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Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken with Orange and Rosemary

Slow cooker cranberry chicken cooks with orange, rosemary, and fresh cranberries until tender, then gets topped with a glossy thickened sauce. The sweet-tart cranberry-orange flavor makes a colorful main dish for dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry-orange sauce
  • 1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries
  • 0.5 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest finely grated
  • 0.33 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
Chicken
  • 2.5 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Thickening the sauce
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method
 

Make the sauce
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and rosemary.
Cook the chicken
  1. Arrange the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.
  2. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.
  3. Pour the cranberry mixture over the chicken.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
Thicken the sauce
  1. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
  2. Let it rest while you thicken the sauce.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water.
  4. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the liquid in the slow cooker.
  5. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  6. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Notes

For a smooth sauce, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until no lumps remain before stirring it into the slow cooker. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months; check that the Dijon mustard is gluten-free if needed.