My grandma taught me this simple little trick for Sunday dinners when I was a kid, and I still lean on it whenever I want a side dish that quietly steals the show. These slow cooker 5-ingredient garlic butter potato packets come out incredibly tender, buttery, and full of flavor with almost no effort. Everything gets tucked into individual foil packets, set in the slow cooker, and left alone to do its thing while you focus on the main dish or wrangling the kids. It’s old-fashioned, practical Midwestern cooking at its best: cozy, reliable, and family-friendly.
These garlic butter potato packets go with just about any Sunday-style main dish: roast chicken, pot roast, meatloaf, grilled pork chops, or baked ham. I like to serve them right in the foil so everyone can open their own little bundle at the table. Add a simple green salad, steamed green beans, or roasted carrots to round out the plate. They’re also wonderful alongside grilled burgers or brats in the summer when you want the slow cooker to handle the potatoes while you use the grill for everything else.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Potato Packets
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds small yellow or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (plus extra for serving if desired)
4 cloves garlic, minced or very finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Prepare the slow cooker and foil: Tear off 4 large sheets of aluminum foil, each about 12 to 14 inches long. Lightly crumple and then flatten each sheet so they’re easier to shape into packets. Set them on the counter. Make sure the inside of your slow cooker is clean and dry.
Season the potatoes: Place the potato chunks in a large mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss well so the garlic and seasoning are evenly distributed over all the potatoes.
Add the butter: Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into small pieces and scatter them over the seasoned potatoes in the bowl. Toss gently again so the butter pieces are tucked throughout the potatoes. This helps the butter melt down into every packet as they cook.
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