21 Restaurant Copycat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker (2024)

Home Gear Appliances Slow Cooker

Ellie Martin CliffeUpdated: Mar. 13, 2024

When you're craving restaurant quality at pantry prices, these copycat recipes are just the ticket. Plus, thanks to your slow cooker, you barely have to lift a finger.

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I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and this dish is still one that guests request frequently. It is my No. 1 standby recipe and also makes amazing meatball sandwiches. The sauce works for any type of pasta. —Jane Whittaker, Pensacola, Florida

Meat Loaf with Chili Sauce

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I used to serve this meat loaf in my cafe, where so many of my customers asked for it. I adapted the recipe for my slow cooker at home, where it's quite popular, too. —Robert Cox, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider

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Taste of Home

Spiced with cinnamon sticks, allspice and caramel, this warm-you-up sipper will chase away winter's chill. Serve brimming mugs alongside a platter of festive cookies at your next holiday gathering. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Potluck Macaroni and Cheese

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You'll always have a winner at the potluck when you bring macaroni and cheese. Here's an extra-rich, creamy version for the slow cooker. —Jennifer Blondek, Chicopee, Massachusetts

Tangy Pulled Pork Sandwiches

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The slow cooker not only makes this an easy meal, it keeps the pork tender, saucy and loaded with flavor. —Beki Kosydar-Krantz, Mayfield, Pennsylvania

Slow-Cooked Loaded Potato Soup

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Taste of Home

I like to put twists on my grandmother's recipes, which is what I did with this one. I look forward to passing my own delicious comfort food recipes to my kids. —Jamie Chase, Rising Sun, Indiana

Very Vanilla Slow-Cooker Cheesecake

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Cinnamon and vanilla give this cheesecake so much flavor. —Krista Lanphier, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Tangy Barbecue Wings

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I took these slow-cooked wings to work, and they vanished before I even got a bite! The tangy sauce is lip-smacking good. —Sherry Pitzer, Troy, Missouri

Slow-Cooker Chuck Roast

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My husband and I like chuck roast recipes, so this slow-cooker chuck roast recipe is terrific. You'll also love how flavorful and tender this comforting beef chuck roast turns out. —Bette McCumber, Schenectady, New York

Slow-Cooked Salsa

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The musical "Waitress"

Slow-Cooker Barbacoa

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My husband adores this slow-cooker barbacoa simmered in lime juice, chipotle and cumin. He would eat it one a week if I would make it that often! We have it over rice with cilantro and a spritz of lime. —Aundrea McCormick, Denver, Colorado

Over-the-Rainbow Minestrone

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This colorful soup is vegetarian-friendly and full of fresh flavors from a rainbow of vegetables. You can use any multicolored pasta in place of the spirals. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado

Festive Slow-Cooked Beef Tips

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We once owned an organic greenhouse and produce business. Weekends were hectic, so I made no-fuss meals like yummy beef tips to fortify us at day’s end. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Cheesy Spinach

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Taste of Home

My daughter often serves this cheese and spinach blend at church suppers. Even people who don't usually eat spinach like this flavorful dish once they try it. There are never any leftovers. —Frances Moore, Decatur, Illinois

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The slow cooker makes this chili ideal for entertaining. A few minutes of prep and then it cooks away while you can attend to other party details. Your guests will really enjoy this nicely seasoned hearty dish.—Jan Wagner-Cuda, Deer Park, Washington

Chocolate Espresso Lava Cake

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When a chocolate craving hits, I whip up this cake my aunt inspired. It’s gooey and saucy but not crazy sweet. It’s also potluck-perfect. —Lisa Renshaw, Kansas City, Missouri

Slow-Cooker Garlic-Sesame Beef

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My mom received this marinade recipe from a neighbor while she lived in Seoul, South Korea, which is where I was adopted from. Mom created heritage night for my brother and me, and she served Korean bulgogi with sticky rice, kimchi and chopsticks. As a busy mom of four, I keep her tradition alive with this slow cooker Korean beef!—Jackie Brown, Fairview, North Carolina

Don’t miss this famous P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef recipe if you love this.

Peachy Baby Back Ribs

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Taste of Home

It's easy to get a smoky outdoor barbecue flavor from your slow cooker. Trust me, I've fooled many people on more than one occasion with these ribs. —Mary Louise Lever, Rome, Georgia

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Taste of Home

This go-to weeknight recipe is one I tweaked over and over till it was just right. It has morphed from a labor-intensive wintry bowl to a steamy, comforting, slow-cooked favorite for our family. —Courtney Riggin, Hatchechubbee, Alabama

Slow-Cooker Carnitas

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We shared these flavor-packed tacos with friends from church who came over to help us move. They're so good, I put them on my blog, manilaspoon.com! The slow cooker makes this recipe extra easy, and I love that whenever I make it, I'm reminded of the wonderful people back in Michigan. —Abigail Raines, Hamden, Connecticut

Originally Published: September 20, 2017

Ellie Martin Cliffe

Ellie has spent almost 20 years writing and editing food and lifestyle content for several well-known publishers. As Taste of Home's content director, she leads the team of editors sharing tasty recipes, cooking tips and entertaining ideas. Since joining Taste of Home 13 years ago, she has held roles in digital and print, editing cookbooks, curating special interest publications, running magazines, starring in cooking and cleaning videos, working with the Community Cooks and even handing out cookies and cocoa at local holiday events. Gluten- and dairy-free since 2017, she’s a staff go-to on allergy-friendly foods that actually taste good.If she's not in her plant-filled office, find Ellie in her family’s urban veggie garden, in the kitchen trying new GF/DF recipes or at a local hockey rink, cheering on her spouse or third grader.

21 Restaurant Copycat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker (2024)

FAQs

How do you replicate a slow cooker? ›

Opt for a heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid, like a Staub or Le Creuset Dutch oven, to mimic the moisture retention of a slow cooker.

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How do I get the best results from a slow cooker? ›

Avoid overcrowding: For the best results, fill a slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full. Go ahead and cook big roasts and whole chickens; just make sure you use a large crock and that the lid fits snugly on top. Trim fat: For silky sauces and gravies, take a minute or two and cut the excess fat from the meat.

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Why do all slow cooker meals taste the same? ›

Slow-cooking mellows the flavors of ingredients. That can be great—think of the sweetness of roasted garlic versus the bite of fresh garlic, for instance. It can also be a problem, and it's why some people think all slow-cooked food tastes kind of the same.

Why are slow cooker meals watery? ›

This is the effect that you want to happen when you've added the right amount of water. However, sometimes too much water is accidentally added or the slow cooker fails to evaporate enough water during the cooking process, leaving the sauce or soup a little runnier than you'd like.

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What is the difference between a slow cooker and a crockpot? ›

They are essentially two terms for the same thing. Crock Pot is just a trademarked name for a certain brand of slow cooker that uses a crockery insert as a cooking vessel. Agree with most of the answers. “Crock Pot” is a brand name, and the brand name of the first popular slow cooker.

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What is a substitute for a crockpot? ›

To mimic a slow cooker, you can use a dutch oven or covered casserole dish in a very low oven preheated to 200° Fahrenheit (United States) or 95° Celsius. Some new wall ovens and ranges include a preset “slow cook” function, then automatically switch to “keep warm” when the cooking time is over.

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Do potatoes go on top or bottom of meat in a crockpot? ›

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

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Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Should you cook onions before putting in a slow cooker? ›

It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one. It can also be good to brown meat to give it some colour, but again, this is not essential.

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Why does restaurant food taste different than homemade? ›

Restaurants use far more of the things that make food taste good (fats, salt, etc) and have professional cooks, trained in techniques that result in the best flavors and textures. The top restaurants will have cooks that also have years of experience and access to the highest quality ingredients.

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Can food be overcooked in a slow cooker? ›

Slow cookers are specially designed to cook food for long periods of time, but yes, you can still overcook in a slow cooker if something is left on the wrong setting for longer than it's supposed to be.

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What thickens slow cooker? ›

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

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Can I use my stove as a slow cooker? ›

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can slow cook right on stovetop using a cooking pot that has a heavy build (like a Dutch oven) so it can disperse heat evenly to the food cooking inside. You should cover it well with a lid, keep the heat low and keep checking food in between so it does not run out of liquid.

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How to make a slow cooker at home? ›

Home Made Slow Cooker

Take pot straight from stove, don't let it cool down. ...
Put thick woolen blanket over pot in esky and push down around pot.
Cover with a box or piece of cardboard to act as a lid.
Resist the urge to open and check on food for at least 6 hours.

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Can you cook on stove instead of slow cooker? ›

No worries. Almost all slow cooker recipes can be converted for making in the oven or on the stove. Most of them started out with these traditional cooking methods anyway.

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Can you slow cook in an air fryer? ›

Yes, you can slow roast pork in an air fryer. In fact, it's a great way to cook pork because it results in tender, juicy meat with crispy crackling.