This yummy Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken is a quick and simple 5-ingredient recipe that's perfect for a weeknight meal! The chicken is tender and juicy and every bite is full of flavor from the sweet, tangy cranberry sauce. The slow cooker makes this cranberry chicken recipe a breeze to prepare and clean up!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
We've all had those days where dinner time rolls around and we just can't imagine cooking a meal. That's why I love slow cooker recipes! All of the prep is done in the morning and the meal cooks throughout the day. When dinner time rolls around, all you have to do is serve!
This cranberry chicken recipe is a perfect example of a low-prep, high-reward meal. The combination of ingredients yields a delicious and complex dish that will shock you with how easy and tasty it is!
Along with my Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice and Pan Fried Chicken Tenders, this recipe is one of my family's favorites!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- cranberry sauce - gives your cranberry chicken its signature sweet flavor.
- onion soup - packs a lot of flavor in just one ingredient; the best savory shortcut!
- French dressing - I like to use the sweet and spicy kind specifically for the way it pairs with the cranberry sauce.
- celery - provides some added texture and a nice pop of green flavor.
- cornstarch - this will help the sauce thicken up while it cooks.
- chicken breast - using boneless and skinless is what I prefer, you can just throw them right in the slow cooker and not worry about any extra prep.
🔪 Instructions
- Mix cranberry sauce, onion soup mix, French dressing, and celery in a bowl.
- Add the cornstarch dissolved in water and combine well.
- Place chicken breast into your slow cooker.
- Pour your cranberry mixture over the chicken, then cook for 6-8 hours on low.
👪 FAQs
Cooking at a low temperature for a longer time is one the best ways to prevent dry chicken. Even adding liquid won't help if you're cooking it too hot--the liquid will all evaporate and leave the chicken even drier.
Some other fruits that will achieve the same type of flavor as cranberries are cherries and pomegranate seeds, but this recipe is best with cranberry sauce.
Yes! As long as you give the chicken enough time to cook to completion, it's entirely safe to put raw chicken in a slow cooker.
💭 Other Helpful Tips
- Be sure to give your cornstarch enough time to dissolve in the water so it full incorporates into the sauce.
- Serve this cranberry chicken recipe over top of rice, quinoa, noodles, or with bread or biscuits on the side. Pair with a salad and you've got a perfect meal!
- Nonfat dressing will help you cut down on the fat in this dish!
Cranberry Chicken is the perfect dish for a weeknight dinner. Steam some vegetables and boil some noodles and you've got yourself a complete meal that the whole family will love!
📖 Variations
- Add some orange or lemon zest for a pop of fresh citrus flavor.
- You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Catalina and Russian dressing are good substitutes for the French dressing.
🥗 Suggested Side Dishes
This slow cooker chicken is great all on its own, but with the help of a side dish you've got an absolutely stellar dinner! Throw together a Cucumber Salad, make some Crispy Sauteed Potatoes, or serve your chicken with Garlic Butter Microwave Broccoli, which is a cinch to prepare and makes a great companion for any main dish!
🍲 More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Olive Bread - An easy bread that would also make a delicious side for this chicken dish. Just make it the day before so your slow cooker is available!
- Spicy Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken - Another fantastic chicken recipe in the slow cooker. We really can't get enough of slow cooker chicken in this house!
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate - For something a little bit different, make this creamy and delicious hot cocoa in your slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken Recipe
Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
📋 Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
- 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce (1 can)
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup light sweet and spicy French dressing
- 4 to 5 stalks of celery (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water
- 1 to 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine the cranberry sauce, onion soup, dressing, and celery in a medium bowl.14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 packet onion soup mix, 1/2 cup light sweet and spicy French dressing, 4 to 5 stalks of celery
- Add the dissolved cornstarch and mix thoroughly.2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup water
- Place chicken in the crock pot.1 to 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Pour the cranberry mixture over the chicken. Set crock pot to low and cook for 6-8 hours.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in April 2013, but was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in August 2021.
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Happy cooking!
Tara
Oh yum! So many amazing flavors paired with this chicken. Love how easily it all comes together in the slow cooker too.
Lima Ekram
Loved the simplicity of this recipe - so quick and delicious and the family was delighted to eat something new!
Diana Reis
So easy and it was delicious! I love my slow cooker.
Shoozie
Sounds so yummy ~ ~ trying this next week
thanks for sharing
Kristin King
Great! I hope you enjoy it! We all love this one.
Kristin King
Great! I hope you enjoy it! We all love this one.
Susan Ennis
This sounds delicious, going to try it. Always looking for new recipes to try!
Jersey Girl Cooks
Looks delicious! It's great to live in a neighborhood like that. I don't know what I'd o without my neighbors.
Kristin
Thanks, Lisa! Yeah, your neighborhood is so important. I have heard some crazy stories about bad neighbors! But thankfully have not had to experience anything like that! 🙂
sally @ sallys baking addiction
So fabulous you live in a beautiful, caring neighborhood! We just moved from the city, so I am loving the warm atmosphere. This chicken looks amazing.
Kristin
Thanks! Hope you love your new place! Between that and leaving your job, you have had a whole lot of changes in a very short time. It must be an exciting time for you! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Sally!
Pam
It looks so delicious and flavorful.
Kristin
Thanks, Pam! 🙂
Tina Verrelli
Looks yummy Kristin!! Always great to have a couple great crock pot recipes ready to go!! I agree with the neighborhoods!! When we moved, I didn't want to leave my neighborhood, so we moved about 4 houses away! Thanks for the recipe!
Kristin
Thanks Tina! That is great that you were able to stay in your neighborhood! If you are lucky enough to have great neighbors, that is definitely something you want to hang on to as long as possible. 🙂 Take care!
Biz
I actually love sweet with meat - I'll have to give this one a try!
I made a cranberry balsamic glaze for pork chops - so good!
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2012/12/01/pork-chops-with-cranberry-balsamic-glaze/
Kristin
Oh yes, that sounds wonderful! I haven't made pork chops for a while but now I am craving them, so I think I will have to try your recipe next week. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!