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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables is a fantastic meal with tender and juicy chicken with a delicious sweet and tangy balsamic sauce. This slow cooks to perfection with veggies making an awesome meal in one!
Let the slow cooker do all the work! We love slow cooker meals in our family, try this Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast (To Die For), Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken, Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers or Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken
I know slow cookers are pretty popular in the winter time but I use mine all throughout the year.
There is just something about the slow cooker that I absolutely love.
The meat and veggies just slow cooks all day to tender perfection.
I am also a huge lover of balsamic vinegar.
You will not believe how minimal the ingredients are in this slow cooker meal and how incredible the flavors are.
What you need to make brown sugar balsamic chicken
You don’t need a lot of ingredients when using balsamic vinegar and you just let it do its thing and add that tangy flavor that we all love.
Of course I do love using brown sugar with balsamic vinegar.
It is going to add just a bit of sweet making it sweet and tangy. It is incredible!
- Olive oil: subtle hint of flavor while coating and blending the chicken and vegetables.
- Garlic: added garlic flavoring.
- Baby carrots: a classic vegetable in a slow cooker.
- Red potatoes: love how red potatoes turn so tender in a slow cooker.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: thick, rich and meaty chicken with all the flavor.
- Brown sugar: a little sweetness for your chicken.
- Balsamic vinegar: all the flavor cooked on top of the chicken and vegetables.
- Green beans: fresh vegetable taste.
- Parsley: garnish on top!
How to make slow cooker brown sugar balsamic chicken
So let’s break this meal down.
An easy dump it in a slow cooker meal with minimal ingredients and it has incredible flavor. This meal is a no brainer!
The chicken is melt in your mouth tender and the veggies cook to perfect tender perfection.
This meal will become one that you make again and again. I know that your family will love it just as much as we did!
- Prepare your slow cooker: Pour olive oil and garlic in the bottom of your 5-6 quart slow cooker. Line the bottom with baby carrots and potatoes. Add the chicken thighs on top.
- Whisk balsamic vinegar: In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Pour it on top of the chicken thighs and veggies.
- Slow cook your meal: Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add green beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Tips for making slow cooker brown sugar balsamic chicken
You can’t go wrong with this tried and true dinner recipe!
It is an all in one combination and a complete meal for a busy weekday.
This chicken tastes amazing no matter what type of chicken you use or what variations of vegetables.
This will become a family favorite and it is so simple to make.
Let the slow cooker do all the work!
- You can substitute the chicken for chicken breasts or chicken drumsticks if you prefer.
- The chicken is done cooking when there is no pink inside and the juices run clear. It is hard to tell in a slow cooker with a glaze. I like to use a meat thermometer. Once the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, that is a good indicator that your chicken is cooked through.
- If you prefer larger potatoes just cut them into quarters or about 1 inch pieces.
- Adding in honey to the glaze sauce does add a hint of sweetness but it can also over bake and scald the bottom of the slow cooker. It is best to do a small amount and leave your slow cooker on low and not high.
- Running out of time, switch your setting to high and cook for 4 to 5 hours with the lid on.
- Needing a quicker way of baking your chicken, add your ingredients to a greased or foiled baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes or until your chicken is cooked through and your vegetables are tender.
Slow cooker brown sugar balsamic variations
I am always a fan of meat and vegetables along with the classic chicken, carrots and potatoes. I do love a combination too!
Mixing up your vegetables is always a fun way to enjoy a regular meal but with a variety each week.
Kids love it too! They get to see what is new cooking in the slow cooker and get to enjoy more colors of vegetables on the dinner plate!
What is your favorite vegetable and meat combination?!
- Potatoes: Try diced sweet potatoes or Yukon potatoes all diced into quarters or about 1 inch thick.
- Vegetables: Use cauliflower, parsnips, broccoli, turnips, asparagus or Brussels sprouts.
- Toppings: Always a fan of bacon, parmesan cheese or a drizzle of garlic butter for added flavor.
Storing slow cooker brown sugar balsamic chicken
I am not always a planner but I do love meal planning and this is the best chicken to meal plan with!
It already has 8 thighs ready to cook for you plus all the vegetables you need.
You can’t go wrong making this meal as a dinner, meal plan, left overs or frozen for a quick meal later on.
Enjoy this meal as many times as you can!
- Making ahead: this is a great make ahead meal! You can get it all ready and start the slow cooker even through the night. Once it is cooked you can leave it on warm in the slow cooker or portion it out for a weeks worth of meals for meal planning.
- Refrigerator: once your slow cooker has cooked the chicken and vegetables, let it cool completely. Once it is cooled, you can add it to an airtight container or a ziplock bag that can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days. If I am using a ziplock bag, I like to separate my vegetables and chicken so the chicken does not smash the soft vegetables.
- Freezer: enjoy this meal now and later! Simply let the chicken and vegetables cool and place in an airtight container or a freezer bag. This will last in the freezer for about 1 month. When ready to warm up, simple place back in the slow cooker or bake in the oven until your chicken and vegetables are warmed through.
More balsamic chicken recipes
- Grilled Honey Balsamic Chicken
- Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad Wrap
- Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken with Potatoes
- Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Bacon Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken Cobb Salad with Pasta
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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 pound baby red potatoes sliced in half
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound green beans
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pour olive oil and garlic in the bottom of your 5-6 quart slow cooker. Line the bottom with baby carrots and potatoes. Add the chicken thighs on top.
- In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Pour it on top of the chicken thighs and veggies.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add green beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have you done this recipe in the Instant Pot? I would definitely like to try to cook it when I get home but am not home to defrost chicken and be able to put it in crockpot. Thanks!
I have not tried it in the instant pot. Let me know if you do and how it turns out!
I added salt and pepper. I never can understand why simple salt and pepper get a bad rap or just intentionally forgotten.
So I’m a vegan but I cook dinner sometimes for the whole family and thought my other family members would really like this. I just want to clarify, should I defrost the chicken first or can it go in frozen?
I prefer to have the chicken defrosted.
I just made this today with chicken breasts and it was delicious. I did, however, make some changes. I did half balsamic and half soy, added 1/2 tsp ground thyme, and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. I also sprinkled on some oregano and basil when I added my green beans. Since I used breasts and not thighes, I found everything to be done after only three hours on high. I will definitely be making this again, but next time I will omit the green beans since they came out very shriveled.
You basically made another recipe.
The recipe says to only throw in the green beans for the last thirty minutes, as long as you keep an eye on them I don’t see how they could get that over cooked.
What would be the settings and cooking time for this in an Instapot?
Do you brown the chicken first?
No, not at all. This is a great slow cooker recipe that you dump it all in, mix some ingredients, pour on top and boom-you have one AMAZING meal for your family! XOXO
Four hours on high is not nearly long enough to cook baby carrots and potatoes! Perhaps next time i’ll cut them smaller or go the full 8 hours. Going to let the veggies go longer after dinner. Tasted very good though!
I also put in basil and oregano, salt and pepper. And always extra garlic. I cooked boneless skinless breasts instead of thighs. Chicken was thoroughly done, veggies not even close.
I quartered onions and threw them in as the first layer on the bottom to add more flavor. It all came out great! I’d make this easy meal again!
YUM! That sounds delicious! I will have to try it that way next time! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
Do you have the nutritional info for this please?
Thanks!
Unfortunately, I do not have any nutritional information on my recipes at this time. I recommend using myfitnesspal.com or an app that you are able to type in the ingredients or even the recipe itself to receive the information you would want. Hope that helps!
Your Recipe Critic,
Alyssa
Hello! This looks so good, I was just wondering if you would be able to freeze some of the chicken and potatoes after it is cooked? I’m a student, so just cooking for one but it is always so useful to have dishes in the freezer!
This recipe was amazing and the only reason I gave it 4 stars not 5 was because I tweaked it a bit so I can’t speak to the original recipe as is. I increased the quantity of chicken thighs to 14 for 4 people. I’m not sure how big the thighs the person wrote this recipe usually gets, but for me 3 were about equivalent to 1 large boneless skinless chicken breasts. We’re not HUGE eaters and the men ate 4 and the women ate 3 each and everyone finished their plate. Mine is a 5-quart “original crock pot” and the chicken covered the surface without overlapping.
I therefore increased the quantity of carrots and balsamic/sugar proportionate to the increase in chicken.
Because I didn’t want everything to taste the same, I only cooked the carrots in the slow cooker and did my own roasted potatoes and asparagus separately. I was very glad of this, while the flavour is AMAZING it would have been too much for everything to have the balsamic flavour. My carrots were the really skinny mini ones, that being said, while softer than I’d normally cook them they were DELICIOUS and not mushy (if your store has the fatter mini carrots I would get those)!
I was surprised there was no seasoning so I did add salt, pepper, dried rosemary and dried thyme on top of the chicken at the beginning. Can’t say how it would’ve been without, but it was delicious with. No measurement for you but just until it looks well seasoned.
Despite the increase in chicken, my cooking time was still accurate (4 hours on low) that being said, it may have been balanced out by the fact I didn’t put potatoes and beans in there so the volume in my crock pot may have been similar.
Absolutely delicious, so easy and everyone loved it!
Hi Natasha – I am planning to try out your modifications – especially cooking the potatoes and green beans separately. The original recipe says 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, but you said you cooked yours for 4 hours on low? Is that correct?
@TheRecipeCritic This recipe looks delicious. I don’t have/use a slow cooker. @Alyssa I was wondering how you would convert this for a dutch oven? )time? in the oven or on top?) Thank you.
We eat chicken several times a week and I’m always searching for more recipes. And yes, indeed, you can’t beat one pot/pan meals. And I understand travel and wanting to get back to cooking. Hubby and I travel a lot and being back in my own kitchen is a real treat. Great recipe — I’m looking forward to trying it — once we get back home.
This looks like such a great comfort meal! I love chicken and potatoes.
I would substitute the chicken with skinless boneless chicken breast and that’s what my family enjoys does that change the cooking time?
I would like to know this also. I am not a fan of chicken thighs or legs, so can it be made using chicken breasts?
Chicken breasts aren’t the best in the slow cooker compared to thighs. You can substitute but do not cook it as long
THIS LOOKS GREAT AND I’LL TRY, BUT 1ST I’D LIKE YOUR HELP. MY LOCAL BUTCHER HAS TOP SIRLOIN ROAST AND STEAKS ON SALE FOR $2.99 POUND AND I WONDER IF YOU HAVE ANY RECIPES THAT YOU WILL SHARE SO I CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SUPER PRICE? THIS BACHELOR WOULD BE GRATEFUL.
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