10 summer slow cooker recipes

Two bowls of slow-cooker puttanesca squid on a white tablecloth

Plus, for more low-cost meal ideas, see our budget summer recipes and summer air-fryer recipes.

Check out our ten favourite summer slow cooker dinners

1. Slow cooker pulled pork

Pulled pork in a bun on a plate with a blue background

Succulent pulled pork is the ultimate barbecue treat – even better when it's the simplest recipe you'll make in a slow cooker. Serve with a tangy cabbage slaw and everyone will be after seconds.

Make the most of a summer vegetable glut with this gorgeous vegan slow cooker ratatouille. As well as being packed with nutrients and flavour, it also delivers four of your five-a-day. Make a large batch and freeze some for a busy weeknight – perfect mopped up with some crusty sourdough.

3. Slow cooker Spanish chicken

Get a taste of the Mediterranean with this Spanish chicken packed with tomatoes, peppers, olives and chorizo. Slow cooking the meat makes it fall-off-the-bone tender.

4. Slow cooker barbacoa

A plate with a pot of slow cooker barbacoa beef and lettuce leaves on the side

This Mexican-inspired meaty barbacoa dish is perfect for bringing a little spice to your plate. Dark chocolate and ancho chillies bring the perfect blend of smoky, sweet heat. The pull-apart lamb pairs well with our zesty cabbage and radish slaw.

5. Slow cooker paella

A serving of slow cooker paella on a plate

Recreate a Spanish-style dinner staple as well as a summer winner with our slow cooker version, combining smoky chorizo with chicken and prawns. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of white wine and enjoy al fresco (weather permitting!).

6. Slow cooker Goan pulled pork

Slow cooker Goan pulled pork with salad and wraps

Slow cooker Goan pulled pork is the perfect meal for sharing. Tender pork shoulder in a blend of Indian spices is cooked until it's soft enough to shred. Serve with chapatis, crunchy veg and a variety of cooling raitas and fruity chutneys.

7. Slow cooker pulled chicken

Pulled chicken in buns, topped with guacamole

Make this gorgeously smoky slow cooked chicken as an easy alternative to pulled pork. It's cooked for 6-8 hours in a moreish marinade of chipotle, passata, barbecue sauce and lime juice. Serve the flavourful, tender meat with burger buns, taco shells, jacket potatoes or rice and a side of guacamole.

8. Slow-cooker puttanesca squid

Inspired by classic Italian puttanesca sauce, this dish sees squid slow-cooked with anchovies, capers and olives, pepped up with herbs and a large pinch of chilli flakes. It makes a hearty summer's lunch, best served with crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.

9. Slow cooker aubergines

Two plates of aubergines covered in cheese

Put a handful of veg in the slow cooker and by supper time, you'll be left with a dinner that's singing with summer flavours. Drizzle with a herby dressing, top with crumbled feta and flaked almonds, and serve with crusty bread.

10. Slow-cooked BBQ-spiced pulled pork

Slow-cooked BBQ-spiced pulled pork in a sharing dish

Recreate moreish BBQ spiced flavours in your slow cooker with this smart pulled pork dish, rubbed in our ultimate BBQ spice blend (smoked paprika, cinnamon and allspice). An easy, hassle-free way to enjoy pork, we suggest serving in buns or over jacket potatoes.

Dessert option: Poached apricots

Want a fruity summer dessert you can simmer in your slow cooker? These delicate poached apricots with rosewater and Greek yogurt are refreshing and light, the perfect way to end a meal.