Crockpot Balsamic Chicken ‘n Vegetables
Oven-roasted chicken is always a favorite, but sometimes schedules don’t allow you to be home while it cooks. So I decided to adapt one of my favorite recipes, Roast Chicken with Trio of Balsamic-Glazed Peppers ‘n Onions for the crockpot. With a few simple tweaks, a whole new dish with all the comforts of roasted chicken was “born!” And guess what? This dish is a one-pot meal as I added some extra veggies that are cooked right along with the chicken!
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper or as desired
- 6 chicken thighs can use boneless and skinless thighs if desired
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- About 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves large garlic finely chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper or 3 red, cut into strips
- 1 large orange bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper cut into strips
- 5 carrots peeled, halved and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
- 1 large onion halved and cut into slices
- 2 medium red or white potatoes peeled if desired, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
- 2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Optional Glaze
- 3 tablespoons additional balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all dry rub ingredients. Brush chicken with oil. Massage dry rub and garlic all over chicken. (If any dry rub or garlic is remaining, sprinkle over chicken and vegetables after placing in crockpot.)
- Arrange peppers, carrots, onions and potatoes on bottom of a 6-quart crockpot.
- Place chicken on top. Top with tomatoes; pour 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar over chicken.
- Cover; cook on High for 1 hour and Low for 5 hours. Or cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours. Chicken is cooked when internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. and juices run clear when pricked with a fork.
- As crockpots vary, adjust cooking time as needed. (If vegetables aren’t tender enough, cook about 30 minutes longer.) The chicken will be so tender, it will practically fall apart!
- Arrange chicken and veggies on a serving platter. Spoon juices over.
Optional Glaze:
- With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and vegetables to a casserole dish.
- Carefully pour juices through a strainer into a small saucepan.
- Add 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook over high heat until sauce is reduced by half, coats the back of a spoon and thickens into a syrupy consistency. (usually takes 8 to 10 minutes)
- Return chicken and vegetables to crockpot, toss with glaze, coating all sides thoroughly.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: dry rub may be stored covered in a cool location for up to 4 months. This dish may be cooked up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat on Low setting of crockpot for about 1-1/2 hours or until heated through. To save time, reheat chicken and veggies in a large casserole dish coated with olive oil spray. Cover; reheat at 325 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until heated through. This dish may also be assembled in the crockpot up to 1 day ahead prior to cooking. Cover and refrigerate. Cooked chicken and veggies may be frozen for up to 4 months.
Don’t have all the spices? Dry Rub can be made with 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning plus the salt and pepper.
Quantity matters: this recipe was made using a 6-quart crockpot. Even with all the veggies, there was still plenty of room. Use your judgment; avoid using more chicken pieces or veggies than will fit into your crockpot. (leaving some room to spare) If your crockpot is too crowded, there won’t be enough room to properly cook the chicken and veggies.
You may ask…what’s a roasted chicken without crispy skin? No worries! Just pop your cooked chicken under the broiler for a few minutes until your preferred level of crispiness is achieved. Rotate pan as needed. Watch carefully; do not allow skin to burn. (I skipped this step and the chicken was delish!)
Use your crockpot as a veggie steamer! During the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking add a layer of thin green beans (like haricot vert) or sliced zucchini and yellow squash on top and around chicken. When you are ready to eat, your veggies will be perfectly steamed!
Prefer an oven-roasted chicken? Try Roast Chicken with Trio Balsamic-Glazed Peppers ‘n Onions.
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