There’s a rumor going around that a slow cooker only makes soup or pulled pork. Not true at all!
Some of the best cookout food you’ll ever eat comes out of that same little pot on the counter.
This list is built around that idea. Sixteen sides that free up your oven and your grill space when the yard is full of people and the burgers still need flipping.
I scrolled through more slow cooker boards than I’ll admit to, lol! Only the ones that actually looked doable in a real kitchen with real ingredients earned a spot here.
No fancy equipment required. Just a crockpot, a plug and maybe a wooden spoon for stirring.
Some of these are classics with a twist. Others might surprise you a little, like the coleslaw one, haha!
Scroll through, pick a few and let the slow cooker handle the rest while you handle everything else outside.
COOKOUT SIDE DISHES CROCKPOT IDEAS
Crockpot Baked Beans Deluxe
We’re starting off strong with baked beans done properly. Bacon, brown sugar and a splash of mustard turn canned beans into something people ask about.
Let it sit on low for a few hours so the flavors actually blend. Nobody needs to know how little effort went into this one, lol!
Creamy Crockpot Corn Casserole
Creamed corn, cream cheese and a little butter make this casserole disappear fast at a these spread. It’s sweet, rich and stupidly simple.
Frozen corn works just as well as fresh here. Stir it once halfway through and forget about it.
Slow Cooker Potato Salad
Potato salad without boiling a giant pot on the stove? Yes please!
The slow cooker gets the potatoes tender while you deal with everything else.
Toss in the dressing after they cool slightly so it doesn’t break. This one travels well too, which matters if you’re hauling it somewhere.
Crockpot BBQ Baked Beans
This BBQ version leans smoky instead of sweet. A good squeeze of your favorite barbecue sauce and a little onion does the heavy lifting.
Consider that a warning and a promise.
Slow Cooker Coleslaw Surprise
Coleslaw in a crockpot sounds strange. Honestly it kind of is.
But warming the cabbage slightly with a tangy dressing gives it a completely different texture than the cold things.
Skip this if you want the classic crunch. Try it once if you like being surprised, haha!
Crockpot Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Hashbrowns, cheese and cream of something soup all melt together into the ultimate breakfast-meets-cookout mashup. It’s not subtle and it doesn’t need to be.
Crispy fried onions on top before serving add the crunch this dish is otherwise missing entirely.
Slow Cooker Corn On Cob
Corn on the cob steams perfectly in a slow cooker with just a little water and butter. No boiling water on a warm day, no watching a pot.
Read also: 17+ Sweet Corn Ideas Dinner Guests Request Again
Husk it ahead of time so guests can grab an ear straight from the crock without any mess.
Crockpot Loaded Baked Potatoes
Wrap the potatoes in foil, stack them in the crock and let them go for hours until they’re fork tender. Guests build their own toppings bar with sour cream, cheese and bacon bits.
Read also: 17+ Genius Cookout Side Dishes Potatoes Guests Devour
It’s basically a baked potato station without ever turning on the oven.
Slow Cooker Ranch Potatoes
Ranch seasoning, butter and baby potatoes make one of the easiest sides on this whole list. Toss everything together, set it and forget it for a few hours.
The edges get slightly crispy even in a slow cooker, which honestly surprised me the first time I tried it.
Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
This feels more like Thanksgiving than a cookout, but hear me out. Green beans, mushroom sauce and crispy onions work in any season honestly.
Add the onions right before serving so they stay crunchy instead of soggy.
Crockpot Pulled Pork Beans
Shredded pulled pork stirred into baked beans turns a side dish into something that could honestly be the main event. Not that anyone at a these table is complaining about extra meat.
Read also: 13+ Genius Potluck Main Dishes For A Crowd That Wow
Use leftover pulled pork if you have it. Nobody will guess it wasn’t planned that way, lol!
Slow Cooker Cornbread Casserole
Cornbread casserole in the slow cooker comes out closer to a pudding than a bread. That’s a good thing.
Sweet, moist and a little bit custardy in the center.
A box of cornbread mix and a can of creamed corn is basically the entire ingredient list.
Crockpot Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Broccoli, rice and cheese sauce cook together until the rice is tender and everything is coated in orange goodness. It’s the side that gets requested by people who claim they don’t similar to broccoli.
Frozen broccoli works fine here so don’t stress about fresh.
Slow Cooker Bacon Potato Salad
Bacon potato salad takes the classic and adds smoky, salty bits throughout. It’s a small change that makes a big difference.
Crockpot Sweet Baked Beans
These lean sweeter than the classic version, with brown sugar, molasses and a little extra ketchup in the mix. Kids at the party tend to gravitate toward this one first.
Serve it alongside a smokier bean dish so guests get both options on the table.
Slow Cooker Squash Casserole
Last but definitely not least, squash casserole rounds out the list with a soft, buttery texture and a cracker topping that somehow stays crisp even in a slow cooker.
Yellow squash and zucchini both work here, so use whatever’s piling up from the garden.
This is the dish I’d copy first if I could only pick one, haha!