Friday, October 14, 2011

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Chicken

The older I get, the more I love fall. Fall in Montana means turning on the heat in the mornings and the air/fans in the afternoons. The smell of wet leaves on the ground is one that reminds me of being a kid (I have no idea why). As a matter of fact, the first time I visited Cornell was in October. The leaves were all changing colors and the Hilltop was truly magnificent. You couldn't deny how beautiful it was. It was less beautiful in sub-zero January, however.

The rite of passage every fall for me is the change in my meals. Let's face it, in the summer, it's hot and you certainly don't want to cook in the oven. We do lots of grilling and eat lots of fresh, cool salads. The last thing I want is something heavy sitting in my belly when I'm trying to stay cool and relax for the evening. Fall is a different story. Soups, stews and chilis are delighful. The warm deliciousness is comforting. Plus, I can add so many vegetables to them, it makes almost a one-pot full meal. I do a lot of crock pot cooking in the fall and winter as well, so I'm always looking for new recipes to try.

Yesterday, I was looking for something for dinner to use the chicken drumsticks I had in the freezer and came across the following recipe. My family are good sports about trying my new recipes (ok, they don't really have a choice). This one ROCKED!! It has all the elements of a great family meal: a few simple ingredients, E-A-S-Y to make, and delicious. Here's what you need:

10-12 chicken thighs or drumsticks or 6 chicken breasts, halved
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (don't use diet)
2/3 cup vinegar (I used half apple cider and half white)
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce
1 t ground black pepper

Place your chicken in the crock pot. Cover with the brown sugar, garlic, pepper and soy sauce. Pour the vinegar over the top and then add the soda. It will bubble. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-9 hours. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

I made some au gratin potatoes to go with it (ok, so no veggies for this meal). It was very good. The girls gobbled it up as did my husband and I. One of the best new recipes I've tried in the crock pot in a while. Try it. You will love it. This goes on the permanent list.

If you're looking for more crock pot recipes, check out this blog. I've tried several (including this recipe) and haven't found a "bad" one yet.

16 comments:

  1. This looks delicious, did you use frozen chicken or chilled chicken for it?

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    1. Lauren, I've used both. You'll want to increase the time if you use frozen chicken, obviously. It just depends on if I remember to thaw my drumsticks the night before :)

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  2. This looks great! Did you have skin on or off the chicken?

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    1. I've done drumsticks only, so I had skin-on. Although my kids usually pull the skin off before eating :)

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  3. If all I have is white vinegar do you think that will effect the taste much? We are making this tomorrow : )

    Sydney

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    1. Sydney, I think white vinegar would work fine. It's the acidity that you want and any flavor difference with the cider vs white vinegars is masked by the brown sugar and soda. Good luck! It's sure to become a favorite!!

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    2. Thank you! It was SO good, taste just how I imagine Renaissance fair drumsticks taste : )

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  4. Oh I'm definitely going to try this! Thank you for posting.
    I'm also a new follower! :)
    Blessings, Sarah :)

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  5. Do you think this would work with a whole chicken? i have one that i'd like to cook and i'm not too excited about seperating it.

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    1. I do think it would work. Be sure that you're just cooking the chicken meat/bones and not the insides/gizzard. I would suggest only cooking on low and check it after 5-6 hours. It might need a little more time depending on the size of your crock pot. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

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  6. How did this taste, can you compare it to another dish?

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    1. It tastes great! I don't really have another dish to compare it to, but it's a sweet chicken. I have a kiddo with a giant sweet tooth and she goes crazy for it!

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  7. Just put it in the crock pot but used half the amount of chicken and halved the ingredients. Think it will be good?

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    1. Yes, it will still be good. It will cook faster than the time specified, so please watch it carefully for cook times! Enjoy!

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  8. can you freeze all ingredients together and then just throw in crockpot froze? I'm searching for freeze ahead meals. thanks

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  9. I Dont have soy sauce, is there anything I can sub. It for?

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