Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets Healthy High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Dinner Recipes 26 High-Protein, 400-Calorie Dinners You Can Make in a Slow Cooker By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 27, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos It's easy to get a high-protein dinner on the table when you use a slow cooker. These dinners feature proteins like beef, chicken and turkey for at least 15 grams of protein per serving and 400 calories or fewer. Recipes like Slow-Cooker Beef Curry and Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa are healthy and delicious. 01 of 26 Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips View Recipe The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles. 02 of 26 Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables View Recipe This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole (see associated recipe)! 03 of 26 Slow-Cooker Carne Picada Tacos with Avocado Salsa View Recipe Loosely translated as "minced meat," the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that'll wake up your taco night routine. 04 of 26 Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff View Recipe This comforting dish combines tender beef and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, and is served over hot noodles. 05 of 26 Slow-Cooker Beef Curry View Recipe Victor Protasio Long, slow cooking periods mellow flavors while bold spices, in bold amounts, will hold their own over time. Thats just what happens here with big flavors from Thai curry paste and fish sauce finished with fresh touches of cilantro and lime juice that together, draw inspiration from Thai curry. Serve over a bed of brown rice or brown rice noodles to catch all the sauce. 06 of 26 Slow-Cooker Chicken & Orzo with Tomatoes & Olives View Recipe Perk up basic chicken breast and whole-wheat orzo with the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, like lemon and olives. This load-and-go recipe makes a complete and satisfying meal; just add a green salad. 07 of 26 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili with Butternut Squash View Recipe This slow-cooker turkey and butternut squash chili is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The sweetness of the butternut squash tames the kick from cayenne, making this easy crock-pot chili just right for kids and adults alike. For those who prefer a spicier chili, just pass hot sauce at the table. 08 of 26 Pasta Puttanesca with Beef View Recipe This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week. 09 of 26 Slow-Cooker Jambalaya View Recipe This hearty jambalaya is bursting with chicken, smoked turkey sausage, and shrimp. It takes just 25 minutes to prep in the morning and then your slow cooker will work its magic and deliver a tasty meal at the end of the day. 10 of 26 Slow-Cooker Sweet & Sour Scallops View Recipe This recipe for slow-cooker scallops is sure to become a tried-and-true favorite for any seafood lover. Tender scallops quickly poach in a sweet and spicy sauce that has been cooking for hours. Brown rice completes the meal. 11 of 26 Slow-Cooker Pork Tenderloin View Recipe Brie Goldman This tender slow-cooker pork tenderloin picks up tangy and sweet flavors from a tomato-based sauce that features the flavors of classic barbecue. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Serve the leftover sauce with steamed hearty greens, creamy grits or shredded pork. 12 of 26 Corn Bread-Topped Chicken Enchilada Casserole View Recipe For a twist on the classic chicken enchilada casserole, this slow cooker recipe is topped with homemade corn bread. 13 of 26 Slow-Cooked Beef with Carrots & Cabbage View Recipe In this main-dish recipe, the pot roast is slow-cooked with carrots and low-sodium beef broth. Toward the end of the cooking time, shredded cabbage is added in to round out the meal. Each of the two servings has just 215 calories. 14 of 26 Lamb Curry with Winter Squash View Recipe Leigh Beisch Serve this lamb curry with a steamed grain like brown rice, millet or whole-wheat couscous for soaking up the sauce. Or try a pile of al dente braised curly kale—its frilly leaves catch and hold the sauce nicely. If you prefer things spicier, use a hot Madras-style curry powder and add an extra Scotch bonnet pepper or two. 15 of 26 Slow-Cooker Shrimp Noodle Bowls View Recipe The aromatic vegetables in the broth create a light yet distinct flavor of classic noodle bowls. Adding the lime juice, fish sauce and shrimp at the end keeps them from overcooking and their flavors from becoming diluted. If you have it, drizzle toasted sesame oil on top of this slow-cooker shrimp dish for nutty flair. For the prettiest appearance, use whole basil and cilantro leaves, instead of chopping them. Look for packaged lemongrass stalks near the plastic clamshells of herbs in the produce section of your supermarket. 16 of 26 Spicy Chicken Lasagna View Recipe Instead of spending hours at the stove making an Italian tomato sauce for your lasagna, let your slow cooker do the work. Your family will love the chicken and mushrooms in this makeover recipe of traditional lasagna. 17 of 26 Slow-Cooker Cod with Tomato-Balsamic Jam View Recipe Mellow, slightly sweet and devoid of the overt fishy flavor that's polarizing for so many, this slow-cooker cod is perfect for pairing with a show-stopping sauce like this tomato-balsamic jam. Diced pancetta provides a salty counterpart to the sweet onion, tomatoes, vinegar and honey and gives the jam complexity. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired. 18 of 26 Slow-Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Noodle Soup View Recipe This slow-cooker chicken noodle soup fits nicely into the Mediterranean diet thanks to plenty of vegetables, lean chicken breast and whole-wheat pasta. Pair it with a salad and toasted whole-grain bread for an easy, healthy dinner. 19 of 26 Chicken & Cornmeal Dumplings View Recipe This version of chicken and dumplings provides plenty of vegetables with 5 grams of fiber per serving. Dumplings are made with 1 part flour and 1 part cornmeal to make them standout from a traditional flour dumpling. This hearty dinner option is the perfect comfort meal. 20 of 26 Pork Carnitas View Recipe This Mexican-inspired meal is an easy crowd-pleaser. Savory pulled pork is served atop crisp corn tortillas and topped with sour cream and salsa in this simple slow-cooker recipe. 21 of 26 Layered Brisket Dinner with Tangy Mustard Sauce View Recipe Perfectly seasoned red potatoes and baby carrots accompany this filling brisket dish. 22 of 26 Slow-Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Asparagus & Peas View Recipe Use your crock pot all year with this healthy slow-cooker chicken soup recipe with fresh spring ingredients. Adding the asparagus and peas to the slow cooker for the last 20 minutes of cooking and leaving the lid off ensures that the vegetables stay bright green and are perfectly done without getting mushy. 23 of 26 Lamb & Rice View Recipe The sauce in this recipe is a heavenly mixture of tomatoes, spices, herbs and mustard. It provides amazing flavor to the lamb as they spend up to 12 hours together in the slow cooker. 24 of 26 Slow-Cooker Beef-Barley Soup with Red Wine & Pesto View Recipe Hearty, thick, rich--this is just how a winter soup should be. The meat and carrots become tender yet retain their texture, and the kale offers freshness. Garnish each serving of this slow-cooker beef and barley soup with additional pesto and fresh basil and oregano sprigs, if desired. 25 of 26 Weeknight Honey-Orange Chicken with Butternut Squash View Recipe Combine orange juice, cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper with chicken and butternut squash in this delicious slow-cooker recipe. Serve over high-protein quinoa, which contains all nine essential amino acids. 26 of 26 Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili View Recipe Ali Redmond This simple slow-cooker chili features plenty of veggies and shredded chicken breast simmered in a smoky broth of chipotle chiles and tomato. The chili is finished with shredded cheese, avocados and cilantro, but feel free to add your own favorite toppings to jazz it up! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit