Whatever you like to use a Crockpot, Slow-cooker, or an Instapot, these kitchen gadgets can be a great tool for even the busiest weeknights for families to enjoy healthy homecooked meals. Taking 10 minutes the night before to toss your ingredients into the pot, tuck the pot into the fridge until the next morning when you can pull it out and turn on your cooker and head out the door. When you come home from a long day at work your house smells amazing, your dinner is ready, and you have fewer dishes and clean up. This means more time to do what you love, be with your family, and fewer chores after work.
Often, when I consult with families I hear weeknight dinners are one of their biggest struggles, finding enough time between work and the night’s busy activities. This often leaves families feeling ordering pizza, hitting drive-thru windows, or commercial frozen dinners are their only option. This not only gets expensive but can be damaging to one’s health longterm. I have compiled 5 Healthy Slow-Cooker Dinners for Easy Weeknight Meals that are sure to please the whole family. All recipes below make 4-6 servings.
1) Classic Slow Cooker Margarita Tacos
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds grass-fed flank steak
- ½cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 limes)
- 1/4 cup silver patron tequila or your favorite tequila (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions:
Place the flank steak in a large slow cooker or Crockpot.
Whisk together the tequila, orange juice, lime juice, black pepper, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the steak. Using tongs, turn the steak to evenly coat. Top with the onion and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW until fork-tender for 6 hours.
Remove the onions and transfer to a small bowl. Transfer the steak from the slow cooker to a clean cutting board. Slice across the grain into thin strips. Serve with the onions, warm tortillas, avocado, salsa, fresh cilantro, and limes wedges
2) Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless & skinless, organic chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2-inch piece
- 2 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
- For the orange sauce:
- 1 tablespoon
- finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 oranges)
- 1/8 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Instructions:
For the chicken: Mix the arrowroot, salt, and pepper together in a zip-top bag. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake until the chicken is well-coated.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan, and cook about 2 minutes per side (the chicken will not be completely cooked at this point). Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker and repeat with any remaining chicken.
Make the sauce: Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Pour the sauce into a large skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce and toss to combine.
To serve, spoon over jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve with orange slices. Add steamed veggies like bok choy or broccoli as desired.
3) Vegetarian Quinoa Chocolate Chilli
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooke
- 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
- 3 cups stocko, bone broth or water
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1-2 oz. dark 70% cacao chocolate, grated
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions:
In a pot melt oil and sauté chopped onion and minced garlic until soft and translucent for about 3 minutes.
Add the onions and garlic to everything else in the slow cooker and place it on high for 4 hours or low and slow for 8 hours.
Serve in soup bowls, garnished with a little greek yogurt or organic sour cream, chopped green onions and a little extra grated dark chocolate.
4) Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup organic plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
Place the chicken, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a larger slow cooker and stir to combine.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric and cook about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and drained tomatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the chicken.
Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 4 hours or LOW setting for 8 hours. Stir in the cream or coconut milk. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered and cook on the HIGH setting for 30 minutes.
Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve with jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or naan bread. Garnish with cilantro.
5) Slow Cooker White Chicken Stew
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large yellow potato, chopped into cubes
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chili peppers, preferably “fire-roasted”, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 to 2teaspons kosher salt
- 1/2teaspooon ground coriander
- 1/2teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or bone broth
- 1, 15-ounce can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
Instructions:
Combine the chicken, onions, celery, green chili peppers, garlic, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, coriander, oregano, and bay leaf in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to make sure the spices coat everything and place the chicken on the vegetables. Pour the chicken broth over top, covering the chicken and vegetables by an inch or so.
Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 4 hours on the LOW setting for 6 hours. (It’s fine to cook for 8 hours on low if needed, but the chicken tends to fall apart a bit more when you shred after cooking, rather than staying in pieces.)
About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the lid of the slow cooker and add the beans and corn. Taste and add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt or other seasonings as desired. Cover and cook for the remaining time.
Transfer the chicken onto a large plate and shred it into large, bite-sized pieces with 2 forks. Stir the chicken back into the chili and remove the bay leaf.
I hope these healthy, whole-foods slow-cooker recipes become family weeknight favorites. If you enjoyed a recipe be sure to leave me a comment below,
In great health,
Jo