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Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

  • Author: Avery
  • Total Time: About 6 hours 10 minutes (LOW) or 3 hours 10 minutes (HIGH)
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten-free friendly (use gluten-free onion soup mix and dressing, if needed)

Description

Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken is a wonderfully simple sweet-and-savory dinner that practically makes itself. Tender chicken simmers in a tangy blend of cranberry sauce, French dressing, and onion soup mix to create a glossy, flavorful sauce that tastes like you fussed all day when really, your slow cooker did the work.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup cranberry sauce (jellied or whole-berry)
  • 1/2 cup French dressing
  • 1 packet onion soup mix
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
  • Nonstick cooking spray or a little oil, for greasing the slow cooker (optional)

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray or a little oil to help prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
  2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper, then place them in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, French dressing, and onion soup mix. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the soup mix is fully incorporated.
  4. Pour the cranberry mixture evenly over the chicken, making sure each piece is well coated with sauce.
  5. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through, tender, and easily shreds with a fork.
  6. Once cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce until everything is well combined and coated.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed. If the sauce seems too thick, you can stir in a splash of water or chicken broth.
  8. Serve the cranberry chicken hot, spooning extra sauce over the top, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

  • You can use either jellied or whole-berry cranberry sauce; whole-berry adds extra texture, while jellied yields a smoother sauce.
  • If your chicken breasts are very large, you may want to cut them in half lengthwise for more even cooking.
  • The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools; if you prefer a looser sauce, stir in a bit of warm water or chicken broth just before serving.
  • Taste the sauce before adding extra salt onion soup mix and French dressing can both be quite salty on their own.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6–7 hours (LOW) or 3–4 hours (HIGH)
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 320 kcal
  • Sugar: 18 g (approx., varies by sauce and dressing)
  • Sodium: 850 mg (approx., varies by onion soup mix and dressing)
  • Fat: 9 g (approx.)
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g (approx.)
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6 g (approx.)
  • Trans Fat: 0 g (approx.)
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g (approx.)
  • Fiber: 1 g (approx.)
  • Protein: 28 g (approx.)
  • Cholesterol: 85 mg (approx.)

Keywords: slow cooker cranberry chicken, crockpot cranberry chicken, sweet and savory chicken, easy chicken dinner, dump and go, weeknight meal

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Find it online: https://averyrecipes.com/slow-cooker-cranberry-chicken/