Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
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Let the crockpot do all of the work in the easiest dish of all time. Simply throw everything in with 5 min prep. That’s it!
I have had some requests for recipes that do not involve the stovetop or oven because at this time of the year, excess heat is really unnecessary, especially in this 90 degree+ heat wave.
So the crockpot comes in super handy during this summer heat, and it’s even better when you can whip up the easiest chicken dish of all time with just 5 min prep.
Yes, I promise you. It’s really 5 minutes – there’s no searing or sautéing here. Simply throw in your seasoned chicken into the slow cooker and stir in that balsamic goodness. Done.
Now the recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts but you can easily substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) to suit your preferences. Either way, you just can’t go wrong with this garlicky, sweet and savory blend of flavors!
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar and garlic; set aside.
- Season chicken breasts with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place chicken breasts into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in balsamic vinegar mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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Yum! This was super easy and SO delicious! Everyone loved it (husband, 12 and 14 yr olds and me!). Your site is my go to for easy, delicious recipes. I used boneless, skinless thighs, only because that’s what I had on hand. Will definitely be making again soon!
This is so delicious. Possibly the best chicken recipe I’ve tried so far. I woke up late and didn’t have time to put it in the crockpot so when i came home from work, i mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl. I braised the chicken (I used leg quaters) in a cast iron skillet with the mixture for about five minutes on each side. Then I put the parsley on top and placed the skillet in the oven on 375 for one hour. It came out great. Beautiful presentation, tender chicken and so yummy. Thank you!
This is such an amazing recipe ! The whole family loved it. I used boneless skinless chicken breast and checked the doneness after the third hour on low. They took about four hours total on low. People need to remember boneless skinless chicken take a lot less time to cook than bone in and skin on. Will definitely make this again!!
How long for 2 boneless chicken breasts?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I just made this and found that it cooked MUCH faster than expected in my All-Clad slow cooker. But despite the meat being a bit dry from me accidentally overcooking it, the flavor was great and I’ll definitely give it another go. The dish wasn’t pretty (the balsamic and herbs just looked black on the chicken after cooking) but the ease of preparation made up for the visuals!
I am definitely going to try this recipe. I know everyone’s tastes are different, but I love balsamic vinegar and will have fun with this. I will be testing the chicken during cooking so it won’t be overcooked, and will adjust the flavor of the sauce if needed after cooking. Thanks for sharing your recipes for us to use.
Can this be made using boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
If not, do you suggest any good slow cooker or other recipes for those? Thanks!
Mary, here is one of my favorite recipes that you can use, substituting boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I hope you get a chance to try it! 🙂
Can this be made in a pressure cooker? If so, what setting and for how long of a cook time?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Super easy and delicious! The whole family liked it which is always a win in my book. 5 minutes to prep, the rest in the crockpot so super easy. I used boneless breasts and they were great.
Tried this tonight, followed the recipe to a T and the chicken is dried out and bitter. Awful recipe.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
But I understand that failures and mishaps can happen, and I appreciate your honest feedback.
Hi, thanks for the recipe! I ended up making about 2lbs of chicken thigh, on high for 3ish hours (3hrs 10 min at most) and found it a bit dry. Not complaining at all (I’d totally do this recipe again, but less time), but figure it’s one more data point in helping everyone figure out the right time for the speed (low vs high) for the type of chicken and amount of it. I look forward to finding more recipes on this blog!
Christie – I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I typically cook chicken thighs on low for 4 hours and they come out perfect. Maybe that will help!
I am soooo glad to have found your site. My husband is crazy picky but literally every single thing I’ve made from you (probably 10-12 total recipes so far) have been huge hits with him. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep it coming! 🙂
Hi !! Thank you so much for posting. Unfortunately my chicken did not turn out well. It is very dry 🙁 Oh well….glad I tried it though 🙂
Oh no – thank you for trying my recipe though! Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Can I use vegetable broth versus chicken broth?
Yes, absolutely.
Made this tonight for dinner. Very good. My husbands wants to have it again soon:) Served with rice, very nice.
So I have boneless chicken breasts in the crock now! I am so excited I found your blog! I have a question: your picture looks like you browned your chicken first. Is that how you got the nice browned texture? I put my chicken straight in crock and seasoned and then added balsamic. My chicken looks soft with almost a “boiled chicken” look. Would you recommend browning first?
Can’t wait to try more recipes! Thanks!
The chicken here looks a little different from yours as the recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. But yes, you can certainly give it an initial sear or a quick broil at the very end to add some color. Hope that helps!
Followed this to the letter and was not impressed. Chicken was dry and sauce was weird. Usually like balsamic but not this time.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. However, I understand that we all have different taste preferences, and I really appreciate your honest feedback.
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and used garlic salt instead of regular salt. I also a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the liquid. Cooked two hours on slow. Took breasts out of crock pot and let rest for 15 minutes. Added two tablespoons of butter to liquid in crock pot. Shredded chicken, added back to crock pot and mixed with liquid. Served on hot crispy rolls. Tastes like North Carolina barbeque. Yummy!
This said to cook for 7-8 hours on low. It was overcooked and completely dried out in 5.5. The blend of spices was also overpowering. Nobody ate it. We threw it out.
Thank you for your feedback. But instead of blaming the recipe, it is important to remember that many factors are at play here that may result in a failed outcome. I only share recipes that have been successful and well-tested in my own kitchen, but I understand that failures and mishaps can happen. But with a little bit more information, we can troubleshoot what went wrong to have a successful turnaround next time.
So I must ask – did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
I made this today and I too found it more than done at the 5 hour mark, using boneless breasts. Though a bit dry, I thickened the sauce with a corn starch slurry and will use it to serve with rice. The flavor however is delicious and I didn’t alter or adjust any ingredients. I’ll make it again, but now know I can adjust the cook time accordingly.
Boneless breasts generally always need less time than bone-in.
I absolutely love it !!!!
I didn’t have any basil but I used everything else and it tastes great !