It can get uncomfortable to cook indoors when temperatures are getting warmer. Simple summer slow-cooker recipes are the perfect solution for preparing delicious meals without spending hours over a hot stove or heating up your kitchen.

From smoky barbecue favourites to fresh tacos, and from light Vietnamese pho to family-friendly pasta dishes, a slow cooker allows you to enjoy the flavours of the season without work. From a weekend barbecue to a picnic or a quick weeknight meal, these recipes will make it easy, convenient and flavourful to cook all summer long.

Why Choose Simple Summer Slow-Cooker Recipes?

Simple summer slow-cooker recipes help you prepare delicious meals without heating up your kitchen, making cooking more comfortable on warm days. They also save time and effort, allowing you to enjoy fresh, flavourful dishes while the slow cooker does most of the work.

Slow cooking in summer

When it's sunny outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or spend ages getting hot and bothered at the stove. Thankfully, plenty of delicious, summery dishes exist that you can make in your slow cooker with minimal effort. From barbecue favourites to sweet treats and midweek family dinners, here are our top summer slow-cooker recipes.

Read More: The Most Nutritious Vegetables and the Ones That Are Almost Pointless

Pulled barbecue chicken slider

A dream of summer dish, in this recipe, cooks simmer chicken thighs in a rich, smoky, slightly sweet homemade barbecue sauce, until the meat becomes meltingly soft and tender. Then, they pile the chicken into pillowy mini burger buns, along with slices of avocado and chipotle and lime mayonnaise.

Rum spiced roast ham

Just the thing for serving cold with an array of different salads, this joint of ham, with its treacle and spiced rum glaze, also perfectly suits making sandwiches to take on a summer picnic. For a slow-cooker version of the recipe below, simply set your slow cooker to medium and add all the ingredients to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook for six to seven hours, topping up with water as needed. Leave to cool before slicing.

Chicken pho

Bursting with fresh ingredients, interesting textures and tantalising flavours, this light version of Vietnamese pho is just the thing for summer slurping. To adapt the recipe for a slow cooker, poach the chicken in its aromatic broth in the slow cooker pot for four to five hours. Leave to cool slightly, then pick the meat off the bone. To serve, divide the chicken among bowls, pour over the broth and add the cooked noodles. Garnish with spring onions, Thai basil, coriander and sliced chilli.

Smokehouse ribs

It’s not always necessary to spend hours hovering over a hot grill to achieve wonderfully tender smokehouse ribs. This simple recipe uses a slow cooker to get that pull-apart, low and slow texture and deep flavour. Serve with coleslaw, potato wedges and corn on the cob for a real barbecue feast.

Barbacoa tacos

Barbacoa is a Mexican dish of slow-cooked, spicy and tangy meat, often shredded and served in tacos. Our recipe uses beef, but you can substitute with pork if you prefer. Once the meat is ready, let everyone build their own dinner, piling salsa, fresh herbs and sour cream into hard-shell tacos or soft tortillas.

Pork lettuce cups

Chillies, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and fish sauce give pork mince a tasty kick in this recipe. Let the slow cooker do the hard work, then serve in fresh, crisp lettuce cups, adding a sprinkling of toasted peanuts, mint and shredded spring onion to finish. This recipe is perfect for hot weather eating and the pork mix can easily be doubled and frozen into handy portions for when you're short on time.

Chicken fajita pasta

Chicken fajita pasta suits summer eating especially well, as the tasty sauce isn't rich or heavy. To achieve a greater depth of flavour, marinate the chicken the day before. Once the fajita seasoning infuses the meat, you will have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Serve sour cream, grated Cheddar, and jalapeño peppers on the side, so that everyone can customize their own meal.

Lebanese lamb flatbreads

This Middle Eastern–inspired lamb dish is ideal for a midweek supper. Cook it for seven to eight hours on high (or eight to nine hours on low) while you’re out for the day or busy at home, and you’ll return to a truly tempting meal. If you want, roast the meat in the oven for the last 20 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with flatbreads, fresh pomegranate seeds, coriander and plain yogurt.

Pulled pork and pickled slaw tacos

Follow this recipe for bright and beautiful pulled pork and pickled slaw tacos, but instead of cooking the meat in the oven, allow your slow cooker to work its magic. Place all the ingredients into the pot and cook on low for eight hours, until the pork shreds easily with a fork.

Let the meat rest before pulling it apart, then pile it into tacos, tortillas, or brioche buns. Top with the pickled slaw and add coriander, a dollop of sour cream, or a drizzle of sriracha if you wish.

You May Also Read: Best Fast Food Chains in Europe You Should Try

Spicy beef chilli

Chilli is a slow-cooker classic and this version is particularly tasty, thanks to infusing it with a smoky, spicy chipotle paste. While chilli is fab with rice or jacket potatoes in winter, in the summer months try serving it with nachos, fresh, zippy guacamole and lime wedges for a lighter twist.

FAQs

1. what are the best simple summer slow-cooker recipes?

Pulled barbecue chicken sliders, chicken pho, smokehouse ribs, barbacoa tacos, pork lettuce cups, spicy beef chilli and pulled pork tacos are some of the best recipes.

2. Is it possible to use a slow cooker on a hot summer day?

Yes. Since a slow cooker generates less heat than an oven, it is a great option for cooking without warming the kitchen.

3. Which meats are suitable for slow cooking in the summertime?

Slow cooked chicken thighs, pork shoulder, beef chuck, lamb shoulder and ham are good options as they get tender and fall apart after cooking slowly.

4. Do summer slow cooker meals make good meal prep options?

Absolutely. Numerous recipes such as chilli, pulled pork, barbacoa and shredded chicken can be kept in the fridge or freezer for later use.

5. How do I lighten up a slow cooker recipe in the summer?

Serve with fresh salads, lettuce wraps, tortillas, seasonal vegetables and herbs, yoghurt, avocado, or citrus toppings instead of heavy sides.