Bariatric Slow Cooker Recipes
Soft, protein-first slow cooker meals — birria tacos, taco chicken, garlic Parmesan pork chops, butter chicken — for busy weeknights and small portions.
★ dinner
dinnerSmall-Town Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
A flavorful and tender birria taco recipe cooked slowly in a crockpot, perfect for a comforting meal.
Alexis WoollumsIngredients
- 3–4 lb beef chuck roast or stew meat
- 1 large onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1–2 chipotles in adobo (optional)
- as needed corn tortillas
- as needed shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
- as desired cilantro, onion, lime (optional)
Instructions
- 1Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot skillet if desired.
- 2Blend onion, garlic, beef broth, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, and chipotles until smooth.
- 3Place beef in the slow cooker. Pour the blended sauce over the meat. Add bay leaves.
- 4Cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4–5 hours.
- 5Shred the beef in the broth. Skim and save the fat from the top.
- 6Dip tortillas in the beef fat, fill with shredded beef and cheese, then pan-fry until crispy.
- 7Serve the tacos with broth for dipping, garnished with cilantro, onion, and lime if desired.
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Open in Pepper →Tender Meat That Slices Into Small Portions
When you're eating smaller meals, texture matters as much as flavor. A slow cooker turns chuck roast and chicken thighs so tender they shred with a fork, and that makes a few bites go a long way.
Cooks on Pepper reach for this collection on the nights they need dinner handled by 6 — one pot in the morning, a plate of soft, savory meat at supper, and leftovers portioned out for lunches.
Every recipe here is built around meat and sauce: Small-Town Slow Cooker Birria Tacos, Slow Cooker Taco Chicken with salsa and lime, Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Garlic Parmesan Sauce, Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin, Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, and Slow Cooker Sour Cream & Onion Chicken.
Quick Tips
- 1
Brown the meat first
Sear the chuck roast or pork chops 3 to 4 minutes per side in a hot skillet before they go in the crock. It deepens the flavor of the whole pot.
- 2
Cook chicken breast on low
Boneless breasts go dry on high. Give them 3 to 4 hours on low and pull them at 165°F so they stay juicy enough to shred.
- 3
Add dairy at the end
Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, or sour cream during the last 20 to 30 minutes so the sauce stays smooth instead of curdling.
- 4
Portion while it's hot
Divide the meat into 3 to 4 ounce containers right after cooking, then spoon sauce over each one so nothing dries out in the fridge.
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