Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken (Printable Version)
Juicy chicken breasts braised low and slow in a rich balsamic honey glaze with herbs and garlic.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce & Condiments
04 - 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
05 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 2 tablespoons honey
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
→ Spices & Seasoning
09 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Garnish
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Spread the thinly sliced onions and minced garlic evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
02 - Lay the chicken breasts over the onion and garlic bed in a single even layer.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, honey, olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
04 - Pour the balsamic mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, ensuring they are well coated.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Remove the chicken and onions from the slow cooker. For a thicker sauce, transfer the remaining liquid to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until reduced.
07 - Serve each chicken breast topped with onions and the balsamic sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day, and it tastes like you spent hours hovering over a stove.
- It is genuinely impossible to mess up, even if you are the kind of cook who forgets the oven is on.
02 -
- Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking because every peek adds roughly thirty minutes to your cook time.
- If your sauce tastes too tart at the end, stir in an extra half tablespoon of honey and let it rest for a minute before serving.
03 -
- Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the slow cooker so the sauce does not get watered down.
- The real secret is letting the finished dish rest for five minutes before serving so the sauce has time to settle into every fiber of the meat.