Slow Cooker Freezer Meals: How to Make Dump Meals

A slow cooker and a freezer are a busy cook’s best friends. Put the two together and you get dump meals: bags of raw ingredients you fill on a quiet afternoon, freeze, and tip into the slow cooker on a morning when there is no time to think about dinner. By evening the house smells wonderful and supper is ready.

This guide shows you how to make slow cooker freezer meals that taste good and cook safely: the three ways to do it, the step-by-step method, the safety rules every slow cooker cook should know, and our favorite recipes to start with. There are more than 400 dump meals in our Freezer Meals library, so you will never run out of ideas.

Three ways to make slow cooker freezer meals

• Dump meals. Everything goes into the bag raw. On cooking day you thaw it and dump it in. This is the easiest kind and the one most people mean by “slow cooker freezer meals.”
• Cook first, freeze later. Make a big pot of chili, soup or pulled pork in the slow cooker, then freeze it in portions. On a busy night you just reheat it.
• Meal kits. Some recipes taste better with a browned roast or softened onions. Do that step first, cool everything, and freeze the parts together in one bag.

What you need

• A slow cooker. A 6-quart oval cooker fits most freezer bag recipes and a whole roast. A 4-quart works for smaller batches; cook times run a little longer.
• Gallon freezer bags. Choose freezer bags, not storage bags. They are thicker and hold up better.
• A bag holder. A simple stand that holds a bag open while you fill it, so both hands are free. A wide jar or a tall bowl with the bag folded over the rim works too.
• A permanent marker. For the name, date, cooking time and cooking-day add-ins.
• A baking sheet. To freeze the bags flat before you stack them.
• Slow cooker liners (optional). They make cleanup easy.
• A food thermometer. The surest way to know dinner is done.

How to make a slow cooker dump meal

1. Choose a recipe that suits the slow cooker. Roasts, chicken thighs, chili, soups, stews, meatballs in sauce and curries all work well.
2. Label the bag first. Write the name, the date, the cooking time and anything you add on cooking day, such as “add 1 cup broth.” It is much easier to write on an empty bag.
3. Fill the bag. Use fresh ingredients, not ones you have already frozen and thawed. Add the meat, vegetables, sauce and seasonings. Leave out dairy, pasta and tender greens.
4. Press out the air and seal. A sauce or liquid that covers the meat helps keep out freezer burn.
5. Freeze flat. Lay the bags on a baking sheet until solid, then stack them.
6. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Move the bag to the fridge the night before, in a bowl in case it leaks.
7. Dump and cook. Empty the bag into the slow cooker, add any cooking-day ingredients, and cook on LOW or HIGH as the recipe says. Never put the bag itself in the slow cooker.

Slow cooker safety rules

A slow cooker is one of the safest ways to cook, as long as you follow a few rules.

• Always thaw meat first. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says to defrost meat and poultry before it goes in a slow cooker. A frozen block takes too long to heat, and bacteria can grow while it sits in the danger zone. Thaw it in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
• Fill it half to two-thirds full, as Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends. Too little and it can overcook; too full and it may not heat through in time.
• Keep the lid on. Each time the lid comes off, the temperature inside drops 10°F to 15°F and cooking slows by 20 to 30 minutes, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
• Cook on LOW or HIGH, never WARM. The warm setting only keeps cooked food hot. It is not hot enough to cook raw food.
• Check the temperature. Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F, ground beef and pork at 160°F, and roasts at 145°F. Most shredded roasts cook well past that to get tender.
• Put leftovers away within two hours. Reheat them to 165°F on the stove or in the microwave, not in the slow cooker.

Good to know

Some slow cooker brands say their newer models can handle frozen meat. We still thaw first, because it is the safest way and the meal cooks more evenly.

Tips for better slow cooker freezer meals

• Add dairy at the end. Cream, sour cream, cream cheese and milk can curdle over long cooking. Stir them in during the last 15 to 30 minutes.
• Cook pasta and rice separately. They turn mushy in the freezer and the slow cooker. Quick-cooking rice or small pasta can go in for the last 15 to 20 minutes instead.
• Save tender greens for last. Spinach and kale wilt in a few minutes. Toss them in just before serving.
• Use chicken thighs for juicier meat. Breasts can dry out over a long cook; thighs stay tender.
• Brown it if you have time. Searing a roast or ground beef before freezing adds flavor. It is optional for most dump meals.
• Mind the liquid. Slow cookers hold in moisture. Most dump meals need only a cup or two of liquid, and many get enough from the sauce.
• Thicken at the end. Stir a tablespoon of cornstarch into a little cold water and add it for the last 30 minutes for a thicker sauce.
• Try one before you make six. Cook a new recipe fresh first. If your family likes it, make a batch for the freezer.

In our library, anything that stays out of the bag shows in a Have ready box at the top of the cooking steps, so you will know what to set out the night before.

Slow cooker freezer meals to start with

These are some of our favorite dump meals from the library, one for every taste:

• Salsa Verde Chicken with Black Beans and Corn: five ingredients, with cream cheese stirred in at the end.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga: smoky shredded chicken for tacos and tostadas.
• Mississippi Chuck Roast: the famous tender roast with pepperoncini.
• Homestyle Slow Cooker Beef Chili: a classic family chili with kidney beans.
• Cuban Mojo Pork: citrus and garlic pork that shreds with a fork.
• Curried Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup: a cozy meatless supper.

Find them all in the Freezer Meals library: tap Slow Cooker and Dump Meals together.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a frozen dump meal straight into the slow cooker? No. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight first. Frozen meat heats too slowly in a slow cooker to be safe.

How long do slow cooker freezer meals last? They taste best within about three months. Write the date on every bag so you use the oldest first.

Do I need to brown the meat first? Not for most dump meals. Browning adds flavor, so do it when you have time, but cool the meat before it goes in the bag.

Can I use slow cooker liners? Yes. A liner makes cleanup easy. Dump the thawed bag into the liner, never the freezer bag itself.

Can I cook a dump meal in the Instant Pot instead? Often, yes. Thaw it, add the thin liquid your pot needs (1 1/2 cups of broth or water for a 6-quart Instant Pot), and pressure cook. Meats need much less time than in the slow cooker. Many recipes in our library give both.