Can I bake this Dijon chicken breast in the oven?

Yes! See our oven-baked maple Dijon chicken recipe for full instructions.

Can I put frozen chicken in a slow cooker?

We recommend thawing your chicken before cooking it in a crock pot! Slow cookers cook at a low temperature, which means chicken defrosts slowly and can linger in the USDA's temperature "danger zone" (between 40-140°F) where bad bacteria can thrive. You can thaw frozen chicken in the fridge overnight or submerge an airtight bag of frozen chicken in a dish of cold water for 30 minutes until it thaws.

Do I have to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts?

Nope! Use any cut of skinless chicken you like here. This recipe is good with chicken breasts or chicken thighs. We recommend skinless (skin can get rubbery in the crock pot) but you can use boneless or bone-in. If you use bone-in chicken, you may need to extend the cook time.

Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Chicken

Description

This crockpot maple Dijon chicken is an easy, hands-off dinner made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a few kitchen staples.

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4 large pieces)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

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Instructions

Stir Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar together in the bowl of a slow cooker.
Add chicken and a pinch of salt to slow cooker; use tongs to flip the chicken over a few times until it’s evenly coated with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours until cooked through.
Top cooked chicken with chopped parsley (optional) and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately with your favorite side dishes.

Notes

Substitutions. Use honey instead of maple syrup if you like. You can also swap the apple cider vinegar here for fresh lemon juice. Swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs or another cut of chicken if you prefer (we recommend using skinless chicken, but you can use bone-in if you like - you may just need to adjust the cook time).

What kind of mustard should I use? We used a creamy Dijon mustard here, but it's also good with a coarse, stone-ground Dijon variety!

If your sauce separates in the slow cooker, remove the cooked chicken and whisk the sauce to bring it back together. Your chicken will release moisture as it cooks, which can thin the sauce quite a bit (especially if you're doubling or tripling the recipe). If you want to thicken the sauce further, transfer it to a small saucepan and simmer, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened. You can also whisk in a cornstarch slurry if you like.

Can I bake this in the oven instead? Yes! See our oven baked maple Dijon chicken recipe.

Can I use frozen chicken for this recipe? We do not recommend cooking chicken straight from frozen in the crockpot. Slow cookers cook at a low temperature, which means chicken defrosts slowly and can hang out in the USDA's temperature "danger zone" (40-140°F) where bad bacteria can thrive. We recommend thawing your chicken before cooking in a crock pot!

Serve this chicken with a quick salad, rice or pasta, or classic mashed potatoes.