30 Whole30 Slow Cooker Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can I have rotisserie chicken on Whole30? ›

This simple slow cooker rotisserie-style chicken is one of my favorite weeknight dinners, which is why it frequently appears in my Whole30-friendly meal plans.

Reduce liquid when using a slow cooker

It should just cover the meat and vegetables. Don't overfill your slow cooker, or it may start leaking out the top, and the food won't cook so well. Half to two-thirds full is ideal – certainly no more than three-quarters.

On Whole30, you can eat meat, vegetables, fruit, tree nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. However, you must avoid sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, alcohol, and processed food additives. Although it would be difficult and very restrictive to maintain long term, the Whole30 is designed to be done only for 30 days.

You also can't use Whole30-approved ingredients to make treats, such as pancakes, bread, muffins, brownies, pizza crust, or ice cream. Can you eat pickles on Whole30? What about bananas? Yes, both pickles and bananas are allowed on Whole30.

Whole30 bans legumes like chickpeas. Still, you can whip up a tasty chickpea-free hummus using avocados, cooked cauliflower, and a few other healthy ingredients.

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

The paper towel will absorb excess moisture and prevent any condensation from dripping back onto the food. Be sure to reach for a good-quality, sturdy paper towel that can absorb moisture effectively without falling apart.

Try putting a tea towel over the top of the slow cooker before replacing the lid. This absorbs the excess moisture, thickening the dish and deepening its flavours. The cloth can be replaced with a fresh one when needed, but usually one tea towel during the final couple of hours will do the trick.

What not to put in a slow cooker? ›

That said, plenty of people who try the Whole30 diet do end up losing some weight. “The benefit of Whole30 is that it encourages eating whole foods, which are foods in their most natural state,” says Sara Haas, RDN, a nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts.

“At the end of the day, nutritional advice should be individualized," he says. "It's a very restrictive diet, and it can cause some serious problems. There's definitely some research showing that there's some crossover with eating disorders. Most of the time, [Whole30] is unnecessary.”

Many people will lose weight on a diet like Whole30, but weight loss isn't the only goal. The diet can also help if you are at risk for diabetes, and help with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. But after a 30-day wonder diet like Whole30, it's likely weight will return if you don't follow a few rules.

Chicken/Pork/Turkey/Fish -Pretty much any raw meat from costco will be Whole30 compliant. Don't buy anything pre-marinated! Near the meats/refrigerated section you'll also find: Eggs & Egg Whites which are both great to stock up on!

Rotisserie chicken (named because it's cooked on a rotisserie, or rotating pole inside a hot oven) is cheap and pre-cooked, making it a popular choice among shoppers. While it's generally considered healthy, it also comes with significant drawbacks—including high sodium content and some questionable additives.

What Whole30 menu items to order at Chick-fil-A: It's probably best to skip Chick-fil-A altogether during your Whole30, Yawitz says. But, if you find yourself there, you could ask if they could make the grilled nuggets without the marinade on a Cobb Salad with no bacon, cheese, crispy red peppers, or corn.

Yes, rotisserie chicken is keto-friendly. It's a carb-free option and a great source of protein (20-25 grams of protein per portion size). But you need to be careful about the part of the whole chicken you eat since some options have a high-fat content (mostly from saturated fats).