Find go-to slow cooker recipes for kids (and parents!) with this master list of easy recipes. Included you’ll find kid-friendly chicken dishes, soups and stews, crockpot chili, easy vegetarian recipes for the slow cooker, and much more—chosen with your picky eaters in mind!
Slow Cooker Recipes for Kids
The crock pot can be such a busy-family lifesaver with its whole set-it-and-forget-it capabilities. It’s such an amazing feeling to have dinner ready and waiting at the end of the day!
But—and this is often a big but—so many little kids don’t like foods all mixed together, so cooking family meals in a slow cooker can sometimes feel impossible.
Which is where this list comes in! I can’t guarantee that your kids will eat everything on this list (I wish!), but I do hope that some of these meals will fly with your little people. I tried to cover a range of recipes to please your family, regardless of their preferences.
Here’s to easy cooking!
(You may also like my favorite Freezer Meals and Shortcut Meals.)
Contents hide
1 Slow Cooker Recipes for Kids
2 Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
3 Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
4 Butter Chicken
5 BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
6 Crockpot Veggie Chili
7 Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
8 Red Lentil Soup
9 Crock Pot Lentil Soup
10 Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
11 Crock Pot Refried Beans
12 Slow Cooker Black Beans
13 Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce
14 Channa Masala with Rice
15 Slow Cooker Beef Burritos
16 Slow Cooker Meatballs
17 Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes for Kids
18 Best Slow Cooker for Families
19 You May Also Like
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Cooking chicken in the crockpot is one of the easiest ways to make tender, easy-to-chew chicken that kids and adults love. These are some of our go-to recipes for chicken in the slow cooker, starting with these easy tacos.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Bean Tacos
With a short ingredient list and a veggie-loaded sauce, these Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos are such a delicious family meal. (You can even make it in the Instant Pot for dinnerin just 25 minutes.)
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Butter Chicken
You can make this Indian-style chicken in the crock pot or Instant Pot, so you can go with the one that works better for your day.
Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Forget takeout—deliver this popular Indian dish to your table instead. Shredded chicken thighs are coated in a rich, buttery sauce with hints of tomatoes, ginger, and garam masala—a messy but very flavorful finger food. Adapted from The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook.
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BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
You can make this easy barbecue chicken recipe in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, then serve it in sandwiches or alongside bread or rice.
(You can also make classic salsa chicken by swapping in salsa for the barbecue sauce. That’s such an easy crockpot chicken recipe.)
Easiest Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
You can double this recipe and use 2 pounds of chicken if desired. Just do your best to spread it into an even layer in the instant pot. (Note: The nutrition facts will vary based on the bbq sauce that you use.)
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Crockpot Veggie Chili
Whether for game day, a hearty meal on a chilly weekend, or just an easy weeknight supper, these slow cooker chili recipes are easy to make and serve up. I love to put out bowls of toppings so the kids can choose which ones they want.
Things like shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, and diced tomatoes are great chili toppings, especially on this veggie chili. And you can make this chunky soup easier for kids to eat by draining off some of the liquid.
Vegetarian Bean Chili (Big Batch)
When serving this to a little one, I like to drain off much of the broth. This makes it a little easier (and less messy) for them to eat. If your family likes spice, add in a dash or two of cayenne pepper.
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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
I love using a slow cooker to make soups and stews since you don’t need to stand by the pot while the soup simmers, and the flavors have plenty of time to meld and mix. This black bean soup option is a family favorite.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Use the crock pot to cook up a hearty and nutritious Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with veggies and lots of kid-friendly flavor. It's easy, versatile, and a great freezer meal
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Red Lentil Soup
This plant-based soup includes sweet potato, coconut milk, ginger, and turmeric for a most delicious combination of flavors.
Easy Red Lentil Soup
With plant-based protein and Vitamin C-rich veggies, this brightly flavored Red Lentil Soup—with sweet potato, ginger, and coconut— is a perfect fast family dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
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Crock Pot Lentil Soup
Put everything into the slow cooker and let it cook low and slow all day to make the yummiest vegetarian lentil soup.
Add a simple side of crackers, toast, or a muffin to round out the meal.
Favorite Vegetarian Lentil Soup
With a quick method and a variety of vegetables packed into the soup, this vegetarian Lentil Soup is a perfect weeknight family dinner—especially when you're craving comfort food.
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Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
We love these easy sweet potatoes as a side dish, but they can also be added to Sheet Pan Quesadillas and Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese.
Easy Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
With an almost fool proof method, these Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes mash up into silky smooth baby food or a side. You can also skip the mashing and serve them as you would baked potatoes if preferred.
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Crock Pot Refried Beans
Learn how to make the easiest homemade refried beans to add to burritos, tacos, and more.
Easiest Homemade Refried Beans
This recipe makes enough for 2-3 meals depending on the size and appetites of your family. See below for storage information!
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Slow Cooker Black Beans
It’s so easy to make a big batch of black beans starting from dried beans to use in soups, tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, Black Bean Brownies, and more.
Slow Cooker Black Beans (with Instant Pot Option)
This recipe makes enough for 4-5 meals depending on the size and appetites of your family. I make one batch about every 4-6 weeks and freeze the beans in meal-size portions until we’re ready to enjoy them. You can also use just 1 pound of beans if desired and cook them as directed—just cut the seasoning in half as well.
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Easy Crockpot Applesauce
With just a few basic ingredients and fresh apples, your crock pot can do the rest of the work of making applesauce!
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Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce
Whenever we have too many fresh tomatoes, this is my go-to method for turning them into sauce.
Easy Tomato Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes
This slow cooker tomato sauce method is the easiest way to transform fresh tomatoes into delicious sauce. Scale the recipe up or down for a smaller or larger slow cooker. You don't have to be precise! And the chopped tomatoes can be very roughly chopped.
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Channa Masala with Rice
With a veggie-loaded base and Indian-style spices, this slow cooker meal can also be done in the instant pot if you prefer.
Instant Pot Chana Masala-Style Chickpeas
Try making a super easy Indian food recipe at home with this mild Instant Pot Chana Masala. It's easy to make, freezes beautifully, and packs extra veggies tucked right into the sauce. (This will likely make enough for two meals—I like to freeze the second half for a future week.)
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Slow Cooker Beef Burritos
With beef and veggies in the mix, this easy slow cooker recipe is a satisfying and flavorful burrito mixture.
Slow Cooker Beef Burrito Recipe with Veggies
If you want to make these vegetarian, try using 2 cups rinsed and drained black beans or pinto beans instead of the ground beef.
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Slow Cooker Meatballs
Use ground turkey, beef, or a mixture of pork and beef. Make any classic meatball recipe you like—such as the one below—by simmering meatballs on low in the slow cooker with a jar of marinara sauce.
Healthy Meatballs (with Hidden Vegetables)
With the texture you expect from a traditional meatball but added nutrition from three types of veggies, your whole family will love these.
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Slow Cooker Pasta Recipes for Kids
There’s nothing inherently difficult about boiling water and making pasta … until you have little kids underfoot and demanding your attention! You can try slow cooker lasagna or slow cooker macaroni if you’d like.
Best Slow Cooker for Families
For years, I relied on my basic Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker. It was reliable and consistent and I totally recommend it—especially since it’s less than $40! Lately though, as I’ve been using my Instant Pot more, I’ve been using its slow cooker function, which is just as great. I recommend both options!
You May Also Like
- Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
- Master List of Healthy Family Meals
- Easy Make-Ahead Toddler Dinners
- Shortcut Toddler Meals
Do you have a favorite slow cooker for kids recipe that I missed? Please add it in the comments—I’d love to know!
This post was first published October 2019.
