17 Slow Cooker Dump Dinners That Need Zero Browning: Dump It In Before Work, Eat Like a King at Six

Slow cooker dump dinners are the closest thing to a personal chef most of us will ever have. You open a few cans, drop in the meat, shake in the seasoning, put the lid on and walk out the door. No skillet, no splatter, no browning step that eats twenty minutes you do not have at seven in the morning. By six o’clock the house smells like someone has been cooking all day, and in a way someone has. We gathered 17 of our favorite slow cooker dump dinners for busy weeknights, from salsa verde chicken tacos and sticky honey garlic thighs to Italian beef sandwiches, chili mac and even a warm apple dump cake for dessert. Every one of them starts raw or from the freezer and goes straight into the pot. Pick one for tomorrow, set it before work and come home to dinner that is already done..

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs: Where Slow Cooker Dump Dinners Start

If you only try one recipe from this list, make it this one. Boneless chicken thighs go into the pot raw with honey, soy sauce, a heap of garlic and a splash of ketchup, and that is the whole job. Thighs stay juicy even after a long day on low, so there is no dry chicken to worry about. When you get home, shred the meat right in the sauce, stir in a little cornstarch slurry and let it turn sticky and glossy while the rice cooks..

You will need: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 6 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp cornstarch, sesame seeds and green onions.

How to make it: 1. Lay the thighs in the slow cooker. 2. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic and pepper and pour it over. 3. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours or high 3 hours. 4. Shred the chicken in the pot. 5. Stir in cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water and cook 15 minutes more. 6. Top with sesame seeds and green onions.

Salsa Verde Chicken for Easy Taco Night

This is one of the slow cooker dump dinners that taught a lot of home cooks to trust their slow cooker. Chicken breasts, a jar of tangy tomatillo salsa verde, cumin and a squeeze of lime. That is it. The salsa does all the seasoning work and keeps the chicken tender, and when it shreds it soaks up every drop of that bright green sauce. Taste of Home keeps a big collection of dump dinners for your slow cooker, and taco fillings like this one are always the crowd favorite.

You will need: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, 16 oz jar salsa verde, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, juice of 1 lime, corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, radishes.

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. 2. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder and salt. 3. Pour the salsa verde over the top. 4. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours or high 3 hours. 5. Shred with two forks and stir in the lime juice. 6. Pile into warm tortillas with your toppings.

Mississippi-Style Chicken With Pepperoncini

The famous Mississippi roast trick works just as well on chicken, and it may be the easiest of all slow cooker dump dinners. You layer chicken breasts in the pot, sprinkle on a packet of ranch seasoning and a packet of au jus or brown gravy mix, add a handful of pepperoncini with a little of their brine and top it all with a stick of butter. Hours later it falls apart into a rich, tangy, buttery mess that is amazing on mashed potatoes, rice or soft rolls. Nobody will guess it took five minutes.

You will need: 2 lb chicken breasts, 1 packet dry ranch seasoning, 1 packet au jus or brown gravy mix, 6 to 8 pepperoncini plus 2 tbsp of their juice, 1/2 cup butter, mashed potatoes or rolls for serving.

How to make it: 1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. 2. Sprinkle both seasoning packets evenly over the top. 3. Add the pepperoncini and juice. 4. Set the butter on top. 5. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. 6. Shred, stir into the juices and serve over potatoes or in rolls.

Slow Cooker Dump Dinners Takeout Swap: Beef and Broccoli

Skip the delivery fee on a Friday and let this one simmer while you work. Thin strips of flank steak go into the pot raw with beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and plenty of garlic and ginger. The long, gentle heat turns the beef tender in a way a quick stir fry never quite manages. The only trick is timing the broccoli. Add it in the last half hour so it stays bright green with a little crunch, then thicken the sauce and spoon it over rice.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb flank steak sliced thin, 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 4 cups broccoli florets, cooked rice.

How to make it: 1. Add the beef to the slow cooker. 2. Whisk broth, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and pour it over. 3. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours. 4. Stir in cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water. 5. Add broccoli and cook on high 30 minutes. 6. Serve over rice.

Cowboy Beans and Beef, the Heartiest of the Slow Cooker Dump Dinners

Cowboy beans are what you make when you need to feed a crowd and still have time to sit down. Three kinds of canned beans, crumbled raw ground beef, cooked bacon pieces and a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce all go into the pot together. Break the beef up well with a spoon as you add it and it cooks right in the sauce, no skillet required. Serve it in bowls with cornbread, spoon it over baked potatoes or bring the whole pot to a tailgate or potluck.

You will need: 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 can pork and beans, 1 can kidney beans drained, 1 can butter beans drained, 1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces, 1 diced onion, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp vinegar.

How to make it: 1. Crumble the raw beef into the slow cooker in small pieces. 2. Add the beans, bacon and onion. 3. Stir together the barbecue sauce, sugar, mustard and vinegar and pour it in. 4. Mix well. 5. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours, stirring once if you can. 6. Serve hot with cornbread.

Italian Sausage With Peppers and Onions

Of all the slow cooker dump dinners here, this one makes the whole street jealous at five o’clock. Raw Italian sausage links go straight into the pot on top of sliced bell peppers and onions with a little crushed tomato and Italian seasoning. As the sausage cooks, its juices season the vegetables, and the peppers turn soft and sweet. Pile everything into toasted hoagie rolls with a slice of provolone, or spoon it over pasta or creamy polenta. Check that the sausages reach 160 degrees inside before you serve them.

You will need: 2 lb Italian sausage links, 3 bell peppers sliced, 2 onions sliced, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, hoagie rolls, provolone slices.

How to make it: 1. Put the peppers, onions and garlic in the slow cooker. 2. Pour the crushed tomatoes over and season. 3. Nestle the sausages on top. 4. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 to 4 hours, until the sausages reach 160 degrees. 5. Slice the sausages or leave them whole. 6. Serve in rolls with cheese.

Ravioli Lasagna With Frozen Ravioli

Lasagna on a weeknight sounds impossible until you let frozen ravioli do the heavy lifting. There are no noodles to boil and no ricotta layer to mix. You just stack frozen cheese ravioli with marinara and handfuls of mozzarella, repeat a few times and close the lid. The pasta cooks right in the sauce and comes out tender, cheesy and sliceable. It is a shorter cook than most slow cooker dump dinners, so it works best on a day off or a work from home afternoon. Add a bagged salad and dinner is done.

You will need: 25 oz bag frozen cheese ravioli, 24 oz jar marinara sauce, 1 cup water, 1 lb cooked crumbled Italian sausage or frozen cooked meatballs (optional), 3 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Spread 1 cup marinara in the slow cooker. 2. Add a layer of frozen ravioli, then sauce, meat if using and mozzarella. 3. Repeat twice. 4. Pour the water around the edges. 5. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. 6. Top with parmesan and basil and rest 15 minutes before serving.

Italian Beef Sandwiches Dripping With Jus

Italian beef is a Chicago classic, and the slow cooker version is almost suspiciously easy. A boneless chuck roast goes in whole with beef broth, a packet of Italian dressing mix, garlic and a jar of hot or mild giardiniera. After a long day on low, the beef pulls apart in tender shreds and the broth becomes a peppery dipping jus. If you love a slow-cooked roast, our fall apart pot roast recipes are made for Sunday. Pile the beef on crusty rolls and dunk them.

You will need: 3 lb boneless chuck roast, 2 cups beef broth, 1 packet dry Italian dressing mix, 4 cloves garlic, 1 cup giardiniera plus a little brine, sliced roasted green peppers, crusty Italian rolls.

How to make it: 1. Put the roast in the slow cooker. 2. Sprinkle with the dressing mix and garlic. 3. Pour in the broth and giardiniera. 4. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. 5. Shred or thinly slice the beef and return it to the juices. 6. Pile on rolls, top with peppers and spoon over jus.

Cream Cheese Chicken With Corn

Some nights call for comfort, and among slow cooker dump dinners this creamy chicken delivers it with almost no effort. Chicken breasts, frozen corn, a can of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and a packet of ranch seasoning go in first. A block of cream cheese goes on top and slowly melts into everything. At the end you shred the chicken, stir it all together and get a thick, cheesy, mildly spicy filling that works over rice, in tortillas, on nachos or straight from a bowl with chips.

You will need: 2 lb chicken breasts, 1 can black beans drained, 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 packet ranch seasoning, 1 tsp cumin, 8 oz cream cheese, rice or tortillas, cilantro.

How to make it: 1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. 2. Add the beans, corn and tomatoes. 3. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning and cumin. 4. Set the cream cheese block on top. 5. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. 6. Shred the chicken, stir until creamy and serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Dump Dinners Favorite: Cola Pulled Pork

Cola pulled pork sounds like a trick, but the soda really earns its spot. Its sweetness and gentle acidity help a pork shoulder turn meltingly tender while it cooks, and it balances smoky barbecue sauce at the end. Rub the raw roast with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt, set it on a sliced onion and pour a can of regular cola around it. Ten hours later it falls apart at the touch of a fork. Shred it, mix in your favorite sauce and pile it on soft buns with coleslaw.

You will need: 4 lb boneless pork shoulder, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 onion sliced, 12 oz can regular cola, 1 cup barbecue sauce, buns, coleslaw.

How to make it: 1. Mix the sugar, paprika, garlic powder and salt and rub it over the pork. 2. Lay the onion in the slow cooker and set the pork on top. 3. Pour the cola around the sides. 4. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. 5. Shred, drain most of the liquid and stir in barbecue sauce. 6. Serve on buns.

Chicken and Stuffing Like a Holiday Weeknight

Of all our slow cooker dump dinners, this one tastes most like a holiday dinner on a regular Tuesday. Chicken breasts go in the bottom, a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with sour cream goes over them, and a box of dry stuffing mix tossed with melted butter and a little broth goes on top. The bottom turns into a creamy sauce while the stuffing steams soft with slightly crisp edges near the sides. Serve it with green beans and a spoonful of cranberry sauce for the full effect.

You will need: 2 lb chicken breasts, 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, 6 oz box stuffing mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup chicken broth, salt, pepper, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Season the chicken and place it in the slow cooker. 2. Mix the soup and sour cream and spread it over the chicken. 3. Toss the stuffing mix with butter and broth. 4. Spread the stuffing evenly on top. 5. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours. 6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Kielbasa, Potatoes and Green Beans

Smoked kielbasa is already fully cooked, which makes it a perfect shortcut for slow cooker dump dinners. Slice it into coins and layer it over halved baby potatoes, green beans and onion, then pour on a little broth with melted butter, garlic and seasoning. As it cooks, the smoky flavor seeps into the potatoes and the whole kitchen starts to smell like a farmhouse supper. It is a full meal in one pot with meat, starch and a vegetable, and leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day.

You will need: 14 oz smoked kielbasa sliced, 1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes halved, 3 cups fresh or frozen green beans, 1 onion sliced, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 4 tbsp melted butter, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Put the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. 2. Add the onion, green beans and kielbasa. 3. Mix the broth, butter, garlic and seasonings and pour it over. 4. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or high 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are tender. 5. Stir gently, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Hawaiian Chicken With Pineapple

Sunny, sweet and a little tangy, Hawaiian chicken brings a taste of vacation to a gray weeknight. Boneless chicken thighs go into the pot with a can of pineapple chunks and their juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic and ginger, plus sliced bell peppers for color. The pineapple helps keep the chicken tender, and the sauce cooks into a glossy glaze once you thicken it at the end. Spoon it over jasmine rice, scatter on green onions and sesame seeds, and dinner looks like takeout.

You will need: 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, 20 oz can pineapple chunks with juice, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp ketchup, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 2 bell peppers, 2 tbsp cornstarch, rice.

How to make it: 1. Add the chicken and peppers to the slow cooker. 2. Mix the pineapple juice, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, garlic and ginger and pour it over. 3. Add the pineapple chunks. 4. Cook on low 5 to 6 hours. 5. Stir in cornstarch mixed with water and cook 20 minutes on high. 6. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Dump Dinners for Kids: Chili Mac

Chili mac is the bowl kids ask for again and again, and this version barely dirties a spoon. Crumbled raw ground beef cooks low and slow with beans, tomatoes, onion and chili seasoning until it is rich and thick. In the last half hour you stir in dry elbow macaroni and a little extra broth so the pasta cooks right in the chili and soaks up the flavor. Finish with a blanket of shredded cheddar, put the lid back on until it melts and let everyone dig in.

You will need: 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 can kidney beans drained, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 onion diced, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 2 cups beef broth, 2 cups dry elbow macaroni, 2 cups shredded cheddar.

How to make it: 1. Crumble the beef into the slow cooker in small pieces. 2. Add the beans, tomatoes, sauce, onion, spices and 1 cup broth. 3. Cook on low 6 hours, breaking up the beef once. 4. Stir in the macaroni and remaining broth. 5. Cook on high 30 to 40 minutes. 6. Top with cheddar until melted.

Chicken Pot Pie Filling Over Biscuits

You get all the cozy comfort of chicken pot pie without rolling out a single crust, which makes this one of the coziest slow cooker dump dinners. Chicken breasts, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, diced potatoes, cream of chicken soup and broth go into the pot with thyme and pepper. Once the chicken is tender you shred it, stir in a splash of cream and let the filling thicken. Bake a can of refrigerated biscuits or a batch of homemade ones while it finishes, split them open and ladle the creamy filling right over the top.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, 12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups diced potatoes, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp cornstarch, biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Place the chicken, potatoes and vegetables in the slow cooker. 2. Whisk the soup, broth, thyme and pepper and pour it over. 3. Cook on low 6 hours. 4. Shred the chicken in the pot. 5. Stir in the cream mixed with cornstarch and cook 20 minutes on high. 6. Ladle over warm split biscuits.

Meatball Subs From Frozen Meatballs

Frozen fully cooked meatballs are one of the best shortcuts for slow cooker dump dinners in the freezer aisle. Pour a bag into the slow cooker, cover them with a big jar of marinara, add a little garlic and Italian seasoning and walk away. By dinner they are hot all the way through and soaked in sauce. Tuck four or five into each toasted hoagie roll, top with mozzarella or provolone and slide them under the broiler for a minute until the cheese bubbles. Game night, solved.

You will need: 2 lb bag frozen fully cooked meatballs, 24 oz jar marinara sauce, 1/2 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 6 hoagie rolls, 6 slices provolone or shredded mozzarella, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Put the frozen meatballs in the slow cooker. 2. Pour the marinara and water over them. 3. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. 4. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours or high 2 to 3 hours. 5. Fill toasted rolls with meatballs and sauce. 6. Top with cheese and broil 1 to 2 minutes.

Apple Dump Cake to Finish Your Slow Cooker Dump Dinners

Every great week of slow cooker dump dinners deserves a sweet ending, and this dessert is about as easy as baking gets. Two cans of apple pie filling go in the bottom with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a box of yellow cake mix gets scattered over the top, and slices of cold butter cover the dry mix. Lay a clean kitchen towel under the lid to catch steam so the top turns golden and crumbly instead of soggy. Scoop it warm into bowls with vanilla ice cream.

You will need: 2 cans (21 oz each) apple pie filling, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 box (about 15 oz) yellow cake mix, 3/4 cup cold butter sliced thin, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional), vanilla ice cream.

How to make it: 1. Grease the slow cooker and spread the pie filling in the bottom. 2. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 3. Scatter the dry cake mix evenly over the apples. 4. Cover with butter slices and pecans. 5. Lay a towel under the lid and cook on high 2 to 3 hours. 6. Serve warm with ice cream.