A while back I set out on a slightly crazy mission: find the best healthy crockpot meals for kids that my own crew would actually eat. My motivation was mainly our fall schedule. With co-op, soccer, theater, art, Tae Kwon Do and American Heritage Girls on our weekly line-up, I knew I’d have to rely on my slow cooker at least once a week to feed us.

My goal was to put together a single list of kid-approved slow cooker meals I could reference during my weekly meal planning. Over about two months I tried 40+ slow cooker recipes, and while not every recipe was a winner, the effort was worth it! Below are the 14 that made the cut, plus a few honorable mentions and everything I learned along the way.

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What Makes a Healthy Crockpot Meal Kid-Approved?

First, a look at my requirements for a “keeper” recipe, because not every kid friendly crockpot recipe fits a busy day:

• No dietary restrictions. On this list there are meals that qualify as paleo, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and more. However, not all of them follow any particular dietary guideline.
• It had to “lean” on the healthy side. I say lean because Mississippi pot roast is included, and it uses butter and seasoning packets. However, when put on a roll and rounded out with veggies, it qualified.
• It had to be almost entirely “set it and forget it.” I wanted to be able to turn it on in the morning and have it ready at dinner time, with no adding ingredients throughout the day.
• It had to hold up to a long day. The recipe needed to cook all day long (or work when switched to “keep warm” for a couple of hours), because I needed to be gone all day and still have it taste good. This, surprisingly, knocked out a lot of recipes.

My Best Tips for Healthy Crockpot Meals for Kids

I learned a lot over the course of this experiment, and here are the biggest takeaways I think are worth sharing:

• These are kid favorites. David and I ate and liked them all, too. However, I think it’s important to note that these made the cut because my kids happily gobbled them down, not because they all rank the highest on my personal list.
• A lot of recipes start to look alike. This is especially true for anything involving chicken and Mexican flavors or chicken and Indian spices. Because of this, I limited myself to sharing only my favorite one or two per “category.”
• Slow cookers have a time and a place. My family still likes fresh cooking best. However, for once or twice a week, these all got the thumbs up, even from my most particular eater.
• Chicken thighs do better than chicken breasts. Still, chicken tends to dry out no matter how much sauce or liquid there is. To help with this, I cooked chicken on low for 3 to 4 hours (instead of the recommended 6) and let the slow cooker switch automatically to “keep warm” on the days I was gone. The chicken was still thoroughly cooked, and this kept it from drying out completely. Use a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches 165°F.
• Pork is a sure bet. Every pork recipe I tried got a thumbs up. Every single one! This was news to me, so I’ve started adding pork tenderloins to my Butcher Box deliveries.
• Thaw meat first and put veggies on the bottom. The USDA recommends always thawing meat or poultry before it goes into a slow cooker. Vegetables cook more slowly than meat, so layer them in first.

Which Slow Cooker Is the Best?

I have gone through a few slow cookers and now use this Claypot Multi-Cooker as my go-to slow cooker. It’s made with kaolin clay, so it’s nontoxic. Plus I can sauté ingredients right in the same pot before switching to slow cook, which means one less pan to wash.

And now, after all those details and disclaimers, here you have it, grouped by type so it’s easy to plan a week…

14 Healthy Crockpot Meals for Kids (Kid-Approved!)

Kid-Friendly Crockpot Chicken Recipes

• Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken (Lauren’s Latest): Chicken simmers in a sweet and slightly tangy sauce of Dijon mustard, honey, butter and a sprig of fresh rosemary. The ingredient list is short and easy to keep on hand.
• Queso Crockpot Chicken Chili with Roasted Corn (Pinch of Yum): Chicken, salsa, corn, black beans and peppers get extra creamy with cream cheese and Pepper Jack. For little ones, you can skip the jalapeño. Scoop it up with tortilla chips.
• Famous Barbecue Pulled Chicken (Eat Live Run): Chicken thighs cook in a homemade barbecue sauce made from ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar and mustard. Pile it on buns, serve it over salad or pair it with coleslaw.
• Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala (The Defined Dish): A Whole30-friendly tikka masala with coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger and warm spices. Serve it over cauliflower rice or regular rice.
• 21 Day Fix Crock Pot Caprese Chicken (Confessions of a Fit Foodie): Chicken breasts cook with cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and basil, then get topped with melty mozzarella. Spoon it over brown rice, quinoa, pasta or zucchini noodles.

Healthy Crockpot Pork Recipes for Kids

• Crockpot Balsamic Pork Roast (Skinnytaste): A pork roast slow cooks in balsamic vinegar, broth, Worcestershire and a little honey, then gets shredded and tossed back in the sauce.
• Slow Cooker Paprika Pork (Bev Cooks): Pork tenderloin cooks with salsa, smoked paprika and fresh herbs, then gets shredded and served over creamy Parmesan polenta.
• Best Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin (Gonna Want Seconds): Two pork tenderloins cook low and slow with honey, balsamic, soy sauce, Dijon and herbs, and the cooking liquid turns into an easy gravy. Mashed potatoes and green beans round it out.

Crockpot Beef Dinners

• Slow Cooker Korean Style Beef Tacos (Emily Bites): Flank steak marinates in soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic and ginger, then slow cooks until it shreds. Plan ahead, since the beef marinates overnight. Serve it in corn tortillas with a crunchy cucumber and carrot slaw.
• Mississippi Pot Roast (Belle of the Kitchen): A chuck roast cooks all day with ranch and au jus seasoning, butter and pepperoncini until it falls apart. Serve it on rolls or over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

Healthy Crockpot Soups and Chili

• Crockpot Veggie-Packed Black Bean Soup (my recipe): A hearty vegetarian soup loaded with peppers, celery, onion and tomatoes. The dried beans go straight into the crockpot, and it makes a big batch.
• Crock Pot Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup (The Country Cook): A copycat of the restaurant favorite with ground beef, carrots, celery, two kinds of beans and little ditalini pasta, which goes in during the last 30 minutes. The recipe suggests breadsticks on the side.
• Seriously The Best Healthy Turkey Chili (Ambitious Kitchen): Lean ground turkey, kidney beans, sweet corn, tomatoes and red pepper, with a mild chili powder that’s friendly for kids. The recipe includes slow cooker directions. Top with cheese, avocado and tortilla chips.

A Crockpot Seafood Meal

• Slow Cooker Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya (Just Jessie B): A paleo and Whole30 jambalaya with sausage, peppers, onion and tomatoes in a homemade Cajun seasoning. Shrimp and cauliflower rice go in for the last 30 minutes. Serve over white rice for anyone who eats grains.

Honorable Mentions

These slow cooker recipes are worth sharing, too. They didn’t make the list above because I wouldn’t say they were eaten enthusiastically by the kids. However, I thought these were great and the kids did eat them, so I had to share them as well! (Also, here’s where I buy my natural ingredients.)

• Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (Iowa Girl Eats): Chicken, carrots, celery and a wild rice blend with thyme, sage and rosemary.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Quinoa and Kale Soup (Cooking Classy): Chicken, quinoa, white beans and kale with a squeeze of lemon and Parmesan on top.
• Paleo/Whole30 Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup (The Well Fed Farmstead): A dairy-free tomato soup made creamy with coconut milk. If your kids don’t love tomato chunks, blend it smooth before adding the shredded chicken back in.
• Coconut Tandoori Chicken (Pinch of Yum): Chicken thighs in a coconut milk sauce with honey and garam masala. It’s written for the Instant Pot, but the recipe includes slow cooker directions. Serve it with rice.

More Slow Cooker Recipes from My Kitchen

Looking for even more ideas? These are on the blog, too: my slow cooker pot roast, creamy slow cooker chicken burrito bowls, slow cooker sloppy joes and slow cooker chicken curry. You can also find a whole list of easy crockpot dinners for family nights.

Healthy Crockpot Meals for Kids: Common Questions

Are crockpot meals healthy for kids?

They can be! Most of the healthy crockpot meals for kids on this list are built around lean protein, beans and vegetables, and you control exactly what goes in the pot. Round them out with a simple side of fruit or raw veggies. Slow cooking also makes less expensive cuts of meat tender, so many of these are budget friendly family meals, too.

How do you keep chicken from drying out in the slow cooker?

Use chicken thighs when you can, keep plenty of sauce in the pot and don’t overcook it. I cook chicken on low for 3 to 4 hours and let the slow cooker switch to “keep warm” on long days, then check that it has reached 165°F.

Can you put frozen meat in the crockpot?

No. The USDA recommends always thawing meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker, since a slow cooker can take several hours to reach a safe, bacteria-killing temperature. Thaw it in the fridge overnight instead.

I hope this list of healthy crockpot meals for kids is as helpful for you as it has been for me during our busy seasons!