Slow cooker balsamic cranberry chicken is not just festive but flavorful too. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, you can have a gourmet-worthy meal cooking while you attend to other tasks. Combining cranberries and a homemade balsamic vinegar based sauce, this easy crockpot chicken recipe will impress any crowd. Perfect for busy individuals and families, weeknight dinners, or even holiday dinner parties. Instructions to make this easy low-carb, paleo, Whole30 compatible chicken recipe in the Instant Pot are also included.
Ingredients For Crock-Pot Balsamic Cranberry Chicken
- Chicken (any cut)
- Fresh Cranberries
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Chicken Broth
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, parsley
How To Make Balsamic Cranberry Chicken In The Slow Cooker
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce on top of chicken. Top with fresh cranberries.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
- IF you’re using skin-on chicken: Turn the pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add the oil and the chicken. Sear 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken skip this step and the raw chicken to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce on top of the chicken. Top with fresh cranberries.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure for 12 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure.
A Healthy, Homemade Balsamic Sauce
This is another recipe that’s all about the sauce. It’s really easy, you don’t need much, and it has tons of flavor. The dish might not be much to look at after it’s done cooking and the sauce cooks down but boy does it smell & taste good.
What Type Of Cranberries
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. I used fresh cranberries that I had in my freezer so technically they were frozen cranberries. You can also use more or less than the 6 ounces of cranberries listed. I used 6 ounces but if you really like cranberries, use more! Or use less. Or eyeball it as you’re adding the cranberries to the pot. When it’s done cooking the cranberries will have lost their vibrant red color for a darker, almost brown coloring. They should also be very soft to the touch. If they’re not, keep cooking until they are.
What Cut Of Chicken To Use
I purposely left the quantity a little vague with 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken. This means you can use up to 3 pounds without having to make any adjustments to the recipe. What you see in the pictures is 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are my go-to with slow cooking but I understand that’s not the case for everyone. As with a lot of my recipes, you can use your favorite cut of chicken with this recipe whether it be legs, thighs, or even breasts. If you do use white meat, you will need to make adjustments to the cook time. Lower the cook time by at least an hour for the slow cooker and 2 minutes for the Instant Pot (pressure cooker). If you use boneless, skinless meat with the pressure cooker, you do not have to take the time to sauté it first, just add it raw.
FAQs & Tips
- If you use skin-on chicken and want to crisp the skin, when the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the appliance and broil it in the oven for a few minutes. This is an optional step but recommended step. If you use boneless, skinless chicken, one thing you can do when it’s done cooking is remove the chicken from the appliance, shred it, and add it back into the pot.
- I like to serve this balsamic cranberry chicken with mashed cauliflower and a simple salad.
- I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.
Chicken Recipes
-
Garlic Parmesan Chicken
-
Chicken With Apples & Honey
-
Tomato-Garlic Chicken & Herbs
-
Creamy Lemon Dill Chicken
-
Honey Garlic Chicken
Slow Cooker Balsamic Cranberry Chicken
Slow cooker balsamic cranberry chicken is not just festive but flavorful too. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, you can have a gourmet-worthy meal cooking while you attend to other tasks. Combining cranberries and a homemade balsamic vinegar based sauce, this easy crockpot chicken recipe will impress any crowd. Perfect for busy individuals and families, weeknight dinners, or even holiday dinner parties. Instructions to make this easy low-carb, paleo, Whole30 compatible chicken recipe in the Instant Pot are also included.
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 – 3 pounds chicken, any cut, seasoned with salt & pepper
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 tablespoon oil (for Instant Pot)
SAUCE
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce on top of chicken. Top with fresh cranberries.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
- IF you’re using skin-on chicken: Turn the pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add the oil and the chicken. Sear 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken skip this step and the raw chicken to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce on top of the chicken. Top with fresh cranberries.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure for 12 minutes. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure.
Notes
If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker, reduce the cooking time by at least an hour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 148
- Sugar: 4.4 g
- Fat: 4.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 15.9 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive money if you make a purchase using one of the links. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”MBVzarDi” upload-date=”2019-11-07T20:48:37.000Z” name=”Slow Cooker Balsamic Cranberry Chicken” description=”A homemade balsamic sauce and cranberries cooks with chicken in this flavorful & festive recipe. Make this in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.”]
13 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Balsamic Cranberry Chicken + VIDEO”
This turned out great! Only swap I made was a little minced fresh rosemary instead of parsley. Served over mashed potatoes with some fresh cranberries and an orange slice. Will be making again. Thanks!
Hi, how much broth & vinegar do I use? I’m making this today. Thanks!
You can find this along with all the other ingredients in the recipe box. Enjoy!
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Did this in the instant pot. Added in some slice raw carrots also. Served with quinoa . It was wonderful!
Your additions sound fantastic. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Could you use chicken thighs? Also, did you sprinkle fresh cranberries on top before serving? Or add them in crockpot toward the end so they keep their bright color?
Yup, what you see in the pics are chicken thighs. The cranberries will lose their coloring. I added some fresh cranberries on top before serving to make the dish pop but without it, the flavor will still be there.
Love your recipes!! I have made this recipe with chicken and I am about to try it with salmon. I also added potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower; and quadrupled the sauce. The slow cooker is about 3/4 full. Would you recommend adjusting the cooking time? I was thinking 4-5 on high because of the veggies but maybe the salmon will be over-cooked? Thanks!
Thank you so much! Yes, the salmon will probably overcook I would cook it for 2-3 hours on high. Enjoy!
LOVED the recipe. The flavors were wonderful. I paired this with rice (which soaked up the juices well) and Kale.
Hi – just a heads up that step 1 says to put onions on the bottom then top with chicken but there are no onions in the ingredient list. Love your recipes! Have been cooking my way through them. Thanks so much!
Yikes! Thanks for the heads up Melinda. When I updated the recipe, I omitted the onions but I forgot to update the instructions. I’ll fix that now. You can still use onions if you want though:-) Thank you for the kind words I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes!
I bet this tastes as festive as it looks!