Slow Cooker Buttered Leek Chicken Sausages
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
This pork-free slow cooker sausage recipe is the ultimate comfort food: buttery, savory, and effortless. Using only 4 simple ingredients chicken or turkey sausages, leeks, butter, and chicken broth this dish transforms everyday pantry staples into a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth meal. Perfect for busy weeknights, family dinners, or meal prep. The gentle slow cooking preserves the nutrients in leeks while keeping the sausages juicy and flavorful.
Benefits of This Recipe:
- High-protein, lean meal: Chicken or turkey sausages provide protein with less fat than pork.
- Leeks for digestive and heart health: Full of vitamins A, C, and K.
- Low-effort cooking: Toss everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work.
- Versatile serving options: Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered noodles.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 8 chicken or turkey sausages (approx. 1½ lbs), mild or herby varieties
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
- Prep the leeks: Trim dark green tops and roots, slice lengthwise, then into thin half-moons. Rinse thoroughly to remove grit and drain.
- Layer in the slow cooker: Spread leeks evenly on the bottom. Dot with butter pieces.
- Add broth and sausages: Pour chicken broth over the leeks. Nestle sausages in a single layer on top, pressing lightly into the leeks and butter.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 2½–3 hours until sausages are fully cooked and leeks are soft and silky.
- Season & serve: Taste leeks and lightly season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve sausages with buttery leeks over mashed potatoes, polenta, or noodles. A crisp green salad or steamed green beans make a perfect side.
Tips & Variations
- Extra browning: Quickly sear sausages in a skillet for 3–4 minutes per side before slow cooking.
- Thicker sauce: Remove the lid for the last 20–30 minutes on HIGH to concentrate flavors.
- Irish-inspired twist: Serve over colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale) with an extra knob of butter.
- Next-day meal: Reheat leftovers in a covered skillet with a splash of broth, or tuck into a roll with buttery leeks.
