This Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken is one of the easiest slow cooker dishes we have. There is no pre-cooking involved, you just put onions, chicken and a fresh tomato, herb and balsamic mix in to the slow cooker and let it cook for 3 hours. Serve with spaghetti, rice or with a fresh green salad for a delicious and light meal.
The flavours in this dish are so simple, with just a few ingredients, but super tasty. Chopped fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic are mixed with some good quality balsamic vinegar and then poured over sliced onion and chicken breasts to make an easy meal that can be served so many different ways. Tomato and balsamic are a classic summer combination and this is a delicious way to enjoy it.
If you are looking for some other summer slow cooker recipes to try, then why not try our Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.
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Why you will love it
- No prep - There is no need to brown the chicken first. You just dump it all in and turn it on.
- A delicious way to enjoy chicken - We love using chicken breasts because they are protein packed and versatile. However, we can get a little bored with eating them the same way all the time. This is an easy and delicious way to use them.
- A great way to use up lots of tomatoes - Growing lots of tomatoes? This uses lots of fresh tomatoes and makes sure that nothing goes to waste.
- Perfect for using the slow cooker in the summer - Nobody wants to turn their oven on on a hot summers day. The slow cooker doesn't heat up the kitchen like the oven does.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken - Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are what make this a lean and protein packed meal. You could swap them for chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Oil - We used olive oil, as we find this has a nicer flavour.
- Balsamic vinegar - This is the star of the dish, so try to buy the best quality you can as you will really taste the difference. Cheap balsamic tends to be really runny too, which makes for a watery finished dish.
- Garlic - This balsamic chicken is garlic heavy, and that's just how like it. If you aren't a huge garlic fan, then feel free to reduce the amount used.
- Onion - We used red onion, however you could swap it for a brown onion, or even shallots.
- Tomato - The key to having a really delicious dish is to use fresh and ripe tomatoes.
- Basil - Fresh basil is always best in this dish.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to cook Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken - step by step
One: Put the sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the chicken breasts on top with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Two: Add the tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil.
Three: Pour the balsamic vinegar on top.
Four: Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 3 hours.
Five: Serve on spaghetti and with a salad.
Health benefits
This is a light and lean slow cooker dish, and using chicken breasts mean that it is protein packed too. However, the fresh tomatoes have lots of nutritional benefits too.
Tomatoes, which are mainly a carbohydrate with some fibre, are packed full of vitamins, including beta-carotene (which becomes vitamin A when consumed), vitamins C and E, and some B vitamins and vitamin K. They also contain some calcium and magnesium.
Tomatoes are also a good source of potassium, which has been shown to be associated with lower risk of stroke and heart disease. Tomatoes also contain a compound called lycopene, which gives them their red colour, which research shows has the potential for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
We served ours on top of spaghetti with a green salad on the side, but you could have so many different things with it. For a low carb option, serve it with courgette (zucchini) spaghetti or for more of a comforting dish then mashed potato is the way to go. You can serve it with spaghetti squash, udon noodles, couscous and of course just a big pile of vegetables or on a green salad.
We also like to crumble some feta on top just before serving, because the creaminess goes really well with the sweetness of the balsamic.
Leftovers are delicious on rice or a baked potato, or even just on a big green salad.
The key to an epic green salad is to use a variety of greens, like romaine, spinach, kale and rocket. You want leafy greens, but crunch too. Then you need the perfect dressing. Why not try our Lemon Vinaigrette, Honey and Mustard Dressing or Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette.
Storage
Store: You can keep leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freeze: This recipe serves 4, but you can easily double the batch and then freeze the leftovers (with rice) in individual portions. Just make sure it cools fully before freezing. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: Defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: To reheat, add it to a pan and heat on low, stirring often, until it is piping hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
FAQs
We used chicken breasts in this dish, so it makes it a lean and protein packed meal. There are very few ingredients, and the focus is on fresh ingredients like tomatoes and basil and the sauce is made mainly of balsamic vinegar. This dish is low in fat and there is less than 250 calories per portion (without sides).
Yes, you could make this slow cooker balsamic chicken with boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. It would change the nutritional information, but the chicken would be much juicier.
If you don't have a slow cooker, then this can be cooked in the oven. You can put everything on a pan with some extra vegetables like par-boil potatoes, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus and put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
You can keep this in the fridge for 2-3 days, but it also freezes well. Just make sure it is completely cooled before freezing and then fully defrosted before reheating.
If you don't want to freeze this, but you have some leftovers to use, then chop the chicken up and either mix it with a green salad or put in to a wrap or sandwich with a slice of your favourite cheese.
By looking at the ingredients, it doesn't look like there is much of a sauce to this. But that is the beauty of this dish - its simplicity. There are no thick and heavy sauces, just the juices from the chicken and tomatoes, mixed with the balsamic, garlic and basil.
There is a fair amount of liquid in the slow cooker bowl once it is cooked, but I find that once it is all mixed in to the spaghetti and the chicken on top it is just the right amount. You can always use less of the liquid if you find it too much. I wouldn't recommend using a tin of tomatoes, as they are too juicy, so fresh is best.
As long as you make sure that there is no cross contamination, this is gluten free.
There really is no rule here, just make sure that the beef joint you are using can fit in your slow cooker. We use a Crock Pot DuraCeramic Slow Cooker and we love it. What I love most about it is that you can put the bowl insert on the hob too. You can also sear the meat in it first. I also love that it has a clear lid, as I am so impatient that I want to keep looking and seeing what it is doing. If you don't have a clear lid, then lifting it to see will release lots of the heat and add to the cooking time.
The best way to ensure that it is cooked through is to use a meat thermometer. Chicken is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 75°C/167°F.
Extra tips
• We serve the chicken breasts up whole, but you could shred or slice them before serving and that would soak up a lot of the liquid too.
• We used skinless and boneless chicken breasts to make this dish, but you can use thighs or legs instead, but cooking times will vary.
• Either serve with with spaghetti, mashed potato, rice or on top of a green salad.
• Add a pinch of red chilli flakes if you want to add some spice to this.
More chicken recipes
If you’ve tried this balsamic chicken, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 g (17 oz) Chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 Red onion - thinly sliced
- 6 Tomatoes - diced
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 8 Fresh basil - diced
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Put 1 Red onion at the bottom of the slow cooker and then put 500 g Chicken breast on top. Add 1 tablespoon Olive oil and season with 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Add 6 Tomatoes, 2 Garlic clove and 8 Fresh basil and then pour 60 ml Balsamic vinegar on top.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Recipe Tips
- We serve the chicken breasts up whole, but you could shred them before serving and that would soak up a lot of the liquid too.
- We used skinless and boneless chicken breasts to make this dish, but you can use thighs or legs instead, but cooking times will vary.
- Either serve with with spaghetti, mashed potato, rice or on top of a green salad.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Shobha says
Very nice recipe .. will try it out soon
Allison says
Totally into the slow cooker this time of year! So helpful and I love the aroma it give the house when you get home. Yum!
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
I seriously need to utilize our slow cooker. But for some reason I just haven't. This might be a very good place to start! So many things that I love.
Alison says
I love the combination of flavours you are using here, will have to give this one a try
Sam Bresnahan says
That looks so yummy, never thought of putting chicken with pasta!
I can imagine it smells as good as it tastes.
Going to give it a go, thank you! x
Lesley says
Can you use the thick balsamic vinegar?
Dannii says
You mean the glaze? No, it needs to be the vinegar.
Jenn says
Do you think this would be possible to do with a full chicken? I find chicken breasts can dry out in the slow cooker.
Dannii says
I have never tried it with a whole chicken, but I think it would work. The chicken breasts in this recipe are not try at all. Actually, they are totally the opposite.
Kelly says
I really wish this was my dinner tonight.
Caroline says
Do you think it would go well with brown rice?
Vanessa says
I have just put this in the slow cooker. 8.30pm can't come soon enough.
Alison says
I can almost smell it. My kids hate balsamic vinegar, so I will have to make this one when they are at a friend's.
Penny says
Oh wow, this sounds so good. Does it not need any other liquid in it, like some water?
Linda says
I shall definitely be trying this one. I bought a new slow cooker last week as I think I over-used my last one. This will be the perfect way to christen it.
Ashley says
I love your recipes Dannii. Thanks for sharing them with us :)
Angela says
This looks so good Dannii. I need lots more recipes that are simple to make, as I don't really have a lot of time.