10 Tasty And Easy Summer Slow Cooker Recipes
Summer slow cooker recipes may not be the first thing you will want to look up when it is sweating butts hot outside. In the summertime, our menus tend to consist of lighter, colder, more salad-based recipes. Putting your food into a slow cooker does not mean, the meal will be hefty and a massive portion. You can use your slow cooker for summer recipes that are light, easy and tasty.
1. Beef Gyros
Beef gyros can be prepared for whatever weather or season you wish. For the theme of summer slow cooker recipes, you can put together a lighter version of beef gyros where the beef is finely slow cooked.
Before cooking the beef, remove pieces of fat or any other party you’re not a fan of, then cut into 1/4 inch thin strips. On both sides, season the beef with salt and pepper and put them into your slow cooker.
On the side, take olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, lemon juice, and a bit of extra salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk together. Pour the mixture over the meat. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7-8 or HIGH for 3.5-4 hours until tender.
For a good tzatziki sauce that will be served with beef in a warm pita use these ingredients: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 clove garlic, finely minced, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar,1 teaspoon dried dill weed, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
On a piece of pita bread, place the sliced beef, top it with the tzatziki sauce and cut up tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and onion.
2. Honey Buffalo Meatballs
Even though meatballs may be considered a heavy meal, for a theme of light summer slow cooker recipes, combine the meatballs with a salad on the side.
First, preheat your oven to 450F degrees and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, break two eggs and whisk. Then add the rest of the meatball ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs
22 saltine crackers, crushed (approx. 1 cup)
1/3 cup dry minced onion
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1/2 tsp EACH chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Create balls out of the mixture onto the baking sheet and place into the oven for 8 minutes.
For the honey buffalo sauce, use ingredients that you can find at Carl’s Bad Cravings. Don’t go crazy with the hot sauce, add more at the end of cooking.
Place the meatballs on the bottom of your slow cooker and drizzle with the honey buffalo sauce. Put more meatballs on top and pour the remaining sauce.
Cook your meatballs on low heat for 2 hours. After one hour, gently stir. Before serving, taste the meatballs to add additional seasonings for taste.
3. Slow-Cooker Jerk Chicken
Summer slow cooker recipes would not be it without a yummy chicken recipe.
This slow-cooker jerk chicken is very easy even though it will take a bit longer to cook than other recipes. Before putting the chicken into a slow cooker, bring the chicken thighs to a large skillet on medium-high heat until they turn light brown. It should take 3-5 minutes.
For the varnish, blend in a food processor following ingredients: the green onions, onion, jalapeno, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, thyme, cloves, nutmeg and allspice and puree until smooth.
Now, put the chicken inside the slow cooker, with skin side up and drizzle the sauce over the meat. Leave it cooking for 8 hours on low heat.
4. Corn On The Cab
The recipe for corn on the cab is no brain science, but it does make for a fantastic, easy summer slow-cooker recipe.
Remove the corn’s skin and clean. Get a stick of butter from the refrigerator and place on the counter to reach room temperature.
Place the corn into a slow cooker and fill the cooker with water. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 3 hours on high heat.
After three hours, remove the lid and drain the water. Now add the butter that you left on the counter and let it melt for around 5 minutes, but with heat off. Serve and enjoy.
5. Pulled Pork Sliders
Sliders are one of the favorite summer slow cooker recipes, handy for evening parties as something for guests to nibble on.
In a slow cooker, take a half of a can of apricot preserves and 1 tbsp. of cider vinegar and stir, one cut up red onion.
For the pork, season it with cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Mix the pork with the onion and cook until easily pulled apart. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
When it is ready, shred the pork with two forks and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve the sliders with rolls and lettuce.
6. Mexican Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Even though this meal is slow-cooked, it is super light and perfect for summer dinners.
For the Mexican slow-cooker stuffed peppers, spray the bottom of your slow cooker with a cooking spray before placing the peppers.
For the pepper stuffing, combine ground beef or turkey, rice, black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, cheese, seasoning and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Inside each of the peppers, fill their cavity with the filling. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours or until the meat is cooked through.
7. Slow Cooker Veggie Fajitas
This vegetarian-friendly meal is a quick one.
For the slow-cooker veggie fajitas, place 1 onion, halved and then thinly sliced, 3 peppers, cut into strips (I used one red, one green and one yellow), 1tbsp oil, 1tsp hot chili powder, 1tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground coriander. Mix and let it cook on high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
Then follow up with adding the tomatoes and cook for two more hours. When ready, put the mixture onto a tortilla and top with cheese and coriander and other toppings of choice.
8. Crock-Pot Thai Chicken Curry
For a slow-cooker recipe for Thai chicken curry, follow the recipe in the video below.
9. Slow Cooker Chipotle Steak Quesadillas
With chipotle steak quesadillas, slow-cooker style, your house will be smelling incredible.
In the slow cooker, place the flank steak, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, scallions, 1/2 cup cilantro, lime juice, salsa, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium high for 4-5 hours. Roughly around every hour, flip the steak. Then shred the meat in the cooker and see if it needs more seasoning.
Once the meat is ready, heat up a skillet to medium-high heat and place a tortilla on it. You can then add shredded cheese with shredded meat, and red bell pepper, some cilantro, and more cheese.
Flip the tortilla and add more cheese until it turns brown on both sides. Then cut the tortilla in half.
10. Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa Bake
This enchilada quinoa bake is another excellent option for your summer slow cooker recipes.
First, on a skillet, put canola oil over medium-high heat, add onion and bell pepper and stir for 3 minutes. For another 30 seconds mix in the garlic. Then pour the whole thing into a slow cooker.
Add quinoa, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Put a lid on and cook on high heat for about 2 hours 45 minutes. Depending on your slow cooker, you can leave it for longer, so keep an eye on it.
Then you can bring the corn, black beans, and pinto beans. Top it all with cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.
