The Best Summer Slow-Cooker Recipes So You Don't Have to Turn on the Stove

Christina Holmes

Slow cooking might seem synonymous with cold-weather comfort food, but you can use this technique to achieve flavor year-round—even summer! Turn out delicious summertime fare like ribs, tacos, pulled chicken, stuffed peppers, and more without ever turning on the oven or stove.

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Christina Holmes

Once summer finally arrives, all most people want to do is bask in the warm sun, enjoy the long days, and share delicious food with family and friends. While the summer months generally mean that you (or the barbecue master in your family) will spend lots of time at the grill, everyone has days when they just don't want to cook dinner. That's where the slow cooker comes in. Our summer slow cooker recipes usually require just a handful of ingredients, which can be prepped and placed in the cooker first thing in the morning, then set to cook for seven to eight hours. By 6 p.m., dinner is ready, and you didn't have to do any additional work.

One of the best recipes to make in a slow cooker any time of year, but especially in the summer, is pulled pork, and the Easy-Slow Cooker version pictured here is sure to please your entire family. Sweet, tangy, juicy, meaty—there's so much to love about this preparation of pork, especially when it's piled high atop a soft roll. You could also our easy recipe for Pulled-Pork Sandwiches with Pickled Vegetables—the contrast of tangy red cabbage atop Kansas City-style pulled pork is a delicious combination.

A similarly delicious recipe is our Slow-Cooker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. The shredded chicken thighs taste super sharp and spicy thanks to Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, and hot pepper sauce. Serve the chicken on a regular hamburger bun for a casual family dinner; whatever you do, don't forget the potato salad to go along side it.

Another spicy summery main course is Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos. All you need to build flavor is garlic cloves, tomato salsa, chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo, and chili powder. It's the perfect crunchy, juicy, and spicy bite all-in-one.

Enjoy these easy, family-friendly slow cooker recipes all summer long. They're the perfect excuse to step away from the hot stove.

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Slow-Cooker Pork Chop

Bryan Gardner

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Skip the Stove! The Best Slower-Cooker Recipes for Summer

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Slow-Cooker Pork Chop

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Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Baby Back Ribs

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Slow-Cooker Greek Stuffed Peppers

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Garlic Chicken with Barley

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Slow-Cooker Marmalade-and-Vinegar Pork

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Slow-Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Country Ribs

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Loaded Slow-Cooker Baked Potatoes

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Slow-Cooker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

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Hawaiian-Style Short Ribs

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Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos

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Slow-Cooker Spanish Meatballs

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Soy-Ginger Chicken

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Shredded Beef Chuck Roast

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pickled Vegetables

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