Top Australian 20 slow cooker recipes for any time of the year

The crew at Taste.com.au have crunched the data to bring you Australia’s top 20 slow cooker recipes. Check them out here.

Many of us are led to believe that the slow cooker should only come out during the cooler months.

Sure, a comforting slow-cooked stew is an absolute must during winter – but what about slow-cooked lamb during spring, or some slow-cooked chicken tacos on a warm summer’s evening with an ice-cold bevvy?

To us, (and many of you as shown in our data!) slow-cooker season is every season. So, to celebrate all things slow-cooking, here are the top 70 slow cooker recipes that are clicked on, cooked and loved every month of the year.

Slow cooker rigatoni alla norma.

Slow cooker rigatoni alla norma

Try this vegetarian pasta dish that is packed full of vegies and is also high in fibre.

Slow cooker Baileys Caramilk fudge

If you’ve never made fudge in your slow cooker before, there are plenty of reasons to try it. Slow cooking allows the fudge to cook at a lower temperature, which means the chocolate doesn’t seize, resulting in a perfectly creamy texture.

Slow cooker honey garlic pork belly.

Slow cooker honey garlic pork belly

You’ll love this pork belly coated in a delicious honey, mustard and garlic sauce. It’s great served with mashed potatoes or even just on its own. If the delicious sweet and savoury sauce, and the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly wasn’t enough to convince you, the slow cooker definitely will be. It’s our favourite appliance (and our readers agree) because you can simply pop it on the countertop and let all those flavours melt together as the day goes on… Is this an easy pork belly recipe? Absolutely it is! Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list, the majority of them are just for the delicious sauce that will soak into the succulent pork bell and create meat that pulls apart perfectly. Besides, how difficult can a recipe be when the slow cooker does half the work for us cooks who need a bit of a weeknight break!

Slow cooker eggplant parmigiana

The possibilities in the slow cooker are truly endless! Make this fall-apart tender eggplant parmigiana for dinner and everyone will think you slaved away for hours. Dinner winner!

Slow cooker basic bread.

Slow cooker basic bread

Want to know how to make bread in the slow cooker? This super easy recipe only uses six pantry ingredients.

Slow cooker creamy chicken mac and cheese

Bursting with creamy flavour, this mac ‘n’ cheese is highly customizable - swap the smoked chicken breast for shredded leftover barbecued chicken, diced ham or whatever you like, really.

Slow-cooker Persian lamb.

Slow-cooker Persian lamb

Perfect for entertaining, this hearty slow-cooker Persian lamb is topped with pomegranate and served with a sweet beetroot hummus.

Slow cooker pilau rice

Pilau rice: aromatic, fluffy, infused with a deep spice taste…it’s both the perfect side dish or a simple main! While I adore a delicious bowl of rice, there are a couple of things that can make or break this South Asian and Middle Eastern inspired dish. My pet peeve is that mushy, sticky rice that catches on the bottom of the slow cooker. Lucily, there’s a super easy fix to this! Just make sure you stir the rice 3-4 times during the cooking process. Also, once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and serve it straight away. Be careful though! Don’t feel tempted to set the slow cooker to ‘keep warm’ as the rice may continue to cook. You don’t want those flavours getting lost in a sticky mess! Speaking of flavours, if you’d like to infuse even more to this fragrant dish, try replacing the water with chicken stock for an extra boost.

Vegetarian slow cooker pumpkin and spinach lasagne.

Vegetarian slow cooker pumpkin and spinach lasagne

Made from ricotta, pumpkin, lentils and spinach, this hearty meat-free lasagne is cooked in the crockpot so it’s super easy, too.

Slow cooker peanut butter brownie

For an effortless dessert that’s guaranteed to please try these easy slow-cooker, dark chocolate and peanut butter brownies.

Slow cooker honey mustard pulled pork belly.

Slow cooker honey mustard pulled pork belly

Make these juicy pork belly burgers a family favourite any night of the week.

Slow-cooker Lebanese freekeh

Freekeh is a variety of green wheat. Low GI, low carb and high in fibre, it’s a great ingredient to use to help manage diabetes but is delicious too so anyone will enjoy it.

Slow cooker spinach and feta quiche.

Slow cooker spinach and feta quiche

Surprise: you can make quiche in the slow cooker! Let the appliance do all the work and come back to this perfectly cooked spinach and feta number for lunch or dinner.

Slow cooker beef barbacoa with green chilli and pepper salsa

This healthy Mexican slow-cooked beef stew is low-cal and also packed with veg.

Slow cooker khao soi with crispy noodles.

Slow cooker khao soi with crispy noodles

Slow-cooking this Northern Thai dish makes the chicken oh-so tender. Our version has a little kick and oodles of noodles - both crispy and silky smooth. The aromatics will waft through your house as the slow cooker works its magic to create unbelievably moist chicken that is infused with an incredibly deep flavour profile. The way that all the herbs and spices blend together in that soul-warming broth makes it impossible not to slurp up all the soup and noodles. If you’re worried about spice though, the addition of coconut milk really mellows it out so if you’d like it more or less spicy, just adjust how much coconut milk you add! My favourite thing about this recipe is that it takes just 20 minutes to prep, and then you can get on with your day (although it may be hard when that delectable scent will be making you think about the dish all day)!

Slow-cooker apple cinnamon French toast

This set-and-forget version of a brekky fave creates an easy dessert, perfect for entertaining.

Slow-cooker spiced split-pea soup with harissa labneh.

Slow-cooker spiced split-pea soup with harissa labneh

For a soup packed with flavour, you can’t go past this spiced split-pea soup made in the slow cooker.

Slow-cooker chicken with pesto butter

Pop a few ingredients in your slow cooker and come back later to a no-fuss pesto chicken meal. Easy!

Slow cooker lentil and veggie stew.

Slow cooker lentil and veggie stew

Make it now, eat it later - this slow cooker lentil and veggie stew is the ultimate hearty, winter vegetarian dinner.

Persian-style slow cooker rice pudding

Set and forget with this Persian-style rice pudding. It is subtly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom and topped with pistachios and rosewater.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as Top Australian 20 slow cooker recipes for any time of the year