A slow cooker is the most forgiving machine in the kitchen and one of the easiest to get bored with. Plenty of them sit at the back of a cupboard, not because they failed, but because the owner made the same pot roast three times and ran out of ideas. A good book fixes that faster than a new appliance does.
The trouble is that this is one of the worst corners of Amazon for cookbooks. Searches fill up with anonymous titles of doubtful origin. This guide picks eight real books from named authors and established publishers, and for each sets out what the listing, publisher and named reviewers say, and which cook it suits.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a cookbook, the Amazon listing, publisher and author information and published reviews, which we name where we use them.
Quick verdict: the best slow cooker cookbook to start with
For most kitchens, start with The Complete Slow Cooker from America’s Test Kitchen: 400 recipes from appetizers to desserts, built on the test kitchen’s testing and retesting. If you want the most dinners for the least effort, choose Phyllis Good’s Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated. If you want tacos, mole and carnitas, choose Deborah Schneider’s The Mexican Slow Cooker.
The other five cover Indian cooking, restaurant-style dishes, small batches for two, vegan meals and gluten-free family cooking on a budget.
Five slow cooker books side by side
Five of the eight, one for each kind of cook, with the details from the listing and publisher. All eight are described in full below.
| Cookbook | Best for | Recipes | Length | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Complete Slow Cooker, America’s Test KitchenBest overall
|
One shelf-wide reference | 400 | 400 pages, softcover | View on Amazon |
The Mexican Slow Cooker, Deborah SchneiderBest Mexican-style
|
Carnitas, mole, chile verde | 55 | 144 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated, Phyllis GoodBest for volume
|
Sheer number of ideas | 700 | 288 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
The Indian Slow Cooker, Anupy SinglaBest for Indian cooking
|
Indian dishes at home | 70 | 168 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
| Couples and small households | 150 | 352 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Cover images from Amazon. Page counts and formats are for the editions linked; other editions differ.
Our picks for the best slow cooker cookbook, book by book
These eight cover a full reference, a big family collection, three focused cuisines or diets, modern dishes, small households and tight budgets. For each we give what the listing, publisher and any published review say. We have not cooked our way through these books; where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is.
1. The Complete Slow Cooker, America’s Test Kitchen – One Book for Every Course
America’s Test Kitchen is the name to start with when a recipe has to work the first time, and a slow cooker is a machine that gives you little chance to adjust along the way. You load it, close the lid and find out hours later. ATK’s own shop says this book draws on the test kitchen’s experience of testing and retesting slow cooker recipes, which is the whole appeal.
The listing’s subtitle sets out the range: appetizers through desserts, with 400 recipes in 400 pages of softcover. That is one of the widest collections we found in stock, and the ATK shop quotes a Detroit News review that singles it out for practical cooks who want to serve good meals with confidence.
Slow cooker fans often go looking for ATK’s older Slow Cooker Revolution. It was not in stock when we checked, so this is the ATK slow cooker book we recommend. ATK’s books generally favor precise steps over shortcuts, so we would not expect this to read like a dump-and-go collection.
Why we like it
- 400 recipes, from appetizers to desserts, per the listing
- Built on ATK’s testing and retesting of slow cooker recipes, per its shop
- Softcover, 400 pages
- Named by the Detroit News as useful for practical cooks, per ATK
Key specifications
| Author | America’s Test Kitchen (editors) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | America’s Test Kitchen |
| Year | 2017 |
| Pages | 400 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 400 |
| Focus | Full range of slow cooker cooking |
| Best for | Cooks who want one dependable book |
Why we recommend it
If you want a single book that covers weeknights, gatherings and the odd dessert, and you like instructions that leave little to chance, this is the one to buy first.
Skip it if you want to throw five things in the pot before work. ATK’s method suits cooks who like precise instructions.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very wide range of dishes
- Test-kitchen method behind the recipes
- Softcover at a sensible length
Cons
- Softcover
- General book, no regional depth
2. The Mexican Slow Cooker, Deborah Schneider – Mole and Carnitas, Low and Slow
For a Mexican restaurant, this is the slow cooker book closest to home. Much of the Mexican kitchen is already slow: braised pork, long-simmered chiles, beans that take the afternoon. Deborah Schneider’s book moves those dishes into a slow cooker, and the title names the ones most home cooks want: mole, enchiladas, carnitas and chile verde pork.
Penguin Random House describes 55 recipes from an award-winning Mexican cooking authority and lists Schneider as executive chef and partner at SOL Cocina in Newport Beach, California, and as the author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, among other books. It quotes Bon Appétit calling her “the reigning queen of San Diego chefs.”
Publishers Weekly was warm about it: “Fans of Mexican food will rejoice at Schneider’s delicious offerings and her efficient way to indulge any day of the week.” At 144 pages it is the shortest book here and the most focused. For a broader shelf, see the best Mexican cookbooks.
Why we like it
- Written by a working chef, per its publisher
- Reviewed warmly by Publishers Weekly
- Names the dishes people actually want: mole, carnitas, chile verde
- Short and focused, with 55 recipes
Key specifications
| Author | Deborah Schneider |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Year | 2012 |
| Pages | 144 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 55 |
| Focus | Mexican favorites in the slow cooker |
| Best for | Taco night and big braises |
Why we recommend it
If your slow cooker mostly makes shredded meat for tacos, or you want mole without a day at the stove, this is the most useful book here. It treats the slow cooker as a way into real Mexican dishes.
Skip it if you want a general book for every night of the week. Fifty-five recipes in one cuisine will not cover that.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Mexican dishes throughout
- Chef author
- Praised by Publishers Weekly
Cons
- Smallest recipe count here
- An older title
3. Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated, Phyllis Good – 700 Recipes, Times Included
Fix-It and Forget-It is one of the best-known slow cooker series, and this revised edition is the place to meet it. Its publisher, Good Books, calls it a New York Times bestseller and says Phyllis Good’s books have sold more than 12 million copies.
The revision added 100 new recipes to reach the 700 in the title, along with prep and cook times, extra reference pages and an improved index. That index matters more than it sounds: 700 recipes on 288 pages is a lot of ground, and you will use this book by looking things up.
Fitting 700 recipes into 288 pages leaves little room for each one, so expect far more ideas and far less explanation than ATK gives. Amazon lists many other Fix-It and Forget-It titles, and one, for smaller households, appears further down this page.
Why we like it
- 700 recipes, 100 of them added in this edition, per Good Books
- Prep and cook times included
- Improved index and reference pages
- A bestselling series, per Good Books
Key specifications
| Author | Phyllis Good |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Good Books |
| Year | 2012 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 700 |
| Focus | Everyday home-style slow cooking |
| Best for | Families who want variety |
Why we recommend it
If you run out of ideas more often than you run out of skill, this gives you the most dinners for your shelf space.
Skip it if you want technique spelled out. There is not much room for it at this density.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Huge choice of recipes
- Quick to look things up
- Times listed on the recipes
Cons
- Little room for explanation
- Pages are densely packed
4. The Indian Slow Cooker, Anupy Singla – Dal and Curry on a Timer
Indian cooking suits a slow cooker for the same reason Mexican cooking does: spices, legumes and long, gentle heat. Anupy Singla’s book, from Agate Surrey, gives 70 recipes in 168 pages, and the Amazon listing marks this as the second edition.
We could not reach the publisher’s page for this book, and Publishers Weekly’s page shows no review, so this pick rests on the listing and the library record rather than a named review. The library record confirms the Agate edition, its length and its subject. We have kept what we say about it to those details.
It earns a place because it comes from a named author with a real press, in stock and new from Amazon. Many other Indian slow cooker listings we saw were self-published.
Why we like it
- Named author with an established small press
- Second edition, per the listing
- 70 recipes in a compact book
- Adds a cuisine the other picks do not cover
Key specifications
| Author | Anupy Singla |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Agate Surrey |
| Year | 2018 |
| Pages | 168 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 70 |
| Focus | Indian dishes in the slow cooker |
| Best for | Cooks who love dal and curry |
Why we recommend it
If you want Indian food at home and the slow cooker sits idle because you are tired of pot roast, this is the most direct route to using it again.
Skip it if you want a named review behind your purchase. We have none to cite, and our notes rest on the listing and library details.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Clear single focus
- Second edition
- Compact size
Cons
- No named review in our sources
- Spice shopping may take planning
5. The Stay-at-Home Chef Slow Cooker Cookbook, Rachel Farnsworth – Restaurant Dishes, Home Effort
Rachel Farnsworth runs the recipe site The Stay at Home Chef, and DK published this collection of 120 recipes, which its publisher describes as everyday, restaurant-quality dishes for a slow cooker or Crock-Pot at home.
Penguin Random House’s page says Farnsworth calls herself a “modern, old-fashioned home chef” who enjoys culinary school textbooks and favors seasonal, local, whole foods. The book’s aim is to bring restaurant-style dishes to a machine usually associated with soups and stews.
It is the newest general book on this list, and it runs to 216 pages in paperback. We have no named review to cite, so its place here rests on the publisher’s and author’s details.
Why we like it
- 120 recipes, per the listing
- From a major publisher, DK
- Written for any slow cooker or Crock-Pot
- Newer than most general titles here
Key specifications
| Author | Rachel Farnsworth |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DK |
| Year | 2021 |
| Pages | 216 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 120 |
| Focus | Restaurant-style dishes at home |
| Best for | Cooks bored with stew |
Why we recommend it
If you want a more current take than the classic collections, and you like the idea of restaurant dishes on a weeknight, this is a good second book or a modern first one.
Skip it if you want a big reference. It has about a sixth as many recipes as Fix-It and Forget-It.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Contemporary recipe choices
- Major publisher
- Sensible size
Cons
- No named review in our sources
- Fewer recipes than the big collections
6. Fix-It and Forget-It Cooking for Two, Hope Comerford – Small Batches for a Small Cooker
Most slow cooker recipes assume a family and a big pot, which leaves a household of two eating the same stew until Thursday. This Fix-It and Forget-It title addresses exactly that problem with 150 small-batch recipes, according to the publisher.
Hope Comerford, its author, has blogged about slow cooking as A Busy Mom’s Slow Cooker Adventures and has written several slow cooker cookbooks, including one on gluten-free cooking, according to Good Books. The book runs to 352 pages in paperback.
It pairs naturally with a small machine. Our best slow cooker guide includes 2-quart and 4-quart models, and a book of small batches is what makes those sizes useful for more than queso and beans.
Why we like it
- 150 small-batch recipes, per Good Books
- Solves the leftovers problem of most slow cooker books
- Author blogs and writes about slow cooking
- Suits a 2- or 4-quart cooker
Key specifications
| Author | Hope Comerford |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Good Books |
| Year | 2018 |
| Pages | 352 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 150 |
| Focus | Small-batch slow cooking |
| Best for | Couples and empty nesters |
Why we recommend it
If you cook for one or two and own a smaller slow cooker, this will get more use than any of the bigger collections on this page.
Skip it if you regularly feed four or more. You would be doubling recipes that a family-sized book already gives you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Portions sized for two
- Pairs with small cookers
- Good range of recipes
Cons
- Not for big gatherings
- No named review in our sources
7. Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, Robin Robertson – Beans, Grains and Vegetables
Beans and grains may be the slow cooker’s best subjects, and anyone who has simmered a pot of beans knows how much flavor low heat can build. This book takes that idea through a full collection: 200 recipes, all animal-free according to the title, from Harvard Common Press.
Robin Robertson is the named author, and the listing shows 336 pages in paperback. We could not reach a publisher page with more detail, and Publishers Weekly’s page shows no review, so this pick rests on the listing’s details.
It is here because vegan and vegetarian slow cooker listings on Amazon are full of anonymous, self-published titles, and this one comes from a named author at an established press. If you eat meat, its bean and vegetable dishes could still work as sides, though we have not checked the recipes one by one.
Why we like it
- 200 recipes, per the listing’s title
- Entirely animal-free, per the title
- Named author, established press
- A large collection in a single paperback
Key specifications
| Author | Robin Robertson |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harvard Common Press |
| Year | 2012 |
| Pages | 336 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 200 |
| Focus | Vegan slow cooking |
| Best for | Vegans and meat-free nights |
Why we recommend it
If you cook without meat, this is the fullest book we found from an established press. Check the listing’s description against your own needs before you buy.
Skip it if you want a review to go on. Ours rests on the listing, and we have few details about the recipes themselves.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fully plant-based
- Large recipe count
- Established press
Cons
- No named review in our sources
- Few published details
8. More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow, Stephanie O’Dea – Budget Meals, Gluten-Free Recipes
Stephanie O’Dea built a large blog following, more than 20,000 daily readers according to Hachette. This collection has 200 new recipes, and the publisher describes them as budget, gluten-free meals that will satisfy the entire family.
That combination is unusual, since many slow cooker recipes lean on canned soups and thickeners that contain gluten. Do read your own labels, though: a publisher’s description is no guarantee for any given brand of stock or sauce, and anyone with celiac disease should check every ingredient they buy.
It is a trade paperback of 320 pages. It is older than most books here, and we have no named review to cite, so its place rests on the publisher’s details.
Why we like it
- 200 recipes, per Hachette
- Described as gluten-free by its publisher
- Focus on budget-friendly cooking
- Written by a slow cooker blogger
Key specifications
| Author | Stephanie O’Dea |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Hachette Books |
| Year | 2010 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Format | Trade paperback |
| Recipes | 200 |
| Focus | Budget-friendly, gluten-free slow cooking |
| Best for | Families cooking around gluten |
Why we recommend it
If you cook gluten-free for your household and want to spend less on dinner, this is the only book here built around both goals.
Skip it if you want newer recipes. It is the oldest title on this list.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Gluten-free focus, per publisher
- Budget-minded recipes
- Large collection
Cons
- Oldest pick here
- Labels still need checking
How to choose a slow cooker cookbook
Slow cooker books look alike on the shelf and differ a great deal in the kitchen. Four questions separate them.
1. How much work do you want to do first?
This is the biggest divide. Some books ask you to load the pot and walk away; others ask you to soften onions or brown meat first, because that is where a lot of the flavor comes from. The Complete Slow Cooker is the kind of book to expect extra steps from, and Fix-It and Forget-It is the opposite. If browning appeals but dirtying a second pan does not, our guide to the best slow cooker for browning covers machines that sear in their own insert.
2. What size is your cooker?
Most recipes are written with a family-sized machine in mind, and a pot that is too full or too empty will not cook the way the recipe expects. If yours holds 2 to 4 quarts, buy Cooking for Two. If you own a 6-quart or larger machine, the general collections will suit you. Few of the listings we read state the size each book assumes, so check the first pages before you commit to a recipe.
3. Which flavors do you actually cook?
A general book will give you pot roast, chili and pulled pork. If you want more from the machine, a focused title earns its space: Schneider for carnitas and mole, Singla for Indian dishes, Robertson for vegan meals. Long simmering is how Mexican kitchens build flavor, and the guide to Mexican cooking methods explains where braising fits.
4. Who is behind the book?
Search Amazon for a crock pot recipe book and the first page is full of titles promising thousands of days of recipes from authors nobody can identify. Many look machine-written. We left all of those out. A recipe that has been cooked by a named author and edited at a real publisher is worth more than a large number on a cover, so look for a person or test kitchen you can identify and a publisher you can find.
How we chose these eight slow cooker books
We searched Amazon’s book listings and kept only print editions from named authors or test kitchens at established publishers, in stock and sold new by Amazon when we checked. Author, year, format and page count come from the Amazon listing. We then read the publisher pages we could reach, and Publishers Weekly’s page for each title. Three kinds of evidence stand behind these picks, and we want to be plain about which is which. The Mexican Slow Cooker has a named review, from Publishers Weekly. The Complete Slow Cooker has a review quoted by its publisher. The other six rely on the publisher’s, author’s and listing details. We could not run a wider web search for reviews during this research, so other reviews may well exist.
Several well-known books were left out for stock reasons alone: ATK’s original Slow Cooker Revolution and its second volume, and Gina Homolka’s Skinnytaste Fast and Slow, were not in stock in print, and Sarah DiGregorio’s Slow Cook Modern was in short supply. If you find a copy of any of them, they are worth a look. We have not cooked from the books on this page ourselves; where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is.
Slow cooker cookbook questions, answered
What is the best slow cooker cookbook for beginners?
Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated is an easy place to start, because the book lists prep and cook times and gives you hundreds of ideas. If you would rather have each step explained, choose ATK’s The Complete Slow Cooker.
Is a crock pot recipe book different from a slow cooker cookbook?
No. Crock-Pot is a brand of slow cooker, and the two names are used for the same kind of book. DK says The Stay-at-Home Chef Slow Cooker Cookbook is for a slow cooker or Crock-Pot. Our best slow cooker guide compares Crock-Pot models with other makers.
Is there a good Mexican slow cooker cookbook?
Yes. Deborah Schneider’s The Mexican Slow Cooker has 55 recipes, including mole, enchiladas, carnitas and chile verde pork. Publishers Weekly gave it a warm review. For wider reading, see the best Mexican cookbooks and the best Tex-Mex cookbook.
Which slow cooker book is best for two people?
Hope Comerford’s Fix-It and Forget-It Cooking for Two, which has 150 small-batch recipes. Pair it with a smaller cooker; our guide to the best affordable slow cooker is a good place to look.
Do slow cooker recipes work in a multicooker?
Often, though it depends on the machine. These books are written for slow cookers, and few listings say anything about multicookers, so treat the timing as a starting point the first time you make a dish in one.
Our final pick for the slow cooker
Buy The Complete Slow Cooker if you want one dependable book for the whole menu. Choose Fix-It and Forget-It if you want the largest number of ideas, Cooking for Two for a small household, and The Mexican Slow Cooker if your slow cooker’s main job is filling tacos. If you still need the machine itself, start with our best slow cooker guide.
And if you would rather someone else did the slow cooking tonight, see the menu or call to order.