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All day crockpot recipes are one of the best things the kitchen has ever come up with. The idea is simple — load everything in the morning, put the lid on, and walk away. 

By the time the day is done, so is dinner. No stirring, no checking, no last-minute scramble at the stove. Just that moment when you walk through the door and the whole house smells incredible.
These five recipes are built exactly for that. There’s a creamy tortellini soup, a bright lemon chicken orzo, a rich beef stew, a deep and smoky chili, and a zesty chicken tortilla soup. All of them work just as well on a slow weekday as they do on a lazy weekend. None of them require much more than a few minutes of prep in the morning. This post contains affiliate links.

The recipes

Slow cooker tortellini soup

This is one of the most satisfying all day crockpot recipes on the list. Italian sausage builds a deep, savoury base, and the kale and cream go in right at the end to keep things fresh and rich. The three cheese tortellini is added in the final 20-30 minutes, so it stays perfectly tender rather than turning to mush. It’s the kind of bowl that makes a cold evening feel significantly better.

First, brown the sausage in olive oil for a few minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Then transfer it to a 6-quart slow cooker along with the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. Once done, stir in the tortellini, kale, and heavy cream. Cover again and cook on high for another 20-30 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Finally, stir in the basil and serve topped with shaved Parmesan.

And if you’re still on the fence about which slow cooker to get, this guide walks you through six different options so you can find your perfect match.

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Slow cooker lemon chicken orzo soup

Light, fresh, and loaded with vegetables — this one is a little different from the usual all day crockpot recipes. The lemon juice goes in right at the end, and it transforms the whole soup. The spinach wilts in at the last minute and stays bright green. It’s the kind of thing that feels good to eat and somehow also tastes like comfort food. A good one for a weekday when something warm but not too heavy feels right.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then cook until golden. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Add the chicken stock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Once done, stir in the pasta and cook for another 30 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and stir until wilted, then stir in the lemon juice.

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Slow cooker beef stew

This is the classic. Rich, deep, and built for a long day of slow cooking. The tapioca starch goes in at the very end to thicken everything up, and the result is exactly what a beef stew should be — hearty, warming, and just thick enough to feel substantial. Among all day crockpot recipes, this is the one that fills the house with the best smell.

Sear the beef in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat, season with salt and pepper, then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the same pan and cook the onion, celery, garlic, and tomato paste together. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of beef broth, soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Layer the potatoes in the slow cooker, then the carrots on top of the beef, and pour over the pan mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook for 7-8 hours. Once everything is cooked through, mix 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch with cold water, stir it into the dish, and cook with peas on high for a further 20-30 minutes until thickened.

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Easy slow cooker chili

The secret ingredient is chocolate. Just a small piece of dark baking chocolate — but it makes the whole chili deeper and richer in a way that’s hard to explain until you taste it. This is one of those all day crockpot recipes that works just as well for a quiet Tuesday as it does for a game day spread. The toppings are what make it special — sour cream, cheddar, a handful of corn chips, some scallions on top.

Optional toppings

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, Sour cream Cheddaer cheese, scallions

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and brown the ground beef, then transfer it to the slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook the diced onion, pepper, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and paprika together with the vegetables, then add that mixture to the slow cooker as well.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, beef broth, sugar, salt, pepper, and chocolate.
Cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 5-6 hours. To serve, season with 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce if desired, and top with sour cream, cheese, corn chips, or scallions. Other great topping options include onion, crushed saltines, tortilla chips, cilantro, sour cream, or cheddar cheese.

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Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

Quick to put together in the morning and genuinely impressive by the time it’s done. The salsa and taco seasoning do most of the flavour work, and the chicken shreds right into the soup at the end. It’s one of those all day crockpot recipes that works just as well for a crowd as it does for a quiet night in — and the toppings make every bowl feel a little bit different.

Add the chicken, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, salsa, green chilies, onion, garlic powder, cumin, taco seasoning, and black beans to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Crush some tortilla chips into the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with toppings of your choice.

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Which slow cooker to use?

All day crockpot recipes work best with a reliable slow cooker that holds a steady temperature. For most of these recipes, a 6-quart model is the sweet spot — big enough for a full batch, not so big that a smaller amount of food dries out. The Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker is a solid, no-fuss option that handles long cooks well. The Crock-Pot 6-Quart Oval Manual Portable Slow Cooker is another reliable choice and has the added bonus of being easy to transport. For smaller households, the Crock-Pot 3-Quart Manual Slow Cooker is worth considering. It’s compact but still handles most recipes comfortably.

On the other end, the Crock-Pot 8-Quart Manual Slow Cooker is the one to reach for when cooking in large batches or feeding a crowd. For those who want more versatility beyond slow cooking, the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and more — and the Ninja 12-in-1 PossibleCooker PLUS covers a similarly wide range of cooking methods.

The best dinner is one that’s already made

That’s the real appeal of all day crockpot recipes. The prep happens in the morning, the cooking happens without you, and dinner is ready the moment you need it. These five recipes are all genuinely easy to put together, and each one delivers something different — from a bright citrus soup to a deep, smoky chili. Any of them is worth trying on the next slow day.

Save the ones that catch your eye, try one this week, and see how it goes. The crockpot does the hard part.