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Crockpot meal prep will become your new best friend! Crockpot recipes require significantly less prep time and are a great way to add healthy braised foods to your meal plan?
The typical crockpot meal only takes 5 minutes to get started; after that, you can leave it and carry on with your day.
If you’re new to meal prep, make sure to read out how to meal prep guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you prepare a Crockpot meal the night before?
Yes! If you know your morning is rushed and there are plenty of people in the kitchen, you can prep the night before. Simply place all the ingredients ready into the crockpot dish, cover, and then put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you can quickly take it out of the refrigerator and place it into the crockpot, turn it on and carry on with your morning.
How long can you cook food in a Crockpot?
It depends on your Crockpot model; some crockpots can be left on for 24 hours while others will stay on for 12 hours. Most recipes usually take a maximum of 8-12 hours, so this is rarely an issue.
How long can you keep food warm in a Crockpot?
Food shouldn’t be left warm for long periods. It’s because the temperature will hold in the dangerous zone, and this zone is where bacteria multiples at a faster rate. The health and safety rule in commercial kitchens is to not leave food warm for over 4 hours. If you plan to use the recipe for meal prep, it’s best to cool the food as soon as possible.
32 Healthy Crockpot Meal Prep Ideas
These healthy crockpot meal prep recipes will give you a ton of inspiration to spice up your meal plan!
Crockpot Chicken Meal Prep
Chicken is perfect for meal prepping. It’s lean, low in calories, and high in protein. If you don’t know what to pair your chicken with, have a look at these tasty side dishes for chicken.
1. Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki with No Refined Sugar
Easy crockpot chicken teriyaki using a delicious, sweet, and healthy glaze. It’s a healthy twist on traditional teriyaki so that you can enjoy a guilt-free favorite! It’s a perfect crockpot meal prep idea that I rotate into my meal plan regularly. It only uses a handful of ingredients making grocery shopping a whole lot easier.
2. 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
These crockpot chicken tacos require only five ingredients and can be prepped in 5 minutes! Tacos are one of my favorite weeknight meals because you can fill them with all sorts of good-for-you ingredients, from seafood to meat to vegetables. Black beans and avocado, along with a little more salsa, make for a tasty combo. Delicious, healthy, and perfect for meal prep if you make the chicken in advance!
3. Healthy Chicken Chili
Healthy chicken chili in the slow cooker is a hearty, comforting dish everyone will love that takes just 10 minutes to throw together. In a warm and zesty tomato sauce, this rich and flavorful crockpot chili is filled with juicy white chicken, black beans, black-eyed peas, chili beans, hominy, and green chilis. Easy enough for weeknight dinners and special enough for weekend get-togethers.
4. Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
The best slow cooker taco chicken recipe perfect for tacos, burritos, even quesadillas! This healthy Mexican shredded chicken is so easy to throw in the Crock-Pot. It’s gluten-free, paleo, and allergy-free! Grab your favorite taco sauce and let this meal cook itself, making it great to meal prep for lunches or dinners!
5. Slow Cooker Whole Chicken and Pasta
With only 5 minutes of prep, it doesn’t get more hands-off than this when making Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Pasta. First, you will slow cook your whole chicken for 8 hours; next you will add pasta to the slow cooker and cook for another 30 minutes. Perfect for busy school weeknights or work weeks!
6. Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Thighs
Slow cooker Thai chicken thighs recipe has only two ingredients! A homemade sweet chili sauce combined with chicken thighs slow cooks for under 3 hours for a tender chicken dinner full of flavor. With less than 5 minutes of prep, this chicken recipe is great for busy families!
7. Chicken Chasseur
Chicken Chasseur is a classic French dish that many cultures have adopted. This traditional chicken chasseur recipe is perfect for the crockpot.
8. Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Crockpot chicken fajitas If you love to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family. This is a favorite go-to recipe, crockpot chicken fajitas. This recipe can be made as mild or spicy as you like, and it’s super versatile, so feel free to swap out ingredients with your favorites! Give this a try the next time you’re looking for an easy dinner idea that will please everyone at the table.
9. Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Put this recipe in the slow cooker at the start of your day and come home to the warm, rich flavors of curry, coconut, and cumin in this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry. This is a meal your family will love served alongside rice and warm naan. Have a look at some of our favorite Indian meal prep recipes.
10. Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup is a hands-free, slow-cooked chicken soup that tastes as Grandma made it. Boneless chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, chicken broth, and savory seasonings create all the flavor and comfort of classic homemade chicken soup.
11. Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
The sauce for this chicken tinga comes together easily and quickly in a blender for minimal chopping! Use the chicken tinga for tacos, burrito bowls, or stuffed sweet potatoes.
Crockpot Vegetarian Meal Prep
Here are our tasty vegetarian meal prep ideas that are packed with veggies and flavor!
12. Slow Cooker Vegan Chipotle Bean Chili
This smokey chipotle bean chili is packed with flavor. It uses complex carbohydrates, giving you long last enjoying, and it is extremely low in saturated fat, containing just 1g per serving. It takes just a few minutes to prep so that you can get it ready in the morning, go to work, and enjoy it once you get home!
13. Vegetarian Stew
Easy, healthy slow cooker stew that’s made from bell peppers, zucchini, chickpeas, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a pinch of Italian flavor. Very little prep work; combine the ingredients and let your crockpot do the work!
14. Crockpot Refried Beans
These Slow Cooker Refried Beans are right up my alley! About 5 minutes prep, turn on the slow cooker, and leave them! Go to work all day, come home, and they are perfect.
15. Slow Cooker White Bean Soup
This crockpot soup is thick, warm, comforting, and flavorful… and costs less than five dollars for that whole pot. Pair it with some wholesome, hearty whole-grain bread for a nutritious, balanced dinner.
16. Spicy Sweet Potato Chili
This Whole30 Spicy Sweet Potato Chili is the perfect healthy, go-to meal for busy weeknights. It’s packed with hearty vegetables, ground beef, and a delicious sweet and spicy flavor. A great meal for cold nights with tons of freezer-friendly leftovers!
17. Vegetarian Lentil Tacos
Vegetarian Lentil Tacos are a perfectly healthy and incredibly tasty taco recipe that will even impress meat lovers! They’re deliciously flavorful, unbelievably easy to make (the slow cooker does most of the work), and they make great leftovers.
18. Low-fat lentil curry
This slow-cooker low-fat lentil curry is a mild, warm, satisfying dish that makes enough to feed a family of four (or two very hungry people).
19. Breakfast Quinoa in a Slow Cooker
Wake up to delicious Slow Cooker Breakfast Quinoa! Prep this the night before, set on low for 8 hours, and wake up to a delightful breakfast. With only 5 minutes of prep, this breakfast recipe full of plant-based protein is a great way to fuel your day.
20. Slow Cooker Vegan Chili
This easy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili is a dump-and-go crockpot meal you can set and forget! This healthy three bean chili is vegan, gluten-free, allergy-free, and full of plant-based protein, veggies, and bold Southwest flavors! A comforting dinner for a crowd or meatless make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal you can meal prep!
21. Slow cooker Vegetable Risotto
This easy slow cooker vegetable risotto has a lux, creamy texture and rich flavor. It uses 6 different types of vegetables, giving you a balanced kick in a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
22. Crock-Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
Delicious mushroom stroganoff that takes just a few minutes to prep. It only uses a handful of ingredients make it beneficial on the wallet and efficient when in the kitchen. It has a rich, creamy sauce that pairs well with rice!
Crockpot Beef or Pork Meal Prep
Beef and pork are both high in protein and iron, making them a healthy addition to your meal plan.
23. Slow Cooker Bolognese
This is the easiest bolognese I’ve ever come across; it takes minutes to prep and is delicious. It’s just $1.65 per serving, making it very budget-friendly, and it’s packed with protein. Serve this recipe with brown pasta to make it even healthier.
For more high protein meals, check out these tasty high protein meal prep ideas
24. Slow Cooker Carnitas and Rice
These slow cooker carnitas are so easy to make while still being tender and flavorful. They’re dirt cheap, costing around $1 per serving but are still well balanced in nutrition. The spices add a massive amount of flavor and aroma, giving you a tasty Mexican cuisine experience.
25. Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Crockpot minestrone is a perfect meal for when you want to prepare a filling and nutritious lunch first thing in the morning. It only takes 10 minutes of prep time, then pop it all in the crockpot, and it will be ready 4 hours later.
26. Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe is the easy, healthy version of the classic, making the perfect family meal prep for the week.
27. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This Crockpot Pulled Pork is incredibly tender and flavorful! It comes together easily, and it’s great for tacos, burritos, and salads
28. Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Beef Bowls
These shredded Mexican beef bowls are made in the slow cooker and perfect for weekly meal prep with rice, beans, plantains, and peppers to round them out!
29. Pork Green Chili Verde Meal Prep Bowls
These mouth-watering Pork Green Chili Verde Meal Prep Bowls are filled with chunky slow-cooker green chili Verde, roasted sweet potato, black beans, sweet yellow corn, diced red onion, and fresh greens.
30. Beef Roast with Vegetables
Using the slow cooker is a great way to cook an easy warm meal. Try this Beef Roast for a complete dinner all at once that’s ready when you get home!
31. Beef Barbacoa
These meal prep crockpot beef barbacoa tacos with corn salsa can be made ahead of time. The beef and salsa can also be frozen with just 10 minutes of prep.
32. Pork Tenderloin
Have you ever wondered how to make a pork tenderloin in a slow cooker? It is easier than you think and can be used in various ways, from traditional sliced tenderloin to rice bowls to making pulled pork for sandwiches. The pulled pork works perfectly on game day or a tailgate this football season.
Richmond Howard started Meal Prepify in 2019 and has helped over a million people learn how to meal prep, get better at meal planning, and create a kitchen they love to use. He’s an avid home chef and loves to bbq, grill out, and make awesome food for family and friends. He’s been featured on MSN, Renaissance Periodization, and Good Financial Cents.
