It’s not always necessary to spend hours by a grill to achieve wonderfully tender smokehouse ribs. This simple recipe uses a slow cooker to get that pull-apart, low-and-slow texture and deep flavour. Serve with coleslaw, potato wedges and corn on the cob for a proper summer barbecue feast.
Barbacoa is a Mexican dish of slow-cooked, spicy and tangy meat, often shredded and served in tacos. Our recipe uses beef, but you can substitute with pork if you prefer. Once the meat is ready, let everyone build their own dinner, piling salsa, fresh herbs and sour cream into hard-shell tacos or soft tortillas.
Chillies, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and fish sauce give pork mince its kick. Let the slow cooker do the hard work then serve in lettuce cups – fresh and crispy, perfect for hot weather – and add a sprinkling of toasted peanuts, mint and shredded spring onion. This recipe can easily be doubled and frozen into handy portions for when you're short on time.
Chicken fajita pasta is especially great for summer as the sauce isn't too rich and heavy. To achieve a greater depth of flavour, try and remember to marinate the chicken the day before. Once it's infused with the fajita seasoning, dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes. To cut down on carbs or to make your dinner lighter, swap half the portion with a green salad.
This Middle Eastern-inspired lamb dish is ideal for a midweek supper. Leave it to cook for seven to eight hours on high, or eight to nine hours on low while you’re out for the day or busy at home, then come back to a tempting aroma. If you want, you can roast the meat for the last 20 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with flatbreads, fresh pomegranate seeds, coriander and plain yogurt.
Follow this bright and beautiful recipe for pulled pork and pickled slaw tacos, but instead of cooking the meat in the oven, let a slow cooker work its magic. Place all the ingredients into the pot and cook on low for eight hours until the pork can be shredded easily with a fork. Let the meat rest before pulling apart, then pile high in hard-shell or soft tacos. Top with the pickled slaw and add coriander, a dollop of sour cream or a drizzle of sriracha if you wish.
Chilli is a slow cooker classic and this comfort food is especially good when it comes infused with smoky, spicy chipotle paste. It's also not just a cold weather recipe, especially when you can serve it on top of nachos or on its own with guacamole and a dollop of sour cream.
This aromatic coconut curry becomes infused with deep, heady flavours when it's slow cooked, either on high for three hours or low for five to six hours. Especially great for cooler summer days, the sweet prawns and tender spinach make a great combination. Fresh coriander and lime are added at the end to lift the flavours.
A summer staple, corn on the cob is a brilliant addition to a barbecue spread. If you don't have a grill, there is an alternative. Rather than boiling corn on the hob, you can cook it in your slow cooker. Add corn and enough water to cover the bottom of your slow cooker, and let it steam on high for two to three hours or on low for five to six hours. Add butter and seasoning, or finish off with a Mexican-inspired lime, coriander, paprika and chilli powder topping.
Marinating then slow cooking beef makes it meltingly tender – perfect for topping nachos. Rub silverside of beef with paprika, cumin and chilli, then cook on high for four to five hours until it falls apart. Shred over tortilla chips alongside other toppings like chopped coriander, spicy slaw, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
Excellent in tacos, sandwiches, salads or even soups, shredded chicken is a versatile ingredient, but roasting it in the oven can take hours and considerably heat up your home. Adapt the recipe below to a slow cooker by placing the chicken and veg in the pot with water and seasoning. Then cook on low for six to seven hours or high for around three, until the chicken is cooked through but tender and moist.
Polenta is comforting and filling, especially when it’s cheesy. In this dish with prawns, spring onions and bacon, the polenta is made on the hob, but it can also be done in a slow cooker. Grease the pot first then allow to cook for four to five hours on low, stirring once or twice. Once it’s ready, pan-fry the surf 'n' turf topping, which will add a light, summery touch.
Get the recipe for cheesy polenta with prawns, spring onions and bacon here
Earthy, salty and smoky, black beans are a perfect accompaniment to many recipes, from quesadillas and burritos to simply served with rice and meat. This recipe uses a large frying pan to cook the beans on the hob but they're also easily made in your slow cooker. They'll take about three hours on high.
While the whole point of this recipe for a takeout favourite is making it quicker than it would be to order, you can achieve an even better and more flavoursome result in your slow cooker. A zingy and fresh sweet and sour sauce is well-suited to the summer months and you can pair it with any protein you like, or just have it with veg and rice. Use this recipe and cook on high for three hours if adding chicken.
Yes, even mac 'n' cheese can be made in a slow cooker. While it might seem like a classic winter comfort food, it's actually a great addition to a barbecue. Pour boiling water over the pasta and drain, then add all the ingredients (milk, butter, soft cheese and Cheddar) and the pasta to a slow cooker, stir and cook on low for an hour. Stir again and leave it for another 30 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Leave the lid off for the last 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce a bit.
A take on a peperonata, a classic Italian stew, this brilliant dish can be slowly simmered in your slow cooker. A colourful combination of sweet bell peppers, chilli, garlic and beans, this recipe is perfect served on its own or with a slice of buttered and toasted sourdough or ciabatta. Cook on low for around three hours until the peppers are tender and almost falling apart.
For a summery roast when the thought of turning on the oven fills you with dread, let the slow cooker do the work for you. This recipe for lamb and a light braised vegetable side can easily be adapted. You'll still want to sear the meat and gently fry the vegetables before adding everything to a slow cooker (you'll need less liquid though). Cook on low for eight hours or high for five to six, until the lamb almost falls off the bone.
This wonderfully warming vegetarian curry is a slow-cooked spice fest, infused with the fragrant flavours of cumin, coriander and fenugreek leaves. While it might seem like a hearty dish, aubergines are in season in summer and the lack of meat makes it wonderfully light. It’s also suitable for vegans if you don’t top with butter and cream.
Meatballs are the ultimate freezer staple that are great to have on hand for a variety of dishes. This meatball sub is particularly easy to pull together for a quick summer lunch. Follow the recipe to make the meatballs, then lightly pan-fry before adding to a slow cooker with the remaining sauce ingredients and cook on low for five hours.
Winter or summer, a fresh loaf of bread is a real treat. And yes, you really can bake bread in a slow cooker – just expect a flatter, softer loaf. Line the pot with baking paper and mould the dough to fit. Cook on a high setting for one to 2.5 hours, checking every 45 minutes. Towards the end, use a cook’s thermometer to check whether the bread is baked – the inside should be around 88 to 93°C (190 to 199°F). Serve warm with plenty of butter.
This take on a Spanish classic includes some non-traditional ingredients, but it's still super tasty. To adapt it for the slow cooker, add all the ingredients except the chicken thighs to the pot, mix, then add the chicken on top. Cook on high for three to four hours or low for six to eight hours. You can also add seafood during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time if you wish.
Chicken wings are wonderful to get stuck in and eat with your hands, and you can still achieve a brilliantly crispy, juicy and sticky result in a slow cooker. Combine the wings with honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chilli paste, baking powder and seasoning in a zip-lock bag and shake until the wings are completely covered. Add to a slow cooker, pour all of the sauce over the wings and cook on high for two to three hours, stirring every hour or so. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onion.
For a superbly succulent whole chicken, lay a seasoned bird with butter under its skin onto a bed of peeled carrots and onions. Add a cup of boiling water and cook on low for four to eight hours (depending on the cooker and the size of chicken) or until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink. For crispy skin, put the chicken under a hot grill for a few minutes at the end. In summer, it'll go particularly well with a zingy ginger mayo.
Get the recipe for roast chicken with ginger mayonnaise here
Shredded, slow-cooked meat is brilliant in a burger as an alternative to a patty. This recipe pairs flavoursome beef with smoky, chilli sour cream in a crusty bun. You can switch up the sour cream flavours by trying chipotle paste or smoked paprika.
You probably have everything needed to make chocolate cookies in your store cupboard, and for extra ease, bake the treat in a slow cooker. It's cooked on a low heat for three to four hours, then for another 30 minutes, uncovered, on high. The result is a soft, sweet, chewy cookie, best served with vanilla ice cream.
Slow-cooker French toast is a breeze to make. In a shallow dish, pour the egg mixture over slices or cubes of bread, and allow to soak for an hour or two. Then butter the inside of a slow cooker and spoon in the bread and liquid. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top and cook on high for two hours, or on low for four hours. You could enjoy on its own, with fruit or try this topping of caramelised apples and cream.
Get the recipe for French toast with caramelised apples here
It’s perfectly feasible to make cakes in a slow cooker and banana bread comes out particularly well. Expect a gratifyingly soft, moist treat that can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Butter and flour the inside of a slow cooker, as you would a baking tin, then make the batter from a recipe of your choice. Pour the batter into the pot and cook on high for 1.5 to two hours, checking with a skewer to see if it’s done.
Granola and yogurt is one of the best breakfast options in summer – and a batch of the oaty mix will last as long as three weeks in an airtight container. Instead of turning on the oven, make granola in a slow cooker. Very lightly oil the inside, then add all the ingredients, already mixed (apart from any dried fruit). Leave the lid slightly askew to let the steam escape and cook for around two hours on high. When ready, add any dried fruit, coconut flakes or even mini chocolate chips.