14 Cheap Slow Cooker Recipes Under $3 to Save You Money & Time (2024)

Fast or Slow Cheesy Chili Mac

Budget dinner price: $2.49 per serving

Two beloved comfort foods—mac and cheese and chili—combine in one ultra-easy and cheap slow cooker recipe. Take a mere 15 minutes of prep time to brown the beef and toss the sauce together in your slow cooker to allow it to stew all day. Half an hour before dinner, add some leftover pasta (or a cup you just cooked) plus plenty of cheese to really bring the decadance. The corn chip topping you see here is optional—but highly recommended and definitely within budget.

Slow Cooker Falafel

Budget dinner price: $1.63 per serving

Enjoy street food for a steal—both budget- and diet-wise—with this simple sandwich recipe. Instead of frying in a vat of oil, we call for simmering the nicely-spiced chickpea patties in just two tablespoons of olive oil right inside your slow cooker. To serve the cheap, healthy slow cooker meal, simply pile the falafel inside toasty pitas alongside the refreshing minty yogurt sauce.

Chorizo and Black Bean Pizza Pie

Budget dinner price: $1.51 per serving

Save dough by making your own crust with flour, yeast, and a handful of common cabinet items to act as the base for this cheap slow cooker meal. Then stuff it with chorizo, beans, veggies, and cheese for a deep-dish delight that probably costs less than your go-to delivery pie.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Grinders

Budget dinner price: $1.75 per serving

Bulk sausage is often even more affordable than ground beef, so why not tag it in to star in these Chicago-style subs? Similar to a grown-up sloppy joe with its tomato saucy goodness, this cheap slow cooker meal makes a whopping 12 servings. That makes this one of the best options for tailgates, potlucks, or large family dinners.

Buy It: Crock-Pot Slow Cooker ($25, Target)

Garlic-Ginger Pork Lettuce Wraps

Budget dinner price: $2.12 per serving

We're giving the other white meat a global makeover with this cheap slow cooker meal idea. Tight on time? We also have instructions for how to make this garlic-ginger pork in a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker.

Test Kitchen Tip: This easy, flavor-packed, and light lettuce wrap recipe makes 4½ cups of filling. Mix things up by stuffing it inside lettuce leaves, tucking it inside a tortilla, or spooning it atop a grain bowl or salad.

Spicy Turkey Lasagna

Budget dinner price: $2.03 per serving

"I make this on a regular basis and it turns out great every time," says BHG fan Karen. Affordable ingredients like a jar of marinara, a pack of frozen spinach, and a box of lasagna noodles leave plenty of cash to splurge on 93% lean ground turkey. The poultry adds plenty of lean protein to this cheap slow cooker lasagna, while the ricotta and Italian cheese blend helps this cozy dish taste just as craveable as it does on restaurant menus.

Cabbage Roll Soup

Budget dinner price: $1.93 per serving

Refrigerator and pantry staples like ground beef, rice, broth, and canned tomatoes star in this cozy dump-and-serve soup. Add a side of crackers or crusty bread, and your cheap slow cooker meal is all set.

Test Kitchen Tip: In need of a vegan version? Try this same formula with vegetable stock instead of beef broth and a crumble-style plant-based meat substitute as a stand-in for the beef.

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Budget dinner price: $2.39 per serving

Coq au vin, or chicken with wine, is a classic French stew that Julia Child helped make famous in the states. Employing our favorite set-and-forget appliance and an envelope of 90-cent beefy onion soup mix makes the rustic recipe easier than ever to prepare. After diving in—and likely devouring seconds—no one will ever guess you invested just 25 minutes of prep time and a couple dollars per serving to bring this budget slow cooker recipe to life.

Maple-Mustard-Sauced Turkey Thighs

Budget dinner price: $1.74 per serving

Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving or deli-style sandwiches. Try turkey thighs as the star of a simple and super-affordable dinner. Light on ingredients (just five are required) and budget impact, this tender turkey dish offers a delightful blend of sweet and tangy by way of a mustard-maple syrup sauce. Use your extra $1.26 per plate to add a side salad and dessert to round out the cheap slow cooker meal, if you like.

Jerk Pork Wraps with Lime Mayo

Budget dinner price: $1.75 per serving

Pork shoulder requires just a few seasonings and hours of hands-off simmer time in the slow cooker to reach fall-apart tender, beautifully-spiced perfection. Cool off that jerk-seasoned roasted pork with a scoop of refreshing citrus cream sauce, then tuck the cheap slow cooker recipe inside lettuce-lined tortillas.

Test Kitchen Tip: Bump up the protein for just a few more pennies per serving by swapping plain Greek yogurt in for the mayo.

Lamb, Bean, and Sweet Potato Chili

Budget dinner price: $1.78 per serving

Beef up this black bean and sweet potato chili recipe with, well, beef, lamb shoulder, or your favorite cut of braising meat. Any of the above will work wonderfully, so choose the cut of meat that's most affordable at your market. Throw all the stew ingredients in your slow cooker, simmer for about 8 hours, and enjoy a filling one-bowl slow cooker meal with next-to-no effort and little cost.

Spicy Spring Picnic Pork

Budget dinner price: $1.67 per serving

Bet you can't guess the secret 80-cent ingredient in the sauce for this cheap slow cooker pork. Okay, we'll spill: It's a cup of Dr. Pepper. That soda adds just enough sweetness to balance out the hot and spicy barbecue sauce that coats every bite of succulent shredded meat.

Greek Sloppy Joe Pitas

Budget dinner price: $1.21 per serving

A combo of gyro-like ground lamb and chickpeas lends 15 grams of satisfying protein to each half pita. Several spoonfuls of dried (read: budget-friendly) spices and a splash of red wine crank up the Mediterranean character in this budget slow cooker recipe.

Test Kitchen Tip: This dish calls for 1/4 cup of wine, which is not a lot, but we adore it for the depth of flavor it adds. If you prefer to not open a new bottle, simply substitute an equal amount of beef stock.

Warm Eggplant and Kale Panzanella

Budget dinner price: $2.66 per serving

Yes, meatless meals can be made easily and affordably in the slow cooker. Featuring many of the same building blocks as baba ganoush like eggplant, garlic, and olive oil, we suggest tossing this slow roasted veggie dish with toasted bread cubes and fresh basil just before serving. One BH&G home cook has a smart trick to customize this cheap, healthy slow cooker meal to her texture preference: "I like my kale more soft than hard, so I like to put the kale in an hour after cooking starts. Nice recipe—very tasty and healthy!"