Tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, this slow cooker Maple Balsamic Chicken is an easy dinner for busy weeknights. With just 5 minutes of prep and 4 ingredients, the chicken slowly cooks in a sweet and tangy maple balsamic sauce for an easy gluten-free crockpot chicken recipe the whole family will love.
I love that this recipe calls for just adding the ingredients to the slow cooker without any advance preparation! Thank you for sharing. - Cathy
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 6 hrs 5 mins
- 👪Serves: 5
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 296 kcals and 40 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and avocado oil.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, high protein, refined sugar-free.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: An easy slow cooker dinner with tender chicken and a sweet, tangy maple balsamic glaze that practically cooks itself.
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This balsamic chicken crockpot recipe was made with busy weeknights in mind. Just like sheet pan steak fajitas, the crockpot is a lifesaver when you need dinner cooking while you juggle everything else. If you’re new to slow cooking, you can also learn more about hoosing the best slow cooker and how to use it to make weeknight meals even easier.
Unlike some gluten-free crockpot recipes, this gluten-free balsamic chicken requires almost no prep (just like these honey mustard chicken thighs). It’s a true dump-and-go dinner, similar to these slow cooker BBQ chicken drumsticks, and one of those simple meals that keeps dinnertime manageable on busy nights (just like the recipes in the Busy Mom's Cookbook).
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💭Why You'll Love The Recipe
Easy: With only 4 main ingredients, you really can't mess this one up. Kind of like this 5-ingredient crockpot chicken.
Versatile: Serve the maple balsamic chicken breasts with rice, pasta, spaghetti squash, or just alongside some extra veggies.
Flavor: It has a sweet and tangy flavor that's a hit with both kids and adults.
Meal prep: The dinner is a great way to keep meal prep simple, as there's so little effort required.
Ingredients and Substitutions
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-sized breasts or two super-large ones. Chicken thighs will work as well, but will give off much more liquid, as is the case with slow cooker Tuscan chicken, too. 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 congeal differently.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Spicy: If you want a kick of heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes into the slow cooker or mix in some hot honey.
- Mustard: It sounds crazy, but a dash of honey or Dijon mustard mixed into the sauce is tangy and delicious.
- Citrus twist: Use a citrus-based balsamic vinegar or ⅛ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice for a brighter flavor.
How To Make Maple Balsamic Chicken
Step 1: Place the chicken at the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the sauce on top.
Step 2: Slow cooker for 4-6 hours.
Step 3: Flip the chicken or give it a stir.
Step 4: If shredding, use forks to shred and then place any vegetables you want to cook on top for the last 30 minutes.
Expert Tips To Make It
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), or add a bit more maple syrup once you give it a taste test.
If you need the maple balsamic chicken to cook faster, slice the chicken breasts into strips. Or, leave the chicken breasts whole and enjoy them as-is or shred them before serving.
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 with 3 tablespoons of sauce from the slow cooker and whisk it into the sauce with the chicken. Let it then cook down.
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.
Reheating: 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 vegan kale salad.
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 Whole30 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.
- Cook just the maple balsamic chicken breasts and serve them on the side of roasted vegan beet soup or roasted veggies drizzled with my favorite balsamic glaze recipe.
Maple Balsamic Chicken FAQs
So long as you're cooking the chicken for an extended period of time (4-6 hours), you can put raw chicken in the slow cooker. The fewer ingredients you put into the slow cooker with the chicken (and the smaller the pieces of chicken), the less time it will take to cook fully.
If overcooked, a chicken breast will become dry even if it's in a crock pot. One way to avoid overcooking the chicken is to ensure there is a lot of liquid in the crockpot for the chicken to absorb and that you're cooking it "low and slow".
Yes, you can make maple balsamic chicken in the oven. Follow the recipe, but pour everything into an 8x8 oven-safe baking dish. Cook the chicken at 350F until it heats to 165F (about 25-35 minutes).
More Gluten-Free Crockpot Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Chicken (Gluten-Free)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breast or two super large ones
- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Maple syrup
- ⅛ cup Avocado oil
- 4 cups Green beans optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken at the bottom of the crockpot
- Whisk together the vinegar, oil and syrup. Pour over the chicken and stir until chicken is coated.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours (though there’s lots of liquid so it can cook for longer).
- If you want shredded chicken, take two forks and gently shred the breasts.
- In the last 30-45 minutes of cooking, before eating, place the green beans (if you're using them) on top of the chicken, put the lid back in place and let them steam until tender..
- Serve over rice, pasta, or with extra veggies (see notes for a thicker sauce!).
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Glenda says
My entire family loved this easy recipe! Anytime I can pull out my slow cooker and prepare an entire delicious meal, I'm in heaven. The balsamic and maple are a perfect flavor combination to season the tender juicy chicken. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Slow cookers save lives lol <-- true statement! So happy you loved it!
Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica says
Just today I made a similar dish in my Ipot.. Great flavours together, agreed!!!
What's not to love about maple and balsamic together!
Really SO very good!!
fitasamamabear says
It really is a killer flavor combo!
Cathy says
I love that this recipe calls for just adding the ingredients to the slow cooker without any advance preparation! Thank you for sharing.
fitasamamabear says
I like to keep things as simple as humanly possible lol
Hope says
Love simple healthy meals like this! My crockpot is a life saver for busy days! So funny what you say about working from home that everyone thinks you have loads of time for household chores, people think the same about me too - I feel like my house should be spotless as I work from home but it really is far from that!
fitasamamabear says
Ugh yes! People don't really grasp that you're actually working/busy lol crockpots save lives haha It should be their slogan!
ChihYu says
Love simple meals, especially crockpot chicken !
fitasamamabear says
Right?! Simple keeps you sane lol
Renee D Kohley says
Such an easy weeknight dinner - my girls will love this!
fitasamamabear says
Simple is best lol otherwise it's chaos 😛