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20 Clean-Eating Recipes You Can Make in Your Slow Cooker

parmesan herb chicken and orzo
Creme de la Crumb

Two of our favorite things in life? Eating healthy and being lazy. Sadly, they’re often mutually exclusive because, well, takeout. Then we remembered it was possible to make our slow cooker do all of the cooking for us. Take the salty, processed ingredients out and bingo—nutritious food with no effort. Presenting our 20 favorite, totally clean slow-cooker meals.

slow cooker chicken noodle soup
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

1.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Make a double batch; thank yourself later.

butternut squash macaroni
Healthy Slow Cooking

2.

Butternut Squash Macaroni

Nutritional yeast kicks up the bold, cheesy flavor.

parmesan herb chicken and orzo
Creme de la Crumb

3.

Parmesan Herb Chicken and Orzo

The perfect match for cozy wool sweaters.

slow cooker chicken teriyaki
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

4.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

So tasty, you’ll forget it’s healthy.

vegan lasagna soup
Connoisseurus Veg

5.

Vegan Lasagna Soup

Creamy almond pesto ricotta to the rescue.

lentil and brown rice tacos
Melanie Makers

6.

Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos

Ground beef wishes it tasted so good.

kale and white bean soup
Dishing Delish

7.

Kale and White Bean Soup

We feel healthier just looking at it.

thai chicken lettuce cups with peanut sauce
Laura Fuentes

8.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups with Peanut Sauce

You have permission to eat with your hands.

 

healthy chicken tikka masala
Ambitious Kitchen

9.

Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala

Coconut milk kicks butter and heavy cream in the butt.

honey harissa chicken with chickpeas and jeweled pomegranate rice
Half Baked Harvest

10.

Honey Harissa Chicken with Chickpeas

Does this look like it came out of a Crock-Pot? (Rhetorical question.)

slow cooker mashed cauliflower
LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

11.

Garlic-Herb Mashed Cauliflower

Take that, potatoes.

paleo chilii
The Modern Proper

12.

Paleo Chili

Pile on those good-for-you green toppings.

balsamic brussels sprouts
Damn Delicious

13.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Presenting a totally hands-off version of your favorite side.

turkey bolognese sauce with zucchini noodles
Cook Eat Paleo

14.

Turkey Bolognese Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

It’s about time you invested in a spiralizer.

coconut quinoa curry
Simply Quinoa

15.

Coconut Quinoa Curry

Bring on the fiber.

turkey meatballs
Sally’s Baking Addiction

16.

Turkey Meatballs

Tender and packed with flavor. Prego.

apricot chicken
Family Food on the Table

17.

Apricot Chicken

Just the right mix of sweet and savory.

hawaiian pork burrito bowls
With Salt and Wit

18.

Hawaiian Pork Burrito Bowls

Juicy, seared pineapple: It’s what’s for dinner.

mediterranean chicken
Le Creme de La Crumb

19.

Mediterranean Chicken

Elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party.

bbq jackfruit stuffed sweet potatoes
Thyme & Love

20.

BBQ Jackfruit Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

We can barely tell it’s not pulled pork.


heathgoldmanheadshot 1

Food Editor

From 2017 to 2019 Heath Goldman held the role of Food Editor covering food, booze and some recipe development, too. Tough job, eh?