These Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Lemon Dill Potatoes are the bright and buttery side dish I made for my mom last spring, and she immediately begged to know the secret. The best part is that the “secret” is just four simple ingredients and a slow cooker doing all the work while you focus on the rest of Sunday dinner. Tender baby potatoes soak up melted butter, fresh lemon zest, and dill, turning into a glossy, fragrant bowl of comfort that feels fancy but is totally weeknight-friendly.
Serve these lemon dill potatoes straight from the slow cooker crock to keep them warm on the table. They’re perfect alongside roasted or grilled chicken, baked salmon, pork tenderloin, or a simple pan-seared steak. I also love them with a big green salad and some steamed green beans or asparagus for a lighter spring or summer meal. If you’re hosting, you can double the recipe and let guests scoop right from the slow cooker during a holiday or Sunday dinner buffet.
Slow Cooker Lemon Dill PotatoesServings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds small yellow baby potatoes, scrubbed and left whole (or halved if larger)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving if desired
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker crock with a tiny bit of butter or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
Add the scrubbed yellow baby potatoes to the slow cooker in an even layer. If any potatoes are more than 1 1/2 inches across, cut them in half so they cook at the same rate as the smaller ones.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the melted butter and fresh lemon zest until the zest is evenly distributed. This helps the lemon flavor infuse into the butter before it hits the potatoes.
Pour the lemon butter mixture evenly over the potatoes, using a spatula to scrape out every last bit. Gently toss the potatoes in the crock so they’re lightly coated in the butter and lemon zest.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart. Avoid lifting the lid too often so the heat and steam stay trapped inside.
Once the potatoes are tender, sprinkle the chopped fresh dill over the hot potatoes. Use a large spoon to gently toss everything together until the dill, butter, and lemon zest coat the potatoes in a glossy, fragrant layer.
Taste and, if you like, adjust with a tiny extra sprinkle of dill or a bit more lemon zest right in the crock before serving. Serve the potatoes hot, straight from the slow cooker, spooning some of the buttery lemon dill mixture from the bottom of the crock over the top of each portion.
Variations & Tips
If you want a richer finish, stir in an extra tablespoon of melted butter just before serving, or add a small splash of the lemon juice from one of the zested lemons (this technically adds an ingredient, but a squeeze at the table is a nice optional touch). For a slightly different flavor, you can swap half of the dill for fresh parsley or chives while still keeping the bright, herby profile. If you need to hold the potatoes for a bit before dinner, switch the slow cooker to WARM once they’re tender and stir gently every 20–30 minutes so they stay coated and don’t stick. For meal prep, you can scrub the potatoes, zest the lemons, and chop the dill the night before; store the potatoes in the fridge dry and uncovered (so they don’t get slimy), and keep the zest and dill in separate covered containers. Food safety tips: Always start with clean, scrubbed potatoes and make sure they’re not sprouting or soft. Keep the slow cooker on LOW or HIGH as directed until the potatoes are fully cooked; don’t leave it on WARM from the start, as that may keep the potatoes in the temperature “danger zone” too long. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in a shallow container, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before eating.
