Better Homes And Gardens Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken with a text title overlay.

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.

Chicken in a sauce on some spaghetti on a plate with salad.

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.

The slow cooker doesn't have to get put away during the warmer months of the year, you just have to find delicious summer recipes that can be cooked in it like this one. We love using our slow cooker in the summer, because who wants to have the oven or hob on when it is that hot outside! That doesn't mean that this isn't a comforting winter dish too though.

Jump to:

Why should you try it?
What you will need
Step by step
Balsamic sauce
What to serve it with
FAQs
Extra tips
More chicken recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

No prep - just dump it all in and turn it on
A delicious way to enjoy chicken
A great way to use up lots of tomatoes
Perfect for using the slow cooker in the summer

What you will need

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.

Step by step

One:Put the sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker.
Two:Put the chicken breasts on top with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Three:Add the tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil.
Four: Pour the balsamic vinegar on top.
Five: Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 3 hours.
Six: Serve on spaghetti and with a salad.

Six photo collage of process to making this recipe.

Balsamic sauce

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.

Cooked tomatoes and basil leaves on top of chopped cooked chicken.

What to serve it with

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.

Chicken and vegetables on top of spaghetti.

FAQs

Is balsamic chicken healthy?

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).

Can you use chicken thighs instead?

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.

Can you cook balsamic chicken in the oven?

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.

Can you freeze balsamic chicken?

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.

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.

More chicken recipes

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Pizza Chicken Breasts
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Lemon Herb Chicken with Couscous

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Recipe

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken on a bed of spaghetti next to some salad leaves.

▢ 500 g chicken breasts
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
▢ 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
▢ 6 tomatoes diced
▢ 2 garlic cloves crushed
▢ 8 basil leaves diced
▢ 60 ml balsamic vinegar

Put the sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker and then put the chicken breasts on top and then add the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.

500 g chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium red onion, 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil and then pour the balsamic vinegar on top.

6 tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 8 basil leaves, 60 ml balsamic vinegar
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

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.

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.