How can you beat a dish that takes just a few ingredients, 5 minutes of prep, and a Crock Pot! That's all you need for this delicious and easy Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken recipe!
Do dinners get any better than when they take 5 minutes of prep and then cook all day in a crock pot? No. The answer is a definitive no. Hellloooooo Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken!
Raise your hand if you are crazy busy all of the time. Solidarity! But that's why this is one of our favorites. 5 minutes of prep - and super easy ingredients.
Recipe Video
Ingredients Needed:
- Bone in chicken breasts - Or really any cut that you'd like! We love this with boneless breasts and thighs, too!
- Balsamic vinegar - What would a balsamic chicken be without balsamic?
- Brown sugar - Did you know you can make your own?!
- Chicken Stock - You can also make your own!
- Fresh garlic - You can also use dried, see recipe notes.
- Fresh rosemary - Dried works, too. See recipe notes.
- Dried seasonings- basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, red pepper, salt, fresh also works, see recipe notes!
- Butter - This is optional if using skinless chicken. If using a skinless chicken, this recipe doesn't have any added fat which can cause the chicken to dry out easier. Adding a little fat from butter will keep your chicken moist. If using skin on chicken, no need!
Easy. And super flavorful. And did I mention how easy it was?
What is Balsamic Vinegar?
The sweeter, thicker vinegar sister is Balsamic Vinegar. Made from grapes and created in Italy (the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy), it is darker and is aged much longer than it's counterparts. This results in a vinegar that's syrupier and less acidic.
With that said, not all balsamic vinegars are created equal. While there are many varieties, there are 3 main varieties.
- Balsamic Vinegar or "Aceto Balsamico" that you'll find your grocery store. While more expensive than other vinegars, these might not be made in Italy and may have added colorings, thickening agents, and flavorings.
- Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is made only in Modena, Italy (the birthplace of balsamic vinegar) and it has particular guidelines surrounding the percentages of the additives.
- Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is the creme de la creme of balsamic vinegars. It also has to be made only from lambrusco and trebbiano and must age for a minimum of 12 years and up to 25 years. This balsamic must be made in the traditional method and is upheld to strict regulations.
Which balsamic to use for this recipe? Whatever you can find in your grocery store works great. You don't need a top end balsamic for this. And honestly, do not use Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena for this! That is a balsamic that you eat drizzled on fresh mozzarella cheese or a crusty baguette. Do not put that quality (and expensive!) a balsamic in a crock pot!
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Did I mention how easy this balsamic chicken recipe is?
Step 1: Mix herbs with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Mix garlic, sugar, balsamic, and stock.
Step 3: Season chicken with herb mixture.
Step 4: Add to Crock Pot and then add balsamic mixture (and butter if using).
The liquid wont fully submerge the meat, which is ok. But because of this, we prefer to put our chicken breast side down.
Step 5: Let the Crock Pot do all of the work while you go about your life!
And when you're ready, you have super flavorful balsamic chicken!
This balsamic chicken recipe is so tender and full of flavor!!
Serve it With:
Balsamic Spinach and Mushrooms
Garlic and Gruyere Roasted Asparagus
Other Crock Pot Chicken Recipes:
Crock Pot Enchilada Chicken Tacos
Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing From Scratch
Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken
Crock Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos
Crock Pot Chicken and Broccoli
FAQs
Totally! We've made it with boneless chicken breasts and thighs! Although if you're making them with boneless meats, 4-6 hrs will be plenty of time on high.
Yup! Just remember that dried herbs are more potent. So if you're going to use fresh instead of dried, then you need to 3X the amount of FRESH to dried, and 1/3 the amount of DRIED to fresh.
Yup! It may adjust your cooking time and always be sure to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Definitely! See recipe notes.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken
Equipment
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
- Add chicken breasts to a crock pot or Instant pot.
- In a small bowl, mix together the basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Season chicken breasts with half of the mixture. Flip chicken with tongs and season the other side.
- In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar and garlic and then add to the chicken in the crock pot. Add butter to crock pot.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
I have a quick question. On instructions, you say to salt and pepper the chicken. You mention more salt and pepper when you put all the seasonings together. So you use salt and pepper twice in this recipe?
Hi Maggie!
Yes, I salt and pepper the chicken to season it and then add a little more with the seasonings. We generously salt both sides of the chicken and then just a pinch to the seasoning mixture. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! Is there a way to make this in the instant pot?
Hi Katie! Yes! You should be able to put all of this into the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. I haven't made it in an IP yet, so I'm not sure about the flavors, but please let me know how it works out!
Chicken and balsamic is such a great flavour combination. I love it. Can't wait to try this, it looks and sounds delicious.
Thanks, Cristie!
I love how easy and flavorful this sounds. Crock pot meals are great to set and leave while you get on with your day, though for me I need them to not be dry and lacking flavor, so this seems perfect.
Seriously - what did we do before the Crock Pot?!
MMMM, this looks so good! You can just see how the flavors have soaked in to the chicken.
Totally!
So may great spices and seasonings. Love that they're mixed with balsamic. Delicious!
Thanks, Ginny!
Yum! I love that this is bursting with many flavors, plus it is cooked in a crock pot! Great recipe! Thank You!
Thank you, Juli!
We love making balsamic chicken in our slow cooker. Such an easy weeknight meal.
What a gorgeous and easy chicken dinner!!! Your photos always amaze me!!!
Such a classic dish, love everything about it! It's perfect for id-week dinners, and so easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing!