Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken (Printable View)
Tender chicken slow-simmered in a savory-sweet balsamic glaze with herbs, garlic, and tomatoes for an effortless weeknight dinner.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
→ Liquids & Sauces
05 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
06 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 2 tablespoons honey
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Spices & Herbs
09 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish
13 - Fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Arrange the sliced onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and minced garlic evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the vegetable mixture.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, honey, olive oil, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Pour the balsamic sauce mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, ensuring all pieces are well coated.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Transfer the chicken to serving plates and spoon the balsamic sauce and vegetables generously over each portion. Garnish with fresh chopped basil if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce basically builds itself while you are doing literally anything else.
- It tastes like something you would order at a bistro but costs almost nothing to make.
- Cleaning up takes about two minutes since everything lives in one pot.
02 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking because every peek adds roughly thirty minutes to the total time.
- If the sauce looks too thin at the end, pull the chicken out and let the liquid cook down with the lid off for about fifteen minutes on high.
03 -
- Pound the chicken to an even thickness before cooking so nothing dries out while the thicker pieces are still catching up.
- A tiny splash of soy sauce in the balsamic mixture adds umami that no one can identify but everyone notices.