced.
Add minced vegetables to crockpot. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and bay leaves (plus garlic if not added with the vegetables) to the crockpot. Stir the mixture until everything is combined.
Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours**.
Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve over your favorite pasta and garnish with cheese.

Notes

*I like to use 'no salt added' diced tomatoes and tomato sauce so sometimes I will add a little more salt, but not too much, salt can always be added at the end of cooking if your sauce needs it.

**I would recommend cooking this only on low, the beauty of bolognese sauce is to have it simmered low and slowly. Also I imagine this could cook longer than 6 hours (6 hours was the longest I tested it) by adding additional liquid, 1/2ish cup of water/broth/wine could probably let this cook in the slow cooker for up to 8 hours if you are wanting it to cook while at work (this is my best guess, someone let me know if they try it).

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248.44Total Fat: 15.76gSaturated Fat: 5.83gSodium: 596.78mgCarbohydrates: 12.59gFiber: 4.49gSugar: 7.82gProtein: 15.37g

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more crockpot recipes? Check out my Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili or my Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken.

Crockpot Minestrone

January 10, 2018 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Warm and cozy homemade Crockpot Minestrone is an easy dump and go soup filled with healthy vegetables and beans! Filled with fiber and protein packed beans this is a soup that will keep you warm and full for hours!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Table top with black bowls and crockpot filled with minestrone soup and garnished with parmesan cheese.

This post was originally published 01/10/2018 and updated on 01/12/2022 with updated photos and post copy.

Minestrone in the Slow Cooker

Delicious veggie packed Minestrone soup! I like to think this soup is made famous here in America thanks to Olive Garden. I mean no offense to Olive Garden but homemade Minestrone soup is about 1000 times better.

Minestrone soup comes from Italian origin, I mean the word minestore literally translates to thick vegetable soup. There really is no set recipe like so many other famous Italian dishes, more of a guideline to a soup containing vegetables, pasta, and beans.

Some of the more common vegetables you will find in Minestrone include tomatoes, carrots, onions, and of course garlic. So as you get ready to make this recipe remember as far as veggies goes, anything goes! Feel free to add more or different veggies!

Now that we have covered how amazing this soup is let me mention how easy it is! Such a dump and go meal!

I feel like a superhero every time I dump everything in the crockpot and later that night we have a super nutritious dinner! And this is one of those meals!

Crockpot with a ladle of minestrone soup showing off vegetables, beans, and pasta.

Ingredients

Diced Tomatoes – At the base of the soup is tomatoes, because this is an easy slow cooker meal we are just going to dump in some diced tomatoes.
Tomato Sauce – To go with the diced tomatoes at the base of the soup, the tomato sauce helps flavor the base of the soup.
Red Kidney Beans – Drained and rinsed well, the red kidney beans are classic to minestore and hold up really well in the slow cooker.
Cannellini Beans – Also drained and rinsed well, these softer beans offset the kidney beans but still withstand the heat of the crockpot really well!
Carrots – Diced up.
Celery Stalks – Also Diced.
White or Yellow Onion – Either white or yellow onion will be mild enough for this recipe, I would stay clear of red onions though.
Garlic – I like to use a generous 4 to 5 cloves!
Pesto – Okay so this is the secret ingredient in my soup, so don’t skip it. Although as I say that it is important to note. Keep in mind that not all pesto is vegetarian friendly, because many use parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese is not technically vegetarian because of rennet. Rennet is an enzyme that is typically used in the cheese making process, and it typically comes from the stomach of ruminant mammals. If you are looking for a true vegetarian dish, you will need to find vegetarian friendly pesto or make your own with no cheese, I happen to have a Sunflower Seed Pesto that fits that criteria.
Vegetable Stock – Obviously it would be cool if you had your own homemade vegetable stock but buying a container at the store works really well, and in a pinch you could use better than bouillon vegetable base.
Dried Spices: Oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves are the seasonings in this dish. I just chose to use handy dried ones I had on hand already but you can use fresh ones if you have that available to you.
Zucchini – I chose to add this at the end of the cooking time because if it was put in at the beginning they would turn completely to mush. If you don’t have the time to add the zucchini in you can either skip it or steam it separately and then add it to the soup.
Ditalini Pasta (tubular pasta) – If you can’t find the little tube pasta feel free to use small shells as a second option!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients laid out on a black table for making minestrone in the slow cooker.

Instructions

This is a pretty easy dump and go soup! Of course there is a little bit of vegetable cleaning and dicing but not an overwhelming amount.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pesto, vegetable stock, water, oregano, rosemary, & bay leaves into the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.

About 45 minutes to an hour before you are ready to eat add the diced zucchini.

About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat add the pasta, once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately. Top with parmesan or other cheese to serve.

A crockpot with the ingredients from making minestrone soup including vegetables, beans, and pasta.

Collage showing the steps of adding ingredients and cooking the minestrone soup in the slow cooker.

Close up of a black bowl with minestrone soup garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley.

TIPS, TRICKS, & QUESTIONS:

This does make quite a bit so it is great for a large group or be prepared to have leftovers
- If you are making this for a smaller crowd and know for sure there will probably be leftovers I suggest cooking and storing the pasta separately. By doing this you won’t have the pasta absorb all the liquids while the soup is in the fridge.
The secret ingredient in this Crockpot Minestrone is the pesto, I think it truly makes the soup
While you are dicing up the celery, carrots, and onion, dice up the zucchini at the same time at place it back in the fridge to save you more time later

Is Minestrone Soup Healthy for You?

While the word heathy is objective and means a little bit different thing to everyone I would say YES! It is filled with a ton of vegetables with fiber and beans with protein!

What to Eat with Minestrone?

A crockpot and bowl both filled the minestrone soup garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley.

If you like this Crockpot Minestrone Soup you might also like:

Yield: 8 servings

Crockpot Minestrone

Easy to throw into the slow cooker, this soup simmers for hours and is full of healthy vegetables and beans! Perfect for a cozy and healthy meal on a busy night!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pesto*
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 ½ cups ditalini pasta (tubular pasta)

Instructions

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red kidney beans, great northern beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pesto, vegetable stock, water, oregano, rosemary, & bay leaves into the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.
About 45 minutes to an hour before you are ready to eat add the diced zucchini.
About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat add the pasta, once the pasta is fully cooked, serve immediately. Top with parmesan or other cheese to serve.

Notes

*Keep in mind that not all pesto is vegetarian friendly, as well as parmesan cheese. If you are looking for a true vegetarian dish, you will need to find vegetarian friendly pesto (or make your own with no cheese) and a different kind of cheese that is vegetarian friendly. Parmesan cheese is not technically vegetarian because of rennet.

FIY, this makes a large amount of soup!

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Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 549mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Original Post:

This winter has been filled with blizzards, sub zero temperatures, and couch ridden colds. So I have been using my crockpot so often it has actually just started living on the countertop. One of my favorites I have been making this winter is Crockpot Minestrone.

I have actually made this Crockpot Minestrone so many times my husband asked me to give it a rest for a week or two… Seriously though I made this probably 4 times in a 2 week time span, and this soup makes a ton so that meant a lot of Minestrone for lunch as well as dinners. Minestrone seriously rules our life.

So I love this soup because it is seriously jam packed full of healthy vegetables. Throughout the holidays it became my go to for a healthy meal. As far as crockpot meals go, this one does take me an extra few minutes to throw together, mostly just because it is so full of delicious ingredients there is just a lot to add to the pot, but it is so worth it. Infinity times better then any store bought variety and this recipe makes a large amount of soup. Perfect for a large family, friend get together, or leftover lunches for the week.

Easy Crockpot Beef Pho

November 14, 2017 by Lauren Schmidt 4 Comments

Updated January 13, 2020

Crockpot Beef Pho uses easy and recognizable ingredients to simmer a pot of delicious tasting broth. Then when you are ready to eat you will simply add onions, noodles, beef, and garnishes for a warming and comforting meal.

Crockpot Pho

Without a doubt soup season here in the Schmidt house. Soups all week long, until my husband complains and I need to come up with something else to make. It turned cold quickly this year and all I want at the end of the day is a warm bowl of soup, and the easier the better. So I often turn to one of my husband’s favorites, Crockpot Beef Pho.

I have actually been making this ‘cheater’ Beef Pho in the crockpot for a while now but have yet to get it published on the blog. So I am super excited to finally share!

I call this ‘cheater’ Beef Pho because well, I cheat true beef pho is simmered with beef bones and oxtails, I just use beef broth either ready from the store or made with Better Than Bouillon. I add beef broth to my crockpot along with fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and brown sugar. I let it simmer on low all day long and come home to the most delicious smelling house, seriously this smell is the most comforting thing you could come home to.

Once the broth is ready finishing the soup is super easy. The onion is thinly sliced and added with the rice noodles.The beef is then thinly sliced and added once the noodles are tender. The Pho is then garnished with green onions, lime wedges, bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapeño, and sriracha. Voila Crockpot Beef Pho!

Ingredients for Pho in the Crockpot

This recipe is a good blend between fresh garnishes you need from the store and using your pantry and spice rack!

Ingredients for the Soup:

brown sugar
fish sauce
star anise
cinnamon stick
whole cloves
knob of fresh ginger
beef broth
water
white onion
rice noodles
shaved steak or a sirloin steak

For garnishes you will want (but not limited too):

green onions
lime wedges
bean sprouts
cilantro
basil
jalapeño
Sriracha

Crockpot Pho Recipe

In the morning you will start by adding brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, beef broth, and water to the crockpot. Stir together so the brown sugar isn’t sitting on the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Alternatively you can cook in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. You can also make the broth on the stove top boiling the broth together for 45-50 minutes until fragrant.

*I suppose you could also make the broth in the pressure cooker, I have yet to test this but I would guess around 20-25 minutes for the broth to cook.*

Once the broth is done cooking use a slotted spoon to remove all of the whole spices and ginger. Slice the onion as thinly as you can.

Now you can finish off the soup 2 different ways. The first way is the easy way but not the traditional way. The second way is more traditional.

For the easy way, add the noodles and onion slices to the crockpot. Cook an additional 10 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice the beef if not pre-cut and prepare your garnishes. Once the noodles are fully cooked about 10 minutes add the beef. Let cook 1-2 minutes before promptly serving in large bowls with the garnishes.

For the more traditional way, add the noodles to the crockpot. Let cook about 10 minutes until fully cooked. While noodles are cooking thinly slice the onion and beef if it isn’t pre-cut. Prepare the ganishes. As the noodles are finishing cooking separate the raw beef into 4 large bowls. Add a few slices of the raw onion with the beef. Ladle hot broth over the top of the beef until fully covered, in doing so the beef will be cooked by the hot broth. Add noodles to the servings bowls, serve immediately topping with your favorite garnishes.

I honestly opt for the easy way almost every single time but there is something to be said about the fun process of the more traditional way.

As far as the garnishes, I love adding all of them except the jalapeno, for me it adding a fresh jalapeno often makes the dish too spicy but if you like spicy add the fresh jalapeno!

When serving Pho to kids

I found that it is best to let them pick the garnishes they want, my kids love the rice noodles, basil, and broth best about this dish but they usually like to also add some lime wedges and are curious about the bean sprouts as well.

If serving to young toddlers I would take caution about this beef as it tends to be very chewy, it might serve you best to cut it into small pieces.

I also would recommend serving with multiple utensils. I give my kids 3 choices at the table chopsticks, spoon, and a fork they choose which one serves them best!

Like Asian Inspired meals? Me too! Here are some of my other favorite Asian Inspirations:

TIPS & TRICKS:

If you want to make this on the stovetop it couldn’t be easier, in fact I have done it a handful of times, just use a large pot and let the spices simmer 30-40 minutes and then follow the remaining instructions
A great tip for thinly slicing the sirloin, it cuts so much easier if it is just slightly frozen, when it is slightly frozen, it slices like butter, I do this by leaving it in the freezer for 20-40 minutes before cutting
I always use these Gluten-Free Stir Fry Rice Noodles from Thai Kitchen

bowl of beef pho in a large bowl with green garnishes

Yield: 4 servings

Crockpot Beef Pho

this 'cheater' beef pho is made easy in the crockpot, with simple spices and sauces, and finished up just minutes before you are ready to eat

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours 20 minutes

Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
6-7 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
2 inch knob of fresh ginger, sliced
8 cups beef broth
4 cups water
1/2 small white onion
7 ounces rice noodles
1 pound boneless sirloin steak or shaved steak

To Garnish:

green onions
lime wedges
bean sprouts
cilantro
jalapeño
sriracha
basil

Instructions

Add brown sugar, fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, beef broth, and water to the crockpot. Stir together so the brown sugar isn't sitting on the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to remove all of the whole spices. Slice the onion as thinly as you can. Add the noodles and onion slices to the crockpot. Cook an additional 10 minutes.
While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice the sirloin if needed and prepare your garnishes. Once the noodles are fully cooked add the sirloin. Let cook 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately topped with your favorite garnishes.

Notes

Alternatively you can use a cheesecloth for all of the whole spices for easy removal.

Information for more traditional 'pour over' method of serving pho is in the article above.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

October 10, 2017 by Lauren Schmidt 6 Comments

Skip the stop on the way home from work and make this Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken instead! A flavorful whole chicken made at home in the slow cooker, it can be eaten as is or used in pastas, salads, quesadillas, casseroles, and so much more!

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I consider myself a really good meal planner, I really don’t want to sound cocky but I have gotten quite good at it. I think a huge key to meal planning success is to not go overboard, it is so easy to hop on Pinterest and find a weeks worth of new fancy recipes to try (and as a food blogger’s who depends on Pinterest for my lovely visitors I see the irony of that statement).

I am not saying to not use Pinterest but you certainly do not want to try 7 new recipes a week. A part of the key to successful meal planning I have found is to make some meals stupid easy. So this is my long winded way of saying, I make a Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken once a week and give it a lot of credit for helping me be a meal plan pro.

There are so many reasons to make a Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken but let’s start with how it has helped me be a more successful meal planner. First it is stupid easy, you clean your chicken, season it, throw it into the crockpot on top of a couple of potatoes or tin foil balls. I know I barely have to think about my dinner that day and isn’t that all what we really want?

Second it always provides a second meal, how dope is that! Use your leftovers to make quesadillas, enchiladas, chicken salad sandwiches, soups, as your protein on top a salad, or my favorite White Chicken Chili Mac. The possibilities are endless and most of the work has already been done! Heck just thinking about all of the possibilities you should make a chicken once a week whether or not you are going to eat it for dinner that night (or if you have a large family that will eat one in a sitting, plan on making another just for the cooked chicken)!

So yes this recipe for Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken really has helped me enormously become a better meal planner. I often make this on a Sunday, we have a nice Sunday chicken dinner, I usually serve it with potatoes & salad and then I have my Monday or Tuesday night dinner halfway done. As I always tell my husband work smarter not harder 😉

So if you need more reasons as to why to get in the habit of making a crockpot chicken i’ll give you a few more. Cost, I can get a whole chicken for around $5, on sale even cheaper (when they are on sale I will stock up and freeze a few), compared to $7-9 dollars for a few breasts that is quite the deal.

Freshness, yes you can stop after work and grab a rotisserie at the store but those have been sitting under those heat lights for hours… also at my local store they are around $8-9, I would trade my own cheaper and more fresh chicken over that any day!

So now that you are convinced 😉 make sure to add Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken to your menu this week and bask in the success of your meal planning genius.

TIPS & TRICKS:

The recipe calls for hearty vegetables or aluminum foil balls, the reason for this is to keep the chicken from cooking in the juices, I find the best thing to use is potatoes, I either cut large potatoes in half or a bunch of smaller potatoes and create a nice potato layer, I then feed my family these potatoes as a side, either as is or I make quick mashed potatoes out of them
Feel free to change up the seasoning, I made up a generic rotisserie tasting mix, but make a seasoning to your taste or a pre mixed seasoning
Make sure that your chicken is fully thawed, keeping it frozen and putting it in the crockpot can bring about dangerous bacteria due to the chicken not being able to heat up fast enough
Be warned that if you keep the chicken cooking for longer then about 6 hours the chicken might start to fall apart or fall off the bone depending on the size of your chicken, the chicken is still delicious but it might not be very pretty
Need a crockpot? I use this:

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Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

a flavorful whole chicken made at home in the slow cooker

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 4 to 5 pound whole chicken
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
a few handfuls of hearty vegetables OR rolled up balls of tin foil

Instructions

In a small bowl mix together the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Line the bottom of the crockpot with hearty vegetables or balls of tin foil. The main point of this is that you want the chicken to be an inch or two off of the bottom where the juices are, keeping the chicken out of the juices. I usually half a few potatoes, onions, or peel a couple of carrots, use what you have, just be sure its not something that is going to break down so the chicken stays out of the juices. And if you don't have any vegetables handy make a few balls out of tin foil to place the chicken on.
Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets. Dry the chicken with paper towels.
Carefully rub the olive oil all over the chicken. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture all over the chicken.
Place the chicken into the slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
If you want the chicken crispy place on a sheet pan and place in the oven. Broil for 3-5 minutes until crispy (be sure to keep a careful eye on it so it doesn't burn).
Let the chicken rest until it is cool enough to serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 922Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 333mgSodium: 663mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 103g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

If you enjoyed this Recipe or any of my others let me know by using #theschmidtywife on social media!

And make sure you are following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for recipes to use up your leftover chicken? Check out my Leftover Chicken Enchiladas, White Chicken Chili Mac & Cheese or my Loaded BBQ Chicken Pizza

Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate in the Crockpot

September 14, 2017 by Lauren Schmidt 2 Comments

Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate made easier in the crockpot, throw in your ingredients, let them simmer and you have enough chai tea lattes to last all week!

So I hate admitting it because people look at you crazy when you do but I am not a coffee drinker. I know so many Americans depend on their daily coffee, and I am so grateful that I am not one of those people. I am not saying I don’t dislike coffee, I do enjoy a good cup of coffee every once in a while, but I am talking small batch beans in the french press. When it comes to my daily drink of choice I am a tea person, my absolute favorite form of tea, Homemade Chai Tea.

Whether it is hot or cold I seriously cannot get enough of the smooth and spicy chai tea latte. And while most coffee shops whip up a delicious latte, they are so easy to make at home for a fraction of the price!

Once you have all of the necessary ingredients you basically have an infinite amount of Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate at your disposal. I used to make single cups of chai tea on the stove all of the time, and I thought to myself there has to be an easier way. And there is! By making a huge batch of Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate once a week I can store it in the refrigerator to be consumed easily throughout the week! And what better way to do this than using my trusty slow cooker. I don’t have to sit and babysit it over the stove, I literally throw all of my ingredients in the crockpot and go about my day. It is that simple, you are welcome 🙂

TIPS & TRICKS:

You can make this on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-9 hours, I have tried both ways and they both are delicious, I will say though I personally like the low and slow version better because I can do it while I am gone all day or even overnight
The best part about making your own homemade Chai Tea Concentrate is you can make it exactly the way you want, I don’t like mine overly sweet so I only use 1/2 cup of honey, but if you like it sweet add more, or if you like yours really peppery add more pepper, it is as simple as that!
Missing some of the spices? Get them here:

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Yield: 8 cups

Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate

a large batch of chai tea concentrate made easily in the slow cooker

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 inches cinnamon sticks
4 whole star anise
15 cardamon pods, slightly crushed
8 whole cloves
4 whole allspice
2 inch knob fresh ginger, thinly sliced OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 cups water
8 black tea bags

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except the tea bags to the crockpot. Stir together to ensure honey isn't just sitting on the bottom.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 7-9 hours.
Turn off crockpot and stir in the tea bags. Cover and let the tea steep for 15 minutes.
Line a strainer with cheese cloth and place over a large bowl/container.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags and whole spices from the crockpot.
Ladle your chai concentrate into the cheesecloth lined strainer until all of the liquid is strained.
Transfer your chai concentrate to an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.
To make your chai latte, hot or cold mix 50/50 with your preferred milk and either heat or pour over ice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 0g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

If you enjoyed this recipe or any of my others let me know by using #theschmidtywife on social media!

And make sure you are following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for more drink recipes? Check out my Crockpot Christmas Wassail or my Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte

Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili

September 1, 2017 by Lauren Schmidt 15 Comments

This is the best Crockpot Pumpkin Chili you didn’t even know you needed! This chili is inspired by a white chili base, the pumpkin puree is added with maple breakfast sausage, green chilies, and white beans makes for a unique and cozy fall chili! It is seriously one you don’t want to miss!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A white bowl of pumpkin chili on a white surface surround by more bowls and a lot of green onion garnishes.

Originally posted 09/27/2016, updated 09/06/2021 with new photos, updated instructions and clarifications, recipe remains the same.

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

For me I see the whole season of fall as a challenge to make everything I eat pumpkin flavored. I always have a can of pumpkin puree cracked open in my fridge ready to be added to anything and everything I am making. I know I am not the only person with this habit because my mother does it too (that moment when you realize you are becoming your mother). So with this cool weather now here to stay I wanted to combine pumpkin with my favorite comfort food chili but all the recipes I saw regarding pumpkin chili was not what I had in mind so I created Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili.

The idea behind this Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili is a white chili base opposed to your more traditional tomato based chili.

With the thought of a creamy pumpkin chili in mind I started to collect the ingredients for a white chili base. I started with great northern beans, green chilies, a few diced tomatoes, and some chicken broth.

When it came time to decide on the protein I was very hesitant to use chicken which is usually found in white chili so I made a mental list of different possible meats I could use and then a light bulb went off, maple breakfast sausage and oh my goodness you guys I picked a winner! The slight sweetness of the maple sausage offsets the green chilies and both compliment the creaminess of the pumpkin and cream cheese we add later.

I moved on to the spices starting with the obvious cumin and chili powder, adding a little black pepper for a little spice and then bam, I did it I added nutmeg! Yes nutmeg in your chili, trust me on this one. You let this beautiful concoction simmer all day in the crockpot, hurray for minimal work!

Towards the end you will add cream cheese to give the chili the perfect creaminess!

And now friends we have the most perfect fall time creamy pumpkin chili! So grab your can of pumpkin get out the slow cooker and make a batch of this perfect fall comfort food 🙂

Overhead view of three bowls of crockpot pumpkin chili topped with green onions and sour cream.

Ingredients

Maple Breakfast Sausage – I will admit, this sometimes this can be tricky to find. I have always been able to find Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Breakfast Sausage Links. So because I have been able to consistently find this product that is what the recipe calls for. If your grocery store sells maple breakfast sausage by the pound, so you don’t have to remove the casings, buy that. OR if you cannot find the maple breakfast sausages anywhere (check Walmart) I have a friend who uses regular sausage and adds a tablespoon or so of maple syrup to the chili or while you are cooking the sausage and he says it comes out great!
Great Northern Beans – These smooth white beans make the perfect addition to this chili
Whole Corn Kernels – The corn is absolutely perfect for adding a slight textured crunch to this chili!
Diced Green Chilies – This gives the chili a good spice but not too spicy!
Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (Ro-tel) – Ro-tel or similar brand
Pumpkin Puree – The star of the dish, make sure you grab 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling by accident!
Chicken Stock – You need to add chicken stock in this chili to break up the pumpkin puree. By adding chicken stock the chili will seem very soupy at first but as it cooks down and then especially when it cools it thickens up quite a bit.
Ground Cumin – A classic addition to chili, not too much here as we don’t want it overpowering the dish.
Chili Powder – Same as with the cumin, just enough for that chili flavor but not too much to over power the dish.
Ground Nutmeg – Now this spice will feel like you are adding a lot, trust me on this one it really makes the chili!
Ground Black Pepper – Added to bring just a little more spice!
Plain Cream Cheese – To make it creamy! I add this at the end of cooking. I don’t add it at the beginning because I don’t want the cream cheese to burn on the bottom or edges of the slow cooker. If you cut the cream cheese into chunks and warm it up slightly it should have no problem blending in!

Green Onion – For garnishing, the onion perfectly offsets the sweetness in the maple breakfast sausage.
Cheddar Cheese – The classic chili topping works great in here.
Sour Cream – A good dollop of sour cream adds perfectly to the top of this chili!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients to make creamy pumpkin chili in the crockpot laid out on a countertop including maple sausages, white beans, and pumpkin puree.

A black crockpot filled with the ingredients to make pumpkin chili, including maple sausage, white, beans, pumpkin, and tomatoes.

A black crockpot with cooked pumpkin chili and a paddle holding some up.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions:

You can make this recipe on high for 3-4 hours instead of on low for longer. I have done both ways and like most chili I honestly think it tastes better when it is low and slow!
I love eating this chili with crunchy bread or tortilla chips, it’s super yummy
This chili starts out soupy but will thicken over time

White bowl against a white background filled with yellow crockpot pumpkin chili garnished with green onions and sour cream.

If you like this Crockpot Pumpkin Chili you might like:

Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Creamy Pumpkin Chili

pumpkin in a creamy white base made with maple breakfast sausage, green chilies, and white beans makes for a unique and cozy fall chili

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 12 ounce package maple breakfast links
2 15oz cans great northern beans, drained
1 15oz can whole corn kernels, drained
1 4oz can diced green chilies
1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (ro-tel)
1 15oz can pure pumpkin puree
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces plain cream cheese

Garnishes

green onion
cheddar cheese
sour cream

Instructions

Using a knife carefully remove the casings from all of the maple breakfast links. Heat and crumble the maple breakfast links in a skillet over medium heat until brown and fully cooked, 8-10 minutes. Drain fat.
Add cooked maple breakfast sausage, great northern beans, corn kernels, diced green chilies, diced tomatoes with chilies, pumpkin puree, chicken stock, ground cumin, chili powder, ground nutmeg, and black pepper to the crockpot. Stir to mix together.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
20 to 30 minutes before you are ready to eat it will be time to add the cream cheese. To make it easier, cut the block of cream cheese into 6 to 8 chunks and microwave until room temperature, 30-60 seconds depending on the microwave. Add the cream cheese to the slow cooker. Let the cream cheese melt into the chili, stirring occasionally throughout the last 20-25 minutes of cooking until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Serve hot, top with garnishes.

Notes

*Sometimes this can be tricky to find. I have always been able to find Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Breakfast Sausage Links. So because I have been able to consistently find this product that is what the recipe calls for. If your grocery store sells maple breakfast sausage by the pound, so you don’t have to remove the casings, buy that. OR if you cannot find the maple breakfast sausages anywhere (check Walmart) I have a friend who uses regular sausage and adds a tablespoon or so of maple syrup to the chili or while you are cooking the sausage and he says it comes out great!

If the cream cheese doesn't seem to be fully incorporated, use a whisk to whisk the cream cheese into the chili.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 405Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 1049mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 17g

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

P.S. Looking for other great pumpkin recipes?

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe

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