Maple Balsamic Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Chicken

Ingredients You’ll Need

With only 4 main ingredients, you don’t need much for this slow cooker gluten-free dinner recipe!

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: You can either use four regular-size breasts or two super-large ones. Chicken thighs will work as well but will give off much more liquid. If using bone-in chicken, you'll need to cook it longer.

Maple Syrup: You need to use real maple syrup for this recipe as man-made syrup may burn off and congeals differently.

Oil: We use avocado oil when heating at higher temperatures but the choice is yours. Choose wisely though as some oils are carcinogenic at high temps.

Balsamic Vinegar: Any balsamic vinegar should work however the brand you choose will affect the flavor of the crock pot chicken slightly.

Important Teaching Tips

This gluten-free slow cooker chicken recipe is sweet but not too sweet. If you like a sweeter chicken (like this honey-based, slow cooker teriyaki chicken), you may want to add a bit more maple syrup

If you need the maple balsamic chicken to cook faster, slice the chicken breasts into strips.

If you're using chicken thighs, know that there will be much more liquid in the slow cooker but the flavor will be awesome.

You can use the maple balsamic dressing as is or make a sticky version with the instructions below.

To thicken the dressing and make a gluten-free sauce: mix together 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder to 3 tablespoons of sauce from the slow cooker and whisk into the sauce with the chicken. Let it then cook down.

Green beans are used in this recipe but cauliflower or broccoli florets work too. You want to place the chopped vegetables in just 30 minutes before you're serving so that they steam cook but don't get too mushy.

How To Serve It

You can use this slow cooker maple chicken in so many ways, that's why it's so great! Below are a few ways we enjoy it.

• Served over rice with the green beans (or cauliflower rice)
• Mixed in with gluten-free noodles and frozen veggies for a quickie pasta
• Topped the chicken with something like mango habanero salsa for a summery twist.
• As a meal prep recipe for later in the week on top of salads, in wraps, or tossed into a taco skillet dinner.

Storing Leftovers

Let the maple balsamic chicken cool fully before you store it. From there, place the chicken along with the juices into a glass container and pop it in the fridge.

It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. You can either reheat it in the microwave in intervals, on the stove over low heat until warmed through, or enjoy it chilled on top of salad.

Flavor Variations

This chicken dinner is so simple that it makes it easy to vary when you'd like to switch it up. Below are a few flavors we've tried and loved.

Spice: Add some red pepper flakes to the mix to give the maple balsamic a sweet and spicy kick.

Mustard: It sounds crazy but a dash of honey or Dijon mustard mixed into the sauce is tangy and delicious.

Of course, you can play around with seasonings as well, we love to add a ton of garlic to ours.