Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

I've enjoyed balsamic sauce several different times over the past few years, and have been excited to try cooking with balsamic vinegar. I was looking for a meal that would be done within about 4 hours and found a crock pot balsamic chicken recipe here.  I decided to try it with a few changes; I used less onion than called for and halved the amount of canned tomatoes. Since I had no idea how this would turn out, I didn't want to put 2 cans in and have it be a total waste. For the same reason I used 4 chicken breasts instead of 6.

I started out by spraying some olive oil in the crock pot. I then layered thawed chicken breasts on the bottom and put the fresh sliced onion over it.  Though I have used frozen chicken previously, I decided to thaw these to make sure they would cook faster. I also read on a few different websites that since that using frozen chicken in the crock pot can be dangerous because of the low temperature of the crock pot.  I found an article regarding the issue that explains more, stating that it is safe as long as the chicken cooks for long enough.  Good information to know.

I sprinkled the herbs over the chicken and onion, then added the minced garlic.

I poured the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and seasonings.

I then topped the mixture with a can of tomatoes and began to cook the chicken on high.

I let it cook just over 3 and a half hours, until the chicken was shredding easily.  I tried my best to snap a picture with no reflection, but couldn't get it quite right!

I served the finished chicken over fresh pasta. It looked and smelled delicious!

The chicken was fantastic. It was tender and the sauce added a very sweet flavor. I've read some complaints recently throughout recipe comments that chicken breasts come out dry in the crock pot, but I have never had that issue.  The pasta went perfectly, and my husband loved it, too. Even with less tomatoes, I felt this was a great recipe. I plan on adding more vegetables next time (Green peppers? Mushrooms?), and if i make it with 6 chicken breasts, I'll add the extra tomatoes and more onion. I'd also like to attempt a balsamic glaze...oh my.  Balsamic chicken is just another crock pot success story!

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (I used 1/4 of a large onion)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

Instructions:

Pour or spray the olive oil on bottom of crock pot. Layer chicken over the olive oil, then add salt and pepper over all the chicken breasts. Place onion on top of chicken and add in oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Pour vinegar over the top and add tomatoes. Cook on high 4 hours. Serve over thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta.