Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Chicken (Printable version)
Tender chicken in a sticky brown sugar and garlic glaze, slow-cooked for hands-off, flavorful weeknight meals.
# What you need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
→ Sauce
02 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
03 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Garnish (optional)
08 - Fresh parsley, chopped
09 - Green onions, sliced
# How To:
01 - Place the chicken breasts in an even layer across the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is fork-tender.
05 - Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred using two forks or slice into portions. Spoon the accumulated sauce from the slow cooker over the top.
06 - Finish with chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Five minutes of morning effort rewards you with the most incredible sweet and savory dinner waiting at the end of the day.
- The sauce reduces into a sticky, caramelized glaze that tastes like you spent hours tending a stove.
02 -
- Do not lift the lid during cooking to peek, because every time you do you add about fifteen minutes to the cook time and release all the steam that keeps everything moist.
- If the sauce seems too thin at the end, transfer it to a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens into a proper glaze.
03 -
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before adding them so the thinner ends do not dry out before the thick parts finish cooking.
- Let the finished chicken rest in the warm sauce for ten minutes before shredding, because patience here means juicier meat.