10+ High-Protein Dump Dinner Recipes

If you need inspiration for an easy and flavorful dinner, you’ll want to add these dump dinners to your menu! These dishes are perfect for busier nights since you can just toss the ingredients in your slow cooker or pressure cooker with minimal effort on your part. Another bonus? Every serving contains at least 15 grams of protein, a nutrient that helps support bone and muscle repair as well as healthy weight management. Recipes like our Slow-Cooker Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Soup or our Slow-Cooker Beef Curry are hearty dinners that are sure to keep you satisfied.

Slow-Cooker Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Soup

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster


This comforting soup is loaded with broccoli and chicken in a creamy, cheesy base and finished off with the classic toppings of bacon and scallions. Frozen onions and rice keep their integrity and texture to the soup, but chopped fresh onions and cooked brown rice (not frozen) can be used in their place.

Slow-Cooker Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Soup

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster


If you love spinach and artichokes, this is the perfect soup for you. The creamy base is packed with veggies and shredded chicken, which soaks up the broth while adding a boost of protein. Frozen artichoke hearts have less sodium than canned, but canned can be used in their place. Just be sure to give them a good rinse before adding them to the slow cooker.

Instant Pot Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Noodles

Greg DuPree

To make a flavorful base for this soup—while still using some shortcuts—we pressure-cook store-bought broth with ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce and Shaoxing rice wine.

Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon & Potato Soup

Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

This soup is perfect for ushering in fall: It’s hearty enough for the beginning of soup season, yet brothy and veggie-packed so it doesn’t feel too heavy.

Instant Pot Garlic-Scented Chicken & Farro with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pair earthy, toothsome barley with tender chicken dressed in a tangy white balsamic vinaigrette for a hearty main dish. This Instant Pot chicken recipe comes together in just 40 minutes, making it perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

Slow-Cooker Beef Curry

Victor Protasio

Long, slow cooking periods mellow flavors while bold spices, in bold amounts, will hold their own over time. That’s 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.

Turkish Chickpea & Lamb Soup

This recipe was inspired by a hearty lamb and chickpea soup from Turkey. Finishing it with a dollop of pistachio-mint pesto adds another layer of flavor.

Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Jason Donnelly


If you like Buffalo wings, you’ll love the flavors in this warm, hearty chili that comes together easily in the slow cooker. Sour cream helps cut the heat, but you could also use plain strained yogurt.

Black-Vinegar-Braised Beef

Leigh Beisch

The fragrant aroma of star anise will welcome you home after this braise cooks throughout the day. Serve with rice or rice noodles.

Kale, Wild Rice & Chicken Stew

Chicken thighs get perfectly tender in just a few hours in the slow cooker. Plus, cooking everything together low and slow infuses all the flavors together for complexity in every bite.

Instant Pot Orange-Jalapeño Chicken Wings

These sweet-hot tender Instant Pot chicken wings boast a balance of orange and lime. They’re very tangy and very sticky, so be sure to serve with lots of paper towels!

Crock-Pot Pineapple Chicken

This slow-cooker meal has a hint of ginger and sesame and is made with simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry! Look for fresh pineapple that’s been peeled and cored already to make assembly even easier. Serve with brown rice to sop up the sweet and savory sauce.

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Noodle Soup

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.

Instant Pot Beef & Poblano Tostadas

Serve the tangy, peppery beef on crispy tostadas and top with colorful slaw.

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