How great is a recipe that just requires a few ingredients, five minutes of preparation time, and a Crock Pot? All you need is that to make this delectable and simple Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken dish!
Is there a better way to prepare supper than putting it in the crock pot for five minutes and leaving it there all day? Nope. Without a doubt, the answer is no. Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken, holla!
If you are always extremely busy, raise your hand. Unity! However, that’s the reason this is a favorite of ours. Simply prepare in 5 minutes with these simple ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
- Bone in chicken breasts, or any other desired cut! We also adore this with thighs and breasts devoid of bone!
- Without balsamic vinegar, what would a balsamic chicken be like?
- Did you know that you can produce your own brown sugar?
- You may also produce your own chicken stock!
- See the recipe notes for information on using dried or fresh garlic.
- Fresh or dried rosemary both work well. Refer to the recipe’s notes.
- See the recipe notes for dried ingredients that work well, such as basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, red pepper, and salt.
- Butter: If using skinless chicken, you may skip this step. This recipe does not call for additional fat, which may make it easier for a skinless chicken to dry out. A small amount of butterfat can help to keep the chicken moist. There is no need if using chicken skin!
What is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is the thicker, sweeter sibling of vinegar. Produced in the Emilia-Romagna area of northern Italy, this wine is matured for a significantly longer period of time and has a deeper color than its rivals. As a result, the vinegar becomes less acidic and syrupier.
That being said, not all balsamic vinegar is made equally. There are three primary kinds, however there are many more.
- “Aceto Balsamico,” or balsamic vinegar, is what you’ll find at your grocery store. Even though they cost more than other vinegars, these might not be produced in Italy and might include flavorings, thickeners, and colorings added.
- The original home of balsamic vinegar, Modena, Italy, is the only site where Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is produced, and it follows strict criteria regarding the proportions of additives.
- The finest balsamic vinegar is Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena. Additionally, it must mature for a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 25 years, and it can only be made from lambrusco and trebbiano. Strict guidelines must be followed and the traditional procedure of making balsamic vinegar must be followed.
With this recipe, which balsamic should I use? Anything that you can find at your supermarket is ideal. A premium balsamic is not necessary for this. To be honest, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is not the right tool for this. That is a balsamic that you may consume with a crusty bread or fresh mozzarella cheese. Never put that high-quality, pricey balsamic in a slow cooker!
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Have I mentioned how simple this recipe is for balsamic chicken?
Step 1: Combine herbs with pepper and salt.
Step 2: Blend together stock, sugar, balsamic, and garlic.
Step 3: Use the herb mixture to season the chicken.
Step 4: Pour mixture into Crock Pot and stir in balsamic glaze (and butter, if desired).
It’s okay that the meat isn’t completely submerged in the liquid. But as a result, we like to serve our chicken with the breast side down.
Step 5: Go about your day, leaving the Crock Pot to handle all the work!
And you get really wonderful balsamic chicken when you’re ready!
More Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Lemon Chicken Meatball Soup
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Buttered Cheesecloth Turkey
- Cider Vinegar Chicken Stew
Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts bone in or boneless skin on or skin off, or chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped optional for garnish
Instructions
- Put some chicken breasts in an Instant Pot or Crock Pot.
- Combine the basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Use half of the mixture to season the chicken breasts. Using tongs, turn the chicken over and season the other side.
- Combine the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, and garlic in a small bowl, then pour it over the chicken in the crock pot. Put butter in the slow cooker.
- Cook, covered, on low heat for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Serve with fresh parsley as a garnish.
Notes
Replace dried herbs with fresh ones: Use three times as much if you’re using fresh instead of dried, and use one-third as much if you’re using dry instead of fresh.
Prepare in an Instant Pot: Pressurize the Instant Pot. Simmer for ten minutes.