Slow Cooker Amish Cranberry Chicken Recipe
This Slow Cooker Amish Cranberry Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring tender chicken breasts simmered in a tangy, sweet cranberry sauce blended with onion soup mix and French dressing. Perfect for a comforting dinner, it requires minimal prep and uses a slow cooker for effortless cooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours on LOW or 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours on HIGH
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes to 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
- 1 packet (1 ounce) dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup French dressing or Catalina-style salad dressing
Instructions
- Prepare the slow cooker and chicken: Place the raw chicken breasts in an even layer on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, ensuring they are spread out evenly for uniform cooking.
- Make the sauce mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the jellied cranberry sauce, dry onion soup mix, and French dressing. Stir the ingredients together until you achieve as smooth a consistency as possible; small bits of cranberry in the sauce are perfectly fine and add texture.
- Coat the chicken with sauce: Pour the cranberry sauce mixture evenly over the raw chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Make sure all the chicken pieces are well-coated with the sauce to infuse flavor throughout the cooking process.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Cook until the chicken is very tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, indicating it is fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Adjust and thicken the sauce (optional): Once the cooking time is complete, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt or freshly ground black pepper as desired. For a thicker sauce, you can remove the chicken to a plate and continue cooking the sauce uncovered on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce, or stir in a slurry made from 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water and cook until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Serve: Either shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker with two forks or leave the breasts whole. Spoon the tangy cranberry sauce over the chicken when serving to enjoy a deliciously moist and flavorful dish.
Notes
- Using either French dressing or Catalina-style salad dressing will slightly change the flavor profile; Catalina adds a bit more sweetness and tang.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, don’t skip the optional cornstarch slurry step or sauce reduction.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 3 days and reheated gently to keep the chicken moist.
- For a lower-sodium version, choose low-sodium onion soup mix and salad dressing.
- This dish pairs well with rice, mashed potatoes, or steamed vegetables.
Keywords: slow cooker, cranberry chicken, Amish chicken, easy dinner, crockpot chicken, cranberry sauce recipes
