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You can count on the slow cooker for tender, flavorful beef that’s the centerpiece of a healthy dinner. These top-rated meals run the gamut from spicy tacos to veggie-packed pot roasts, so you’re sure to find something you’ll love. Recipes like our Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips and Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & Pesto are tasty meals you can set and forget.
01of 15Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado SalsaView RecipeLoosely translated as “minced meat,” the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that’ll wake up your taco night routine.
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Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa
View Recipe
Loosely translated as “minced meat,” the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that’ll wake up your taco night routine.
02of 15Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & TurnipsView RecipeThe spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe–cinnamon, allspice and cloves–may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe–cinnamon, allspice and cloves–may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
03of 15Slow-Cooker Korean Beef & Cabbage StewView RecipeBrown sugar makes this slow-cooker beef stew a tad sweet, which beautifully complements the spicy kimchi. You can make this soup ahead and refrigerate it until ready to eat. If you opt to make it ahead, wait until you reheat the soup to add the cabbage.
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Slow-Cooker Korean Beef & Cabbage Stew
Brown sugar makes this slow-cooker beef stew a tad sweet, which beautifully complements the spicy kimchi. You can make this soup ahead and refrigerate it until ready to eat. If you opt to make it ahead, wait until you reheat the soup to add the cabbage.
04of 15Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & PestoView RecipeHearty, thick, rich–this is just how a winter soup should be. The meat and carrots become tender yet retain their texture, and the kale offers freshness. Garnish each serving of this slow-cooker beef and barley soup with additional pesto and fresh basil and oregano sprigs, if desired.
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Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & Pesto
Hearty, thick, rich–this is just how a winter soup should be. The meat and carrots become tender yet retain their texture, and the kale offers freshness. Garnish each serving of this slow-cooker beef and barley soup with additional pesto and fresh basil and oregano sprigs, if desired.
05of 15Spicy Tomato-Braised Pot RoastView RecipeJacob FoxThis tomato sauce gets its heat from Calabrian chiles. Find them whole or chopped packed in jars near the pickles in well-stocked grocery stores. If you don’t have any, just a bit of crushed red pepper will do the trick. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes or pasta.
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Spicy Tomato-Braised Pot Roast
Jacob Fox
This tomato sauce gets its heat from Calabrian chiles. Find them whole or chopped packed in jars near the pickles in well-stocked grocery stores. If you don’t have any, just a bit of crushed red pepper will do the trick. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes or pasta.
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Layered Brisket Dinner with Tangy Mustard Sauce
07of 15Nonna’s Spaghetti & MeatballsView RecipeThe meatballs and sauce are cooked in the slow cooker for this traditional Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe. You could also serve the meatballs over creamy polenta or on a sandwich with melted provolone.
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Nonna’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
The meatballs and sauce are cooked in the slow cooker for this traditional Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe. You could also serve the meatballs over creamy polenta or on a sandwich with melted provolone.
08of 15Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches with Quick PicklesView RecipeMake your BBQ or cookout easy with this slow-cooker beef brisket recipe. Rauchbier, a smoky German beer, gives this fork-tender brisket real pit-barbecue flavor, but you can use any beer that suits your taste, or even substitute beef broth, to achieve mouthwatering results. While the brisket is cooking, whip up the quick pickle recipe and stir together a garlic mayo to top off the sandwiches.
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Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches with Quick Pickles
Make your BBQ or cookout easy with this slow-cooker beef brisket recipe. Rauchbier, a smoky German beer, gives this fork-tender brisket real pit-barbecue flavor, but you can use any beer that suits your taste, or even substitute beef broth, to achieve mouthwatering results. While the brisket is cooking, whip up the quick pickle recipe and stir together a garlic mayo to top off the sandwiches.
09of 15Slow-Cooker “Corned Beef” & CabbageView RecipeThis warming slow-cooker stew has all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage but with much less sodium, plus it’s ready in half the time of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Rather than curing the beef in a salty brine for at least a day, we just throw the beef and veggies into a crock pot with pickling spice for that delicous briny flavor without the long soaking period.
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Slow-Cooker “Corned Beef” & Cabbage
This warming slow-cooker stew has all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage but with much less sodium, plus it’s ready in half the time of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Rather than curing the beef in a salty brine for at least a day, we just throw the beef and veggies into a crock pot with pickling spice for that delicous briny flavor without the long soaking period.
10of 15Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Rhubarb SalsaView RecipeThe fresh salsa in this easy load-and-go taco recipe is a great way to use spring rhubarb. If you don’t have rhubarb, try subbing in fresh tomatillos or red bell pepper for an equally beautiful and delicious taco topper.
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Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa
The fresh salsa in this easy load-and-go taco recipe is a great way to use spring rhubarb. If you don’t have rhubarb, try subbing in fresh tomatillos or red bell pepper for an equally beautiful and delicious taco topper.
11of 15Pasta Puttanesca with BeefView RecipeThis easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.
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Pasta Puttanesca with Beef
This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week.
12of 15Slow-Cooker Beef StewView RecipeLoad the crock pot and go with this stew recipe that’s prepped in the morning and simmers all day so you’ll come home to a Sunday-worthy dinner (and your house smelling downright heavenly). Tender beef, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots in a rich broth–this could be the best and easiest beef stew you’ve ever made.
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Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
Load the crock pot and go with this stew recipe that’s prepped in the morning and simmers all day so you’ll come home to a Sunday-worthy dinner (and your house smelling downright heavenly). Tender beef, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots in a rich broth–this could be the best and easiest beef stew you’ve ever made.
13of 15Slow-Cooker Beef StroganoffView RecipeThis slow-cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe brings together tender beef and fresh mushrooms served over hot noodles with a creamy sauce.
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Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff
This slow-cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe brings together tender beef and fresh mushrooms served over hot noodles with a creamy sauce.
14of 15Spaghetti Lover’s SoupView RecipeThis easy slow-cooker soup has all the great flavors of your favorite dish of spaghetti with beef sauce, without a lot of fussy preparation.
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Spaghetti Lover’s Soup
This easy slow-cooker soup has all the great flavors of your favorite dish of spaghetti with beef sauce, without a lot of fussy preparation.
15of 15Slow-Cooker Stuffed Pepper SoupView RecipeThis stuffed pepper soup uses the slow cooker to create a flavorful, easy meal perfect for any night of the week.
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Slow-Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup
This stuffed pepper soup uses the slow cooker to create a flavorful, easy meal perfect for any night of the week.
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