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The Best Slow Cooker Lasagna – Hearty and Cheesy! Craving classic lasagna but don’t want to heat up the kitchen or babysit a casserole? Then this slow cooker lasagna recipe is your new go-to. It’s a traditional lasagna with layers of rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, and tender noodles made right in your crockpot. With a little stovetop prep and simple layering, you’ll get all the rich, cheesy, saucy goodness you crave from lasagna.
Best Crockpot Lasagna
We love a crock pot lasagna dinner. Gooey cheese, tender noodles, rich meat sauce, all layered to become a wonderful dinner.
Oven-baked lasagna may not be what you want to make. Why turn on the oven when you don’t have to? The slow cooker is a game-changer for making lasagna.
Why We Love This Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
- Made from Scratch: No jarred sauce used (though you can if you like). You’ll make an easy meat sauce that just takes minutes.
- Cheesy Goodness: A melty trio of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses in every bite.
- No Boiling Noodles: Regular lasagna noodles cook perfectly in the sauce in the slow cooker.
- No Oven Needed: Skip heating up the house as your slow cooker does the work.
- Family-Friendly: Cheesy, meaty, delicious, and filling. Lasagna is comfort food!
Learn how to make the best lasagna in the slow cooker, with no need to boil the noodles, minimal prep, and maximum flavor.
Perfect for a cozy family dinner or feeding a crowd, this hearty crockpot lasagna delivers big flavor and is worth the effort.
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Lasagna
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Lasagna Noodles
Sauce: Ground Beef (or a mix of beef and Italian sausage), Yellow Onion, Garlic, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Tomato Paste, Tomato Sauce (or jarred marinara), Diced Tomatoes (with juice), Water or Broth
Cheese Mixture: Ricotta Cheese (or Cottage Cheese), Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Basil (optional)
Garnish: Fresh Parsley, Fresh Basil
Jarred Pasta Sauce Instead of Tomato Sauce?
- Most store-bought jars are only 24 ounces, but this recipe calls for 29 ounces of tomato sauce. You’ll need an extra 5 ounces to ensure the noodles cook properly and the sauce doesn’t dry out.
- Supplement with a few spoonfuls from a second jar, or stir in a small amount of tomato puree or crushed tomatoes to make up the difference.
- If you’re using a jar of spaghetti sauce, you may want to reduce the salt and Italian seasoning slightly, as those sauces are usually pre-seasoned.
How to Make Lasagna in the Crockpot
Prep the Crockpot & Ingredients: Spray your slow cooker insert with nonstick spray. Chop onion, mince garlic, and measure everything out.
Brown the Meat
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef (and sausage, if using) with onion until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
• Add garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 30 sec.
• Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 min to remove “raw” taste.
• Pour in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water (or broth).
• Simmer sauce 10 min on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Mix the Cheeses
• In a bowl, add ricotta, 3 cups of the mozzarella (saving the fourth cup for the topping), and Parmesan.
• Add chopped basil (if using). Blend until smooth.
Layer Lasagna in the Slow Cooker
• Ladle ¼ of the meat sauce into the bottom.
• Break around 3 lasagna noodles to fit, layering over sauce.
• Spread ⅓ of cheese mixture over noodles.
• Layer on another ¼ of the meat sauce.
Repeat: noodles → ⅓ cheese → ¼ sauce → noodles → ⅓ cheese → ¼ sauce.
• Top with reserved 1 cup mozzarella.
Cook & Rest
• Cover and cook on Low for 3–4 hours, or on High for 2–3 or until noodles are tender.
• Turn off, uncover, and let rest 10 minutes. This helps it firm up for clean slices. Garnish & Serve
Slow Cooker Lasagna FAQs
• Do I Need to Boil The Noodles First? No, they will cook in the sauce.
• Can I Use No-Boil Lasagna Noodles: Yes, just add an extra ¼ cup water or broth to the sauce. Layer as usual, making they are covered with sauce. No-boil noodles may cook faster, so check on them sooner.
• Can I Freeze Lasagna? Yes! Cool completely, then freeze individual portions. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
• What to Serve With Lasagna? Garlic bread, Caesar salad, or roasted vegetables.
Slow Cooker Lasagna Make-Ahead Instructions
- You can assemble this slow cooker lasagna up to 24 hours in advance. Just layer everything in the crock, cover it, and refrigerate.
- When you’re ready to cook, let the insert sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes (to avoid shocking & breaking a cold ceramic insert), then cook as directed.
- You may need to add an extra 30 minutes to the cook time since it’s starting cold.
More Easy Crockpot Dinner Ideas:
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Crock Pot Pork and Sauerkraut
Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew
The Best Slow Cooker Lasagna
Equipment
- 5 or 6-quart Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet or Dutch Oven
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 8 oz Uncooked Lasagna Pasta (approx. 9 noodles)
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (or ½ Beef & ½ Bulk Sausage)
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 29 oz Tomato Sauce
- 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes, with juice
- 1 cup Water, or broth
Cheese Mixture
- 14 oz Ricotta Cheese (whole milk)
- 4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
- ⅔ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- handful Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves (optional)
Garnish
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Gather everything you will need and prep it: Spray your crockpot with cooking spray. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, measure out all of the other ingredients. It makes the process much easier!
Cook the Meat
- In a Dutch oven or very large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion. Drain excess fat.
- Season the meat mixture with the minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
Make the Sauce
- To the meat mixture, add the tomato paste and stir well to combine. Cook on medium-low heat for 1 minute while stirring, to cook out some of the raw tomato taste.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water (or broth). Stir well to combine. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make Cheese Mixture
- Meanwhile, add the ricotta, 3 cups of the mozzarella (saving 1 cup for the topping of the lasagna), and Parmesan cheeses to a medium bowl and mix together well using a fork. Add the chopped fresh basil (optional), and mix it in. Set aside.
Assemble the Lasagna
- Taste the meat sauce and adjust seasoning as desired. Then ladle ¼ of it into the bottom of the sprayed crock.
- Layer about 3 lasagna noodles over the meat sauce, breaking any you need to fit the crock. Then layer ⅓ of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Then layer another ¼ of the meat sauce over the cheese mixture layer.
- Add another layer of lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the cheese mixture over the noodles, and another ¼ of the meat sauce over the cheese layer.
- Add a final layer of lasagna noodles, final ⅓ of the cheese mixture over the noodles, and the remaining ¼ of the meat sauce over the cheese layer.
- Lastly, add the reserved cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
Cook the Lasagna
- Cover the crock pot and cook on Low for about 3-4 hours or on High for 2–3 hours (check at 2 hours to avoid mushy noodles).
Garnish and Serve
- When the lasagna is done, turn off the slow cooker and let the lasagna sit, uncovered for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and more fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months.Slow Cooker Size
I use a 5-quart Slow Cooker for this recipe.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was delicious, and made a lot! I had cooked the ground beef the day before so all I needed to do was cook the onion, add the meat and the other sauce ingredients. It saved me some time.
I wish you would make your recipes easier to print. I would really like to print out this Lasagna recipe but haven’t found a way to do it.
I don’t know what would make it easier. There is a print recipe button to click on. Sorry you are having trouble.
You know, those Crock Pot liners make leftover lasagna so easy–just let your lasagna cool in the pot, then lift the lasagna out, liner and all, onto a plate, roll the top down, and refrigerate or freeze. Easy peazy! I don’t know who invented those liners, but I would like to nominate him/her for sainthood.
I have never used them, but have heard that many people love them!
Just wondering what size crockpot does it take? Maybe I missed it somewhere.
Thank you for mentioning this. I had meant to say that I use a 6-quart slow cooker. I added that to the Notes. 🙂