Slow Cooker 2-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken–tender, moist bites of shredded chicken flavored with a light balsamic dressing. With literally only 2 ingredients and the fact that it’s made in the crockpot, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make. This balsamic chicken tastes great on salads, over rice or with a baked potato.
Related: INSTANT POT 2 ingredient balsamic chicken recipe
Slow Cooker 2-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken
I have realized that when it comes to crockpot recipes the easier and less ingredients the better. So I’m going to try and come up with more recipes that have 5 ingredients or less in them. This is my first attempt of the new year to come up with this type of recipe. And I must say that I am very happy with the results. This recipe is simply boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a little bit of Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Dressing. You cook the chicken on low for 4-6 hours until the chicken is tender and shreddable. The taste is amazing and I loved eating this chicken on salad.
Can I just tell you something? I absolutely love Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Dressing. My friend told me about it a few months ago and it has made my life so much better. How you ask? This dressing makes me excited to eat salads for lunch every day. And eating salads makes me feel healthier. And when I feel healthy I feel happy. So yay to this dressing! I’ve tried other balsamic dressings before but they aren’t as good. I promise, you will love this dressing. So pay the dollar extra for Newman’s Own brand instead of the store brand and you won’t regret it.
Other healthy slow cooker recipes
Dave Ramsey Slow Cooker Rice and Beans–inexpensive and healthy!
Slow Cooker Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups–low carb and high taste!
Crockpot Cheesy Chicken and Lentils–lentils and chicken are slow cooked with green salsa and black beans to make a creamy one pot dinner
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Stew from The Center Cut Cook
Healthy Slow Cooked Tikka Masala from The Wanderlust Kitchen
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Black Bean and Rice Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
For Slow Cooker 2-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken I used my 6 quart oval Kitchenaid slow cooker. I love this slow cooker (you can see me talking about it in a video here). It cooks low and evenly. I love the medium heat choice because most slow cookers that I’ve seen only have the option of cooking on low or high. If you’re going to buy just one slow cooker, this is the one that I recommend.
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Slow Cooker 2-Ingredient Balsamic Chicken
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 2 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Tender, moist bites of shredded chicken flavored with a light balsamic dressing. With literally only 2 ingredients and the fact that it’s made in the crockpot, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make. This balsamic chicken tastes great on salads, over rice or with a baked potato.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used frozen)
- 1/2 cup Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Dressing, divided
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Drizzle the chicken with 1/4 cup of the dressing (reserve the rest of the dressing for later).
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours if chicken is thawed and 6-8 hours if chicken is frozen.
- Remove lid. Drain off excess liquid (mine had a lot of liquid since the chicken was frozen). Shred the chicken.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the shredded chicken and stir lightly.
- Serve chicken over salad or with rice or a baked potato.
Notes
I used my 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe.
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OMG is all I can say to this recipe! I’m actually making it right now for the second time. The first time I put in one chicken breast by husbands in-home hospice and eats very little and he ended up not eating any of it anyways he cannot chew and swallow chicken anymore. Anyways back to this most delightful recipe. I poked my chicken with a fork just a few times maybe five or six and then I just poured some of the balsamic vinegar over it wasn’t nowhere near a whole quarter of a cup course I didn’t have a pound of chicken either. Then when it was done I pull the chicken and added a little at a time until it tasted perfect and I’ll tell you what it was perfect! I’m making a couple pounds of it now so I can put it in freezer baggies and have it on top of my salads for lunch and dinner. When I made this last week I had it over rice yummy yummy yummy must have recipe! And let me add I’m not real big on balsamic vinegar. *****
It really is so tasty and soooo easy! That’s a great idea to put in baggies!
This looks like a good candidate for pop in pop for those of us that 1. Forgot to get the chicken out and 2. Forgot to put it in the crockpot before we went to work
Yes it works so well in the Instant Pot! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-2-ingredient-balsamic-chicken/
If I used chicken breasts would the cooking times change?
should be the same!
I grabbed the Newman’s Sesame ginger dressing by accident, do you think this would be fine (Obviously it would be a different flavor profile)?
Yum yes it will be tasty!
I just made this the other day, as written, and it was fabulous! Who knew that 2 ingredient chicken could be so good? I served mine over your coconut rice and my famously picky 16 yr old daughter had just the chicken, with extra balsamic dressing. She loved it! I’m planning to make the leftovers into soft taco’s/burritos later today. Want to make it again with greek balsamic dressing and catalina as well to see how that tastes. Thanks for a wonderful simple recipe with tons of variations!
★★★★★
It is kind of fun how easy it is and how the taste results are great! I love those other salad dressing ideas!
What’s the garnish
Cilantro
I’m trying this recipe, but I added some frozen Italian Vegetables on top of the chicken. I poured all of the 1/2 cup of dressing over the top. Hopefully this will turn out good
Sounds like a good plan to me!
First I purchased 3 boneless breast from “Sprouts” farmers market.. 3 breast were $12.69…….. Then I bought sweet & sour Sause from the same store.. Sliced the beast into 3/4th’s ” thick and placed into a lubed slow cooker. Added a mix of the sweet & sour plus the balsamic vinegar in on top.. Cooked on high for 4 hours.. preheat the slow cooker,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Serve over basmati long grain brown rice.. Sweet & sour,,,,,, 3cps,,,, vinegar 3/4th’s cp……..
★★★★★
Looks really good.I will add chopped up green onion to it…
Good idea!
What are he little green bits shown in the picture?
I think it was just chopped parsley for a little color.
Do you think I can use this on top of the stove. I am going away and will not have access to a slow cooker
Thankyou
I think so. Basically you’ll want to cook the chicken until it’s shreddable and then add in the dressing.
Here is how to do that:
2 lbs chicken
1 – 1 1/2 Chicken broth or water
Place chicken in pan with the 1 cup of the broth OR water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 10 minutes if using fresh or defrosted chicken. Turn occasionally.
Cover and turn to low. Continue to simmer chicken for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken shreds when you use a fork.
Add more of the broth/water as you cook the chicken, if yours starts to cook down.
Let rest in pan, for 10 minutes, or until the meat is cool enough for You to shred the chicken.
Shred the chicken and then stir in the dressing.
We live in the woods and our little grocery store tries to get whatever we ask for but they’re limited. Could balsamic reduction be used in place of the dressing, maybe add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to get the zing?
I’m sure it could! Give it a try 🙂
Are these frozen chicken thighs boneless?
WR in CT
yep!!
I’m going to try this recipe. Would this work well as a sandwich?
It would be amazing as a sandwich!
How can you make this with chicken breast meat instead of thighs?
Hi Barbara, you can do that by only cooking on low for about 4 hours. Good luck!
I agree that lite balsamic vinaigrette is the best dressing taste & healthwise, but disagree that Newman’s Own is better than generic. The Aldi brand of this is indistinguishable from Newman’s Own and half the price. It is part of their Fit and Healthy line, and if I was a betting woman, I think they are made as a private label brand by the same company.
Lynn
Wow really!? That’s awesome. WE don’t have Aldi here so unfortunately I won’t be able to try it out. I just know when I tried the kroger and walmart brands it was gross 🙂
Thank you, Karen, for these awesome recipes! I’ve pinned several of them to keep my slow-cooker busy on these winter days. We are aiming for a healthier year here and these will surely keep us on track.
Awesome Kathy! Thank you 🙂