Easy Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken: Sweet & Savory Perfection

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This super easy Cranberry Chicken recipe uses basic ingredients — chicken thighs, whole berry cranberry sauce, and barbecue sauce — to create the perfect slow cooker dinner. Ready in just 4 hours, you’ll sit down to a sweet, savory, and absolutely delicious meal!

A white plate with cranberry chicken topped with sauce and cherries on a bed of rice, served alongside a green leafy salad with cucumber slices. A fork rests on the plate.

👩‍🍳 Just dump everything in your slow cooker and let it work its magic. No browning, no complicated steps, no stress. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you want a delicious dinner without the fuss.

My 2 Best Tips For Making Cranberry Chicken
Cranberry Chicken and Rice Recipe
How To Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Recipe FAQs
More Tasty Chicken Recipes To Try

My 2 Best Tips For Making Cranberry Chicken

Use Whole Cranberry Sauce: Look for whole berry cranberry sauce rather than the jellied version. Those little cranberry pieces add wonderful texture and hold up better during the long cooking process. The jellied kind tends to dissolve completely.

Don’t Skip the Vinegar: That splash of white vinegar might seem insignificant, but it brightens the entire dish and prevents the sweetness from becoming overwhelming. It’s the secret ingredient that makes everything pop.

🩷 Melissa

This cranberry chicken has good, honest flavors that work together perfectly, a little sweet and a little savory!

The sweet-tart cranberries balance beautifully with the smoky barbecue sauce, while the vinegar adds just the right amount of tang. It’s like autumn on a plate, but satisfying enough to enjoy year-round.

This recipe doubles beautifully and freezes like a dream. Make a big batch and you’ll have several easy dinners ready to go.

No ratings yet

Cranberry Chicken and Rice

By: Melissa Griffiths

This super easy Cranberry Chicken recipe uses basic ingredients — chicken thighs, whole berry cranberry sauce, and barbecue sauce — to create the perfect slow cooker dinner. Ready in just 4 hours, you'll sit down to a sweet, savory, and absolutely delicious meal!

Prep: 10

Cook: 3

Total: 3 10

Servings:

Save Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Print Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
▢ 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, 15 ounces
▢ ½ cup barbecue sauce
▢ 3 tablespoons white vinegar
▢ 1 onion chopped, large
▢ 2 cups wild rice blend

Instructions

Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
Add the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, vinegar, and onion to the slow cooker and stir a bit to combine and break up the cranberry sauce.
Cook on Low for 4-5 hours or High for 3-4 hours.
Cook the wild rice according to package instructions.
Add salt and pepper to taste to the chicken. It's also really good with a squeeze of fresh lemon over the chicken before serving. Serve over a bed of wild rice.

Notes

Slow Cooker Size: 6-quart

Recipe Variations & Tips:

I like to use a barbecue sauce with a little spice for this recipe.
I also like to cut up the onion really small so that it kind of disappears as it cooks.

Cranberry Sauce: Make sure you are finding the whole berry cranberry sauce, it’s a little different than the jellied kind.

Perfect Texture: I like to make sure I don’t over cook this chicken. If you do it will just shred apart and it’s still great, but I like the texture a lot better when the chicken is still intact when serving.

Serving Suggestion: Spoon the extra sauce in the slow cooker over the chicken and rice, so delicious!

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 servings, Calories: 685kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 370mg, Potassium: 615mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 213IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 3mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

How To Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

Raw chicken pieces with a dark red sauce sit in a white slow cooker on a gray speckled countertop, ready to be cooked.

Step 1: Add the chicken, cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, vinegar, and onion to the slow cooker. Stir a bit to combine and break up the cranberry sauce.

Chicken thighs cooked in brown sauce inside a white slow cooker, with a plate of salad and a bowl of rice partially visible in the background.

Step 2: Cook on Low for 4-5 hours or High for 3-4 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

A plate with chicken covered in sauce served over rice, accompanied by a fresh green salad. A fork rests on the plate, and a crockpot and another bowl of salad are visible in the background.

Step 3: Cook the wild rice according to package instructions. Serve chicken and sauce over a bed of wild rice.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

Yes, chicken breasts work perfectly, though they cook a bit faster. Check for doneness around 3 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Thighs stay more tender during longer cooking, but breasts are delicious too.

Can I make this ahead and freeze it?

This recipe freezes beautifully! Cook completely, then freeze in meal-sized portions. Thaw overnight and reheat gently. The flavors actually improve after freezing – it’s like the ingredients get even more acquainted.

How can I make this recipe spicier?

Use a spicy barbecue sauce or add a pinch of red pepper flakes. You could also dice up a jalapeño with the onion for some heat that mellows as it cooks.