Healthy Crockpot Meals on a Budget

Cooking healthy meals on a limited budget can be challenging, especially with healthy foods being more expensive (what’s the deal with that?). However, with the help of a crockpot, you can create delicious and nutritious dishes without breaking the bank. Crockpots are not only convenient and time-saving but also excellent tools for preparing affordable, wholesome meals. 

Budget-Friendly Crockpot Meals For Vegetarians

My eldest daughter went vegetarian for two years to see how she would fare. During this time, it was challenging for me as a single mum to make two separate meals every night. So, I’d often prepare one of the meals in the crockpot. These are the recipes she enjoyed the most:

Hearty Vegetable Stew

This hearty stew combines an assortment of colorful vegetables and flavorful herbs for a filling and nutritious meal. Ingredients like carrots, potatoes, onions, and celery are inexpensive and readily available. Simply toss everything into the crockpot with vegetable broth and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. The result is a delicious, budget-friendly, and healthy one-pot wonder.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of mixed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, green beans, etc.)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients in the crockpot and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high heat for 3-4 hours.
3. Serve hot, and enjoy the comforting flavors of this hearty vegetable stew.

Slow Cooker Lentil And Vegetable Soup

Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse and an affordable source of protein. This slow-cooker lentil soup is nourishing and incredibly easy on your wallet. Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients (except for the parsley) in the crockpot.
2. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high heat for 3-4 hours until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Veggie-Packed Quinoa Pilaf

This delicious pilaf uses quinoa instead of rice as a base. Quinoa is one of the few plant-based proteins known to contain all nine amino acids, making it a complete protein. Here’s how to make this delicious meal in the crockpot:

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh lemon juice for added zest (optional)

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot.
• Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours or on high heat for 1-2 hours until the quinoa and vegetables are tender.
• Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over before serving for an extra burst of flavor.

Budget-Friendly Crockpot Meals Including Meat

Sometimes, instead of cooking a vegetarian meal in the crockpot, I’d make something with meat. From a budget point of view, I usually use white meats as our protein source as they are cheaper. Here are some great crockpot meal prep that include chicken and turkey (I haven’t yet prepared fish in the slow cooker):

Slow Cooker Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

Ground turkey is an economical alternative to beef, and sweet potatoes add a unique flavor to this chili recipe. Note, however, that you will need to brown the turkey a bit before adding it to the crockpot.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a skillet, fry the ground turkey until browned. Drain any excess fat.
2. Transfer the cooked turkey and all the other ingredients to the crockpot.
3. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high heat for 3-4 hours.
4. Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Chicken and Black Bean Chili

This chili recipe is particularly tasty with the black beans and cumin combination. Of course, if you want to make it a bit spicier, you can add some freshly chopped chilis to the pot or just before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot (except for the toppings).
2. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
3. Serve the chili hot and top with your favorite toppings, if desired.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

Recreate this delicious takeout dish at home with this budget-friendly beef and broccoli recipe. You can use cheaper cuts of beef, like chuck, because the extended cooking time will help to make the meat less tough.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. sirloin steak or boneless beef chuck roast, sliced thin
• 1 cup beef broth
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• Cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

1. Mix the beef broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and brown sugar.
2. Add the beef slices and stir to ensure all pieces are coated.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 4 hours.
4. After 4 hours, make a slurry with cornstarch and water. Then pour it into the crockpot and add the broccoli, then gently stir to combine.
5. Replace the crockpot lid and allow it to cook for another 30 minutes.
6. Serve with warm white rice.

Budget-Friendly Crockpot Sweet Treats

As it turns out, crockpots are also very useful for making sweet treats and sauces (I only realized this recently). Make sure to check different crockpot sizes so that you can use the appropriate one. So, if you have a glut of fruit to use, consider turning it into a delicious sweet treat. Here’s a great example:

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Making applesauce in the crockpot is simple and budget-friendly, this is one of the healthy slow cooker recipes and it has the health benefits of pectin. All you need are apples, water, a bit of sugar, and cinnamon. Here’s how to make it:

• Peel, core, and slice the apples and chuck them into the crockpot.
• Add about an inch or two of water, depending on how many apples you’ve put in the pot. Don’t cover the apples, or the sauce will be too runny.
• Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the apples. You shouldn’t need too much sugar as the apples contain natural sugars and a natural thickening (binding) agent.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours, and you’ll have a naturally sweet and healthy applesauce that’s perfect on its own or as a topping for oatmeal and yogurt.

Note: Add raisins to the crockpot for extra flavor, sweetness, and an iron boost. You can also check on how to meal prep apples to gain more ideas.

Conclusion

Cheap crockpot recipes help make all sorts of healthy meals. It’s an added bonus that many of these meals can be made on a limited budget and still be nutritious and full of flavor. Budget-friendly meals include soups, stews, and chilis. Additionally, you can use cheaper meat cuts as the extended cooking time will help to make it tender. Enjoy!

Nathaniel Lee

Nathaniel Lee is an avid cook, drawing on his decades of home cooking and fine dining experience. He is a contributing chef at Mashed, and his recipes and contributions have been featured in Tasting Table, Edible Arrangements, Insanely Good Recipes, and The Daily Meal.