When you're craving restaurant quality at pantry prices, these copycat recipes are just the ticket. Plus, thanks to your slow cooker, you barely have to lift a finger.
21 Restaurant Copycat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker
Updated on Oct. 03, 2024
1/20
Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Total Time
5 hours 50 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and this dish is still one that guests request frequently. It is my No. 1 standby recipe and also makes amazing meatball sandwiches. The sauce works for any type of pasta. —Jane Whittaker, Pensacola, Florida
Nutrition Facts:
About 3 meatballs with 3/4 cup sauce: 250 calories, 11g fat (4g saturated fat), 79mg cholesterol, 1116mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 20g protein.
2/20
Meat Loaf with Chili Sauce
Total Time
3 hours 20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I used to serve this meat loaf in my cafe, where so many of my customers asked for it. I adapted the recipe for my slow cooker at home, where it's quite popular, too. —Robert Cox, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Nutrition Facts:
1 slice: 253 calories, 11g fat (4g saturated fat), 123mg cholesterol, 686mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 25g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch.
3/20
Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider
Total Time
2 hours 5 min
Servings
12 servings (3/4 cup each)
From the Recipe Creator:
Spiced with cinnamon sticks, allspice and caramel, this warm-you-up sipper will chase away winter's chill. Serve brimming mugs alongside a platter of festive cookies at your next holiday gathering. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup (calculated without garnishes): 134 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 17mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (30g sugars, 0 fiber), 0 protein.
4/20
Potluck Macaroni and Cheese
Total Time
2 hours 25 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
You'll always have a winner at the potluck when you bring macaroni and cheese. Here's an extra-rich, creamy version for the slow cooker. —Jennifer Blondek, Chicopee, Massachusetts
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 388 calories, 28g fat (17g saturated fat), 122mg cholesterol, 652mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 0 fiber), 17g protein.
5/20
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Total Time
4 hours 10 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The slow cooker not only makes this an easy meal, it keeps the pork tender, saucy and loaded with flavor. —Beki Kosydar-Krantz, Mayfield, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts:
1 sandwich: 402 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol, 1181mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 2g fiber), 29g protein.
6/20
Slow-Cooker Potato Soup
Total Time
8 hours 45 min
Servings
12 servings (4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
I like to put twists on my grandmother's recipes, which is what I did with this one. I look forward to passing my own delicious comfort food recipes to my kids. —Jamie Chase, Rising Sun, Indiana
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/3 cups: 447 calories, 27g fat (14g saturated fat), 86mg cholesterol, 1512mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 4g fiber), 14g protein.
7/20
Vanilla Cheesecake
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
To me, there is nothing better than a simple, elegant cheesecake where the vanilla takes center stage. And when I'm feeling decadent, I'll add the rich chocolate ganache topping. —Ellen Riley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Nutrition Facts:
1 piece: 551 calories, 37g fat (21g saturated fat), 159mg cholesterol, 424mg sodium, 47g carbohydrate (37g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.
8/20
Tangy Barbecue Wings
Total Time
4 hours
Servings
2 dozen wings (2 sections each)
From the Recipe Creator:
I took these slow-cooked wings to work, and they vanished before I even got a bite! The tangy sauce is lip-smacking good. —Sherry Pitzer, Troy, Missouri
Nutrition Facts:
1 wing (2 sections): 178 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 30mg cholesterol, 458mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (19g sugars, 0 fiber), 10g protein.
9/20
Slow-Cooker Chuck Roast
Total Time
5 hours 20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband and I like chuck roast recipes, so this slow-cooker chuck roast recipe is terrific. You'll also love how flavorful and tender this comforting beef chuck roast turns out. —Bette McCumber, Schenectady, New York
Nutrition Facts:
4 ounces cooked beef with 1/3 cup gravy: 365 calories, 15g fat (6g saturated fat), 98mg cholesterol, 787mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 2g fiber), 31g protein.
10/20
Slow-Cooked Salsa
Total Time
2 hours 45 min
Servings
about 2 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
I love the fresh taste of homemade salsa, but as a working mother, I don't have much time to make it. So I came up with this slow-cooked version that practically makes itself! —Toni Menard, Lompoc, California
Nutrition Facts:
1/4 cup: 20 calories, 0 fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 5mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 free food.
11/20
Slow-Cooker Barbacoa
Total Time
7 hours 45 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My husband adores this slow-cooker barbacoa simmered in lime juice, chipotle and cumin. He would eat it one a week if I would make it that often! We have it over rice with cilantro and a spritz of lime. —Aundrea McCormick, Denver, Colorado
Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup beef mixture with 2/3 cup cooked rice: 513 calories, 21g fat (9g saturated fat), 122mg cholesterol, 882mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 37g protein.
12/20
Over-the-Rainbow Minestrone
Total Time
6 hours 40 min
Servings
10 servings (3-3/4 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
This vegetarian soup features a rainbow of vegetables. You can use any multicolored pasta in place of the spirals. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/2 cups: 231 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, 1015mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 6g fiber), 9g protein.
13/20
Festive Slow-Cooked Beef Tips
Total Time
6 hours 45 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We once owned an organic greenhouse and produce business. Weekends were hectic, so I made no-fuss meals like yummy beef tips to fortify us at day’s end. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup (calculated without noodles): 290 calories, 15 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 74 mg cholesterol, 69 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate (2 g sugars, 1 g fiber), 24 g protein.
14/20
Cheesy Spinach
Total Time
5 hours 10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My daughter often serves this cheese and spinach blend at church suppers. Even people who don't usually eat spinach like this flavorful dish once they try it. There are never any leftovers. —Frances Moore, Decatur, Illinois
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 230 calories, 15g fat (9g saturated fat), 121mg cholesterol, 855mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 14g protein.
15/20
Hearty Beef & Bean Chili
Total Time
6 hours 25 min
Servings
14 servings (3-1/2 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
The slow cooker makes this chili ideal for entertaining. A few minutes of prep and then it cooks away while you can attend to other party details. Your guests will really enjoy this nicely seasoned hearty dish.—Jan Wagner-Cuda, Deer Park, Washington
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 304 calories, 9g fat (4g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 837mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 11g fiber), 23g protein.
16/20
Crock-Pot Lava Cake
Total Time
3 hours 15 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Everyone who tries this dessert falls in love with it. Using a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a breeze. —Latona Dwyer, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup: 215 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 28mg cholesterol, 254mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein.
17/20
Slow-Cooker Garlic-Sesame Beef
Total Time
5 hours 15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My mom received this marinade recipe from a neighbor while she lived in Seoul, South Korea, which is where I was adopted from. Mom created heritage night for my brother and me, and she served Korean bulgogi with sticky rice, kimchi and chopsticks. As a busy mom of four, I keep her tradition alive with this slow cooker Korean beef!—Jackie Brown, Fairview, North Carolina
Nutrition Facts:
2/3 cup (calculated without rice and additional sesame seeds): 384 calories, 16g fat (4g saturated fat), 145mg cholesterol, 471mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 0 fiber), 47g protein.
Don’t miss this famous P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef recipe if you love this.
18/20
Peachy Baby Back Ribs
Total Time
6 hours 15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
It's easy to get a smoky outdoor barbecue flavor from your slow cooker. Trust me, I've fooled many people on more than one occasion with these ribs. —Mary Louise Lever, Rome, Georgia
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 1019 calories, 43g fat (15g saturated fat), 163mg cholesterol, 2466mg sodium, 110g carbohydrate (87g sugars, 3g fiber), 46g protein.
19/20
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
14 servings (3-1/2 quarts)
From the Recipe Creator:
I'm originally from Minnesota, where wild rice grows in abundance and is very popular in recipes. This creamy chicken wild rice soup has been part of our Christmas Eve menu for years. To save time, I cook the chicken and wild rice and cut up the vegetables the day before. —Virginia Montmarquet, Riverside, California
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 154 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 807mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 2g fiber), 10g protein.
20/20
Slow-Cooker Carnitas
Total Time
8 hours 25 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We shared these flavor-packed tacos with friends from church who came over to help us move. They're so good, I put them on my blog, manilaspoon.com! The slow cooker makes this recipe extra easy, and I love that whenever I make it, I'm reminded of the wonderful people back in Michigan. —Abigail Raines, Hamden, Connecticut
Nutrition Facts:
2 tacos: 393 calories, 18g fat (6g saturated fat), 100mg cholesterol, 757mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 4g fiber), 32g protein.
