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Welcome to our collection of the best paleo and grain-free slow cooker recipes around!
While this site is dedicated to feeding our families real food in its most traditional, basic forms – eat fresh foods, grown sustainably, in season, grown locally, without any processing beyond what you can do in your own kitchen (freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, etc) – there is an increasing need in the “real food” community for recipes that skip the grains, dairy, and other sometimes-difficult-to-digest foods.
Also, as I looked around various social media platforms and other websites, I realized there are SO many fantastic Paleo and grain-free recipes, but very few one-stop, look-no-further collections of those great recipes.
Thus, I thought I'd gather some of the most delicious-looking, heartily inspiring recipes from around the real food community to give a good starting point to those who are new to those dietary needs or who want fresh inspiration.
And for those who aren't Paleo or needing to be grain-free, you can dive into these recipes too, as Paleo or not, they're simply delicious, nourishing meals. 🙂
Now, an important note before we get started. Since there are multiple definitions of what it means to adhere to a “grain-free” or “paleo” diet floating around, let's define our terms. In collecting these recipes, these are the definitions I have used:
Grain-Free:
No grains including wheat, rice, corn, millet, barley, triticale, rye, and oats. This includes no malt-derived products, such as malt vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, or grain alcohol, such vodka.
(If you follow a grain-free lifestyle, I highly highly recommend Kelly Smith's new book, Everyday Grain-Free Baking. I didn't know it was possible to get light, flaky biscuits and seriously good sandwich bread without grains, but Kelly shows you how!)
Paleo:
YES: vegetables, fruit, nuts, meats, and some seeds
NO: no grains (including rice), no dairy, no legumes, no beans, no starches (including potatoes, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat), no unfermented soy
I have NOT examined these recipes for compliance with Autoimmune Protocol, GAPS, or other healing protocols.
You'll notice I HAVE allowed:
winter squash and small amounts of sweet potatoes
coffee and chocolate
recipes that are themselves paleo/grain-free even though the serving suggestion is to “serve over rice” or “serve on a bun” (If you REALLY want rice in those cases, just follow these quick instructions for how to make perfect cauliflower rice.)
those that offer acceptable substitutes for forbidden ingredients (such as recommending beef stock instead of beer in a chili recipe or arrowroot instead of cornstarch to thicken a sauce)
traditionally fermented soy, such as natto or traditional soy sauce
Lastly, please remember that while I have spent hours upon hours scouring through these recipes to make sure they fit BOTH of the criteria above, I cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of each recipe or that they will not be edited by their own authors in the future. Please contact the original authors if there are any issues with a recipe.
Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake (pictured above) This recipe is scrumptious. However, while it's totally grain-free, it does include butter and cream cheese in the frosting, so it's not entirely Paleo – just so you know. 🙂 Pin it for later | Get the recipe
Pot au Feu This link includes 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken it, but you can totally skip this or substitute with arrowroot. We're not going to skip this gorgeous recipe just because of that little quibble! 🙂 Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
Slow Cooker Rosemary Roast Just a quick note: this roast is slow-cooked in kombucha, which is then transformed into a kombucha jus! Nice one, Raia! 🙂 Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
Slow Cooker Vindaloo You use use pork, beef, chicken, goat, lamb, or pretty much any other meat for this very flavorful meal. It's perpetually on our meal plan! Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
Rich and Meaty Lamb Ragù Oh, my goodness – I totally swoon over this recipe! Scroll to the bottom for the slow cooker instructions. Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
Hawaiian Pizza Salad This is going on this meal plan TONIGHT – what a great way to enjoy the flavors of grain-free, paleo pizza! Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
Slow Cooker Asian-Style Chicken Wraps (pictured above) This recipe is one of my all-time favorites, but FYI, it does include rice vinegar (just in case you're avoiding rice at all costs). Pin it for later | Get the recipe
Creamy Crockpot Lemon Chicken and Kale Soup This soup uses an ingenious trick to make a “creamy” soup without cream or other typical substitutes! So smart. Pin it for later | See the picture | Get the recipe
If you're needing to cook grain-free, here are two cookbooks I can't recommend HIGHLY ENOUGH. These two authors share their passion and their expertise is satisfying, delicious ways. 🙂
For grain-free baked goods that turn out every time, THIS is the book to turn to. My copy is already dog-earred and marked up and I've ordered extras to give as gifts. It's seriously excellent.
At the Table is so much more than a cookbook: it's a travelogue, a memoir, a guide, and – of course – packed with 80+ grain-free recipes from around the world. This is a soulful book that will inspire you to linger long around the table and be nourished in body AND soul.
Don’t have a slow cooker yet? Here are a couple that I can recommend to you. Click on the images for more information.
The ability to brown meats and saute vegetables right in the pot is one of my absolute FAVORITE slow cooker features:
I use my 8-quart slow cooker nearly every day! Whether I need to feed a crowd, have enough room to place a bowl in it to steam our breakfast, or make a triple batch of pulled pork, I find a large size to be much more useful than a mid-size one, even though it requires a bit more storage space.
Kresha is the mother of four super-cool kiddos, the wife of one handsome organic farmer, a former opera singer, and an avid researcher. She and her husband share a passion for living life thoughtfully and intentionally in response to God's grace in their lives and she loves to share good meals (and good wine) around a very large table.
8 Comments
Thank you so much for the kind shout-outs, Kresha! You’re such a sweet friend! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my grain-free baking cookbook. And I love this recipe round up! Definitely sharing it via social media! So many delicious recipes!!! With blessings and gratitude, Kelly
The cinnamon roll coffeecake is on my to do recipe lists. All the recipes are absolutely fantastic. I already pinned some of the recipes on my dashboard.
Thank you so much for the kind shout-outs, Kresha! You’re such a sweet friend! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my grain-free baking cookbook. And I love this recipe round up! Definitely sharing it via social media! So many delicious recipes!!! With blessings and gratitude, Kelly
Great roundup of grain-free and Paleo options, Kresha. I’ve pinned it! 🙂
Fab-tastic roundup!! Thank you =for sharing my recipes!! Will share too 🙂
The cinnamon roll coffeecake is on my to do recipe lists. All the recipes are absolutely fantastic. I already pinned some of the recipes on my dashboard.