Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Thighs Recipe

Name: Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Thighs Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried basil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 tsps green onion (minced); 2 tbsps fresh garlic (minced); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 8 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless); 1 tbsp parsley (fresh chopped)

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This crock pot balsamic chicken thighs recipe will make you look like a cooking pro, even on a Tuesday night. We take simple ingredients like green onion and garlic to season our chicken. We slow cook chicken thighs with balsamic vinegar for a savory, delicious meal, hands free!

A close-up photo of a plate with roasted chicken garnished with chopped green onions. The chicken is seasoned with herbs and appears to be well-cooked. The plate has a green decorative border. The scene is set on a wooden surface.

Getting supper on the table doesn’t have to be stressful. Raising two kids, I learned that crock pot cooking could be my best kitchen friend during the week. Later in life, I also learned that it was so helpful for meal prep too.

We love doing all kinds of things in our crock pot. Like our PUMPKIN BEEF STEW or even making BAKED POTATOES in it are real game changers. This slow cooker balsamic chicken fits the same bill for us, easy and delicious!

Ingredients

Simple, staple ingredients. This is one to get you started and is easy to add to or take away. Tons of flavor without a ton of work!

A plate with pieces of cooked meat garnished with chopped green onions is shown. The meat is seasoned with herbs and spices. The plate sits on a wooden surface, and additional chopped green onions are scattered around.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

What You’ll Need

Garlic powder
Dried basil
Salt and Pepper
Green onion
Fresh minced garlic
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Fresh Parsley

We harness the power of our slow cooker here and let this simple seasoning mix add a ton of flavor to this juicy and tender chicken.

A wooden cutting board is placed on a stove, partially covering the burners. On the board is a blue and white bowl containing green chopped vegetables and seasonings. A large knife, with some green residue, and a teaspoon are beside the bowl. A hand is visible at the bottom left.

In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, dried basil, salt, pepper and minced onion.

A person sprinkles chopped herbs over raw chicken pieces in a white tray using a spoon. The tray is resting on a wooden cutting board placed between a stove with a pan on the right and a bowl of herbs on the left. A chef's knife is on the cutting board.

Sprinkle half of the seasoning over one side of the chicken thighs, pressing in gently to get seasoning to stick.

A hand is shown pouring olive oil from a bottle into a black crockpot positioned on a wooden cutting board. To the left, there is a white and blue bowl filled with chopped herbs and a spoon resting on the edge of the bowl.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil evenly on bottom of crock pot liner.

A person is stirring minced garlic in oil inside a black slow cooker on a stovetop. An empty blue and white bowl with a spoon, and a wooden cutting board with a knife and some ingredients are visible nearby.

Evenly spread 2 tablespoons of minced garlic on the bottom as well.

A black slow cooker with raw, seasoned pieces of chicken rests on a wooden cutting board, placed between two stovetop burners. The chicken is topped with herbs and spices, ready for cooking.

Place chicken thighs, seasoned side down in a single layer of the crock pot liner. Season the other side with remainder of seasoning mix.

A pair of hands are pouring a bottle of Crosse & Blackwell Low Sodium Worcestershire Sauce over seasoned chicken pieces in a black slow cooker. The slow cooker is placed on a wooden surface between two stovetops.

Gently pour balsamic vinegar over the top of chicken, evenly distributing over all of the chicken.

Hands holding the lid of a slow cooker filled with seasoned raw meat. The slow cooker is placed on a wooden cutting board situated on a stovetop. Several stove burners are visible around the cutting board. A knife lies beside the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours for boneless, 4 to 6 for bone in.

A plate containing two cooked chicken breasts garnished with chopped green onions placed on a green and white patterned plate. The chicken appears seasoned and cooked to a golden brown. The background shows a wooden surface.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes or so before serving. Serve garnished with more chopped green onions.

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

Quick, easy, handsfree cooking. That is my jam these days. Even without a big family to feed, crock pot cooking allows for me to cook once and reheat and reuse a tasty protein all week long!

Substitutions

We like to recommend some minor adjustments to help you make this recipe all your own.

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Chicken – feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The cook time may be longer but just use that meat thermometer to make sure you hit the 160-165 internal temperature.
Seasonings – you can alter the flavors of this recipe simply by changing the seasonings. For example, you can add some italian seasoning to the season mix and give it a ton more flavor. Get creative here.
Onion – while we love the mild flavor of the green onion, using another option is fine too. If you have a yellow onion or red onion on hand, you can add sweetness or spiciness, respectively by using either one of those.

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

Two pieces of seasoned and cooked chicken are served on a green and white plate, topped with chopped green onions. The background includes a wooden surface and part of a black pot.

Storage

This recipe will keep in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

The balsamic chicken also freezes well after cooking and cooling for up to a month.

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

A top view of a slow-cooker with cooked chicken pieces garnished with chopped green onions. Below the slow cooker, there is a plate on a wooden surface with two pieces of chicken also garnished with green onions.

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Thighs Recipe

Crock pot balsamic chicken thighs. A simple and delicious recipe that will be in your regular recipe rotation. Simple ingredients like garlic and basil take this slow cooked chicken recipe to a restaurant quality level.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 4

Serving Size

Ingredients

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsps green onion minced
2 tbsps fresh garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
1 tbsp parsley fresh chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper and minced green onion. Season one side of the chicken with half of this seasoning mixture.
1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 tsps green onion
In the liner of a crock pot, drizzle olive oil and spread the minced garlic on the bottom in an even layer. Add chicken thighs, seasoned side down in a single layer. Season the top with the remainder of the seasoning.
2 tbsps fresh garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 8 chicken thighs
Pour balsamic vinegar over the chicken.
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Cook on the high setting for 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees internal temperature. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley when serving.
1 tbsp parsley

See How To Make It!

🍴 PRO TIP!

Crock pot cooking is one of my favorite things to do during busy weeks or even in the summer to help keep my kitchen cool. If you didn’t have a crock pot, you could totally do this in the instant pot by adding 1/2 cup of water or broth and cooking the same way for 15 minutes for thawed chicken. Or in the oven on low heat in a covered baking dish at 300 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165.

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

What goes best with this tender chicken?

We have lots of options listed below but my favorite way to serve it is over brown rice. The flavors just go together!

How can I cook this on low heat in my slow cooker?

That is easy. Just increase the cooking time to 6 to 8 hours. I always check it at the halfway point and if it is at 165, it is ready.

What can I do with the leftover chicken?

You can repurpose the leftovers in so many ways. The chicken will be so tender you can reheat it and shred it and make CHICKEN SALAD or even add it to salads or WHITE CHICKEN CHILI.