Juicy chicken thighs swimming in a smooth balsamic sauce turn out perfectly every time thanks to everyone’s favorite “set it and forget it” kitchen appliance. This slow cooker balsamic chicken is perfect for weeknights when you need something simple that the whole family will love.
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“Just tried this today and it was SO delicious, thank you for sharing this recipe!” -Renato, FoodieCrush reader
A Super Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner
If you love the idea of easy slow cooker dinners but just can’t seem to remember to get the dang thing set up and plugged in first thing in the morning, this slow cooker balsamic chicken is for you.
Why? Because the chicken thighs can be cooked in just 3 hours on high and still turn out as tender and juicy as if they were slow cooking all day long.
Just before dinner hits the table, I like to remove the chicken from the slow cooker and spoon all of that glorious balsamic sauce into a skillet with a pat of butter to thicken it up and give it a silky texture.
Serve this with rice or egg noodles, add some steamed veggies if you’ve got some to use up, and just like that you’ve got a whole meal prepared.
P.S. This is the slow cooker I currently like best.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Use chicken thighs for maximum flavor and tenderness. Dark meat, like chicken thighs, can withstand hours of slow cooking better than chicken breasts, which tend to dry out or become tough. If you only have chicken breasts on hand, opt for a longer (but gentler) cook time of 6 to 7 hours on low for best results.
Brown the chicken for a boost of flavor. I know it’s one more dish to dirty, but a quick sear on both sides lends the chicken thighs so much more flavor — not to mention a gorgeous golden hue.
Choose tender vegetables for their quick cook times. Since the chicken is only cooked for 3 hours, I found it best to use veggies that are already quite tender to ensure they cook at the same rate as the chicken. Skip hearty root vegetables like carrots or potatoes, which will still be crunchy after 3 hours.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken thighs — Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook in just 3 hours on high without becoming rubbery or chewy like chicken breasts tend to do when slow cooked quickly (yes, that’s an oxymoron, but you know what I mean).
- Pearl onions — I used frozen white pearl onions for flavor (I love the sweet flavor burst of cooked onion with each bite), but if you can’t find them, substitute one thinly sliced yellow onion thinly sliced or even the white part of one or two leeks to give a mild but delicious onion flavor.
- Mushrooms — I used white button mushrooms, but baby bellas can also be used.
- Herbs and spices — A few sprigs of fresh rosemary, some freshly minced garlic, and a bay leaf infuse the balsamic sauce with flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar — Choose a quality balsamic vinegar that’s not too sharp in flavor.
- Chicken stock — Thins out the sauce without diluting the flavor.
- Tomato paste — The ultra-concentrated flavor of the tomato paste adds depth to the sauce without having to cook it for a longer period of time.
- Brown sugar — If the balsamic sauce is a little too pungent for you, add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar to the sauce to sweeten it up. It’s all up to your taste buds.
Heidi’s Tips: Accidentally bought bone-in chicken thighs? That’s okay! The cooking time might need to be adjusted slightly because bone-in chicken cooks more slowly than boneless. Start by adding another 5 to 10 minutes to the total cook time and go from there.
How to Make Balsamic Chicken in a Slow Cooker
- Brown the chicken. Preheat a skillet with a little oil so the chicken sears upon contact rather than steams. About 5 minutes on each side should be enough to turn the chicken thighs golden brown.
- Slow cook for 3(ish) hours. After a quick batch of chicken browning, everything goes into the slow cooker. Cooking for just 3 to 3 ½ hours keeps the chicken juicy and sweetened up thanks to that lovely sauce.
- Simmer the sauce. Aaand, you’ll have one more pan to wash. This is totally my husband’s idea. After the chicken is finished cooking, reduce the balsamic sauce by half, add some butter, and you’ll create a smooth and succulent balsamic sauce worthy of any entertaining meal.
Heidi’s Tip: If you need dinner on the table now, you can also make balsamic chicken in a skillet or on the grill.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 16 ounces frozen white pearl onions
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds (for serving)
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, torn or chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Brown the chicken. Season chicken thighs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and brown thighs in batches for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Assemble. Layer the pearl onions, button mushrooms, garlic, fresh rosemary and bay leaf in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the browned chicken to the slow cooker bowl. Mix the balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, tomato paste and brown sugar in a medium bowl or a 4 cup measuring cup and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.
- Slow cook. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours, testing for doneness and cook another 15 minutes to a half hour until chicken is no longer pink.
- Thicken the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and cover with a lid or foil. Separate the liquid from the vegetables, and add the vegetables to the chicken. Add the liquid to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat, at a low boil, for about 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the butter and whisk until melted and sauce has thickened.
- Serve. Garnish the chicken with pomegranate seeds and parsley and serve immediately with rice, mashed potatoes or other grain and balsamic sauce.
Side Dishes to Make This a Meal
- Carbs — Buttery Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower, Garlic Bread, Parmesan Buttered Noodles, Lemon Rice
- Salads — Italian Salad, Parmesan Kale Salad, Everyone’s Favorite Caesar Salad
- Veggies — Roasted Asparagus, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Storage Tips
Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Store the chicken in the balsamic sauce to keep it nice and moist.
More Recipes to Make If You Love Balsamic Chicken
- Skillet Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken and Strawberry Salad
- Balsamic Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Balsamic Chicken Skewers
- Peach and Balsamic Chicken Pizza
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Christy
I am finally going to make use of my slow cooker this year, and this looks amazing! But I have a specific question for this recipe – my boyfriend recently developed a deadly allergy to mushrooms! It’s so difficult, because not only are they delicious, but they are in EVERYTHING. Do you have any suggestions for this, and other recipes, to substitute for the mushrooms and still give that depth of flavor?
Caty
If I used chicken breasts how long would it need to cook in a crock pot?
CB
Would you make any modifications if using bone-in chicken thighs? I bought the wrong thing for this recipe…
Hi Cathy, the cooking time might be adjusted slightly because bone-in chicken cooks more slowly than boneless. I’d add another 5-10 minutes of cooking time to the recipe, and because thighs overall are more juicy than breasts, I think you’ll still be safe. Let me know how it goes!
Eileen
Since my husband died (back in 2004, no less) I’ve been a fairly disinterested cook. A friend of mine introduced me to slow cooking, which is perfect for me. This recipe looks very good and I want to try it soon, but I think I might substitute the chicken thighs for breasts, which I realize cook differently. With the help of another friend of mine, a very experienced (and gifted) cook, I can make the change work – fingers crossed!
Shep Bostin
How did this work out with breasts? Did you have to adjust the cooking time or perhaps the temperature (Low vs. High)?
Irma
This is on my dinner lineup this week! Can you please tell me how to convert this if I was to bake it in the oven? Thanks for sharing this good looking recipe!
Kristen R
Not sure I can get pomegranate seeds – thinking about substituting cranberries? Thoughts?
I think that would be fabulous. Dried cranberries are tart too, so they’d play off of the other flavors. I find pomegranate seeds at Costco or I’ve seen whole poms at the grocery store too.
Regina M.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was quite tasty! Thanks for sharing thia yummy recipe!
laura@dairyfreekids
Lovely recipe, we just had it for dinner, everyone loved it. Thanks!
Ashley
When my husband was stationed in Japan, we lived off base in a beautiful Japanese home sans oven. We had a 2 burner stovetop. You learn to live by slow cooker!! You can make chocolate chip cookie in a slow cooker if you must!
Oh, THAT is the recipe I need!
Katie
Oh, this looks delicious! I’m thinking of making this for my New Years Eve party tomorrow! Has anyone tried making this dish with boneless chicken breasts? Does it taste just as good? And how much longer would it need to cook in the crockpot!
Vero @ French Cooking for Dummies
Wow this looks amazing! Great festive dish, I’m definitely saving it ;)
Ashley - Baker by Nature
This is such an impressive meal, lady! I am not even a chicken fan and I’m in love with this one!!! I hope you and your gorgeous family had an amazing xmas :) xo
Maribel Reyes
Thank you once again for the delicious recipe! Tonight we enjoyed it for Christmas Eve dinner. My 8 year old asked for seconds and my family was impressed with the flavors! Loved it!
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Linda
Necessity truly is the mother of invention! About 30 years ago, my oven died just before the holidays and I couldn’t afford to replace it. I managed to roast a turkey in my large rectangular electric skillet using aluminum foil to cover/tent the bird, and I cooked a canned ham in a crock pot. You would never guess that that they weren’t prepared in the traditional way. I love this recipe, and am going to give it a try. If it tastes even half as good as it looks, it will be AMAZING!!!
xo Linda
THL
Has anyone tried this recipe with pork? I’m thinking it would be yummy with pork tenderloin, but I’m not sure about cooking time.
Varada
Looks absolutely fabulous! Thanks
Liz
Nice recipe. Thank you.
Belinda@themoonblushbaker
Really this the best use of slow cooker i have seen this season! The pom seeds are the thing that make it pop!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
I was totally cracking up over the Teepee for a year. I don’t know how she managed. I remember being maybe 7 or 8 and spending one night with her and totally thought I was going to freeze to death. No wonder she didn’t let me stay the night in the dead of winter. She since moved on to live in a cave on the big Island, after buying a house for a few years and deciding it wasn’t her thing. Her cave has internet and solar power so I think she probably could cook in a crock pot!
Tieghan
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Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Done and done. Pinned.
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
NAILED. IT.