Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken Recipe

This Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken is a quick-prep, easy way to get dinner on the table straight from your slow cooker!

Mini Chef has arrived at a point where he can handle a knife fairly well, cook in a skillet, and can pretty safely work his way around the kitchen. So I decided to ramp up his culinary education because a) he’s interested in cooking (gotta strike while the iron is hot!), and b) I won’t raise a man who can’t cook.

A full bowl of this Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken sits on a table, ready to eat.

So, with that in mind, I’m starting a new section on my blog called “Kids Can Cook Clean“. I’ll be blogging about the clean eating recipes that Mini Chef makes himself, as well as tips on helping your kids learn how to cook clean.

And these won’t be recipes that only kids will like. These will be adult-friendly as well. Promise! They will also be smaller portions, so they are perfect for those of you cooking for one or two.

TO FREEZE:
Portion into individual servings in a freezer-safe container and store in a freezer for up to 5 months. Be sure the container is air-tight to avoid freezer burn. To reheat, simply thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours and reheat in either a pot or a microwave.

FRUIT SPREAD:
This is the fruit spread that I used. I know that Safeway carries it as do several health food stores such as Whole Foods and even Sprouts. But if you can’t find it, it’s here on Amazon.com (affiliate link) as well.

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Apricot Salsa Chicken

SALSA
I used the mild, organic 365 brand salsa from Whole Foods. But as you can see, it’s high in sodium, which I didn’t check before I purchased it. So, next time, I’ll be looking for something lower in sodium. But clean salsa is not all that difficult to find. If you can’t find any in your area, leave me a comment, and I’ll track something down on Amazon for you.

More Healthy Chicken Recipes

Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken Recipe Card

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A full bowl of this Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken sits on a table, ready to eat.

Sweet And Spicy Crock Pot Chicken

A delicious combination of apricot preserves and salsa makes this dish a perfect main course and pairs nicely with rice and veggies.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 243kcal

CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!

Equipment

  • Small Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. raw chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
  • ½ cup salsa (no sugar added – see info in post)
  • cup apricot preserves (100% fruit – no sugar added – see info above)
  • 1 cup frozen corn

Instructions

  • Layer the ingredients in the order listed.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Stir well to combine and also to shred the chicken. You may need to use a couple of forks to get the job done if it does not shred easily when stirred.
  • Serve over brown rice and alongside a green salad to complete the meal.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.3the recipe | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

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28 Comments

  1. This looks so good. I love apricot jam. But question, the label says “No cane sugar”. Is cane sugar unhealthy?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Lisa – I’m still researching sugar, so I’m not entirely sure. But I think the point is that it doesn’t have any added sugar at all.

  2. Looking forward to recipes with smaller portions. It is really hard to cook for 2!

  3. This looks lovely! I guess that I just double the amounts to make this for 4 people?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Claire – Yes, and you could probably use a slightly larger slow cooker as well.

  4. This looks so good! I can’t wait to try this. I’ll have to do some label reading on the salsa next time I’m at the market.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Niki – It’s worth it when you find a good one!

  5. We have a grandson who likes to cook so will share the recipe with him. I’m going to try it even though however I cook chicken in a slow cooker, my husband always says that it is too dry. May begin the chicken frozen.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Pat – I wouldn’t put frozen chicken in a slow cooker. Typically, if meat is too dry after slow cooking, it’s one of the following issues:
      1) It cooked too long
      2) The slow cooker was too big for the amount of food you had in it (it should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 full)
      3) The lid wasn’t air-tight
      4) There wasn’t enough acid in it to tenderize the meat.
      You might try marinating the meat in the salsa for a bit first, then proceeding with the recipe.

  6. Good for you Tiffany!! My parents taught me how to cook and I taught my kids how to cook…and none of this pre-made and frozen stuff. The right place to start is with the kids learning to eat the right stuff and enjoying being in the kitchen cooking. Let them have fun and don’t worry about the mess.
    You have a great site and you just took up a notch!
    P.S. Mini Chef doesn’t look so mini any more…growing like a weed is he?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Ekim – Thank you! He’ll always be my baby. 🙂

  7. Pamela Baker says:

    I love apricots, and the information regarding recipes that cook for smaller groups (2 of us)! This is a wonderful idea! I am “all in”!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Pamela – Thanks! I’ll definitely be doing more of these. 🙂

  8. I’m a widow and I live alone so I am looking forward to smaller recipes that are more in line with my needs. I am tickled I found your site! Thanks so much for all the work you are doing for the rest of us! =)

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Linda – My pleasure! Welcome! 🙂

  9. Looks great! Why does the corn need to be thawed? Wouldn’t it cook from frozen in 4-6 hours? Thanks 🙂

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Cherie – It would. But putting frozen food in a slow cooker is generally not recommended for food safety reasons. At least that was the last FDA claim. It might have changed since I last looked it up….

  10. Just made this and it was AMAZING!!! I can’t believe how delicious and full of flavour for such an easy meal. I might try with the apple butter (from your site) instead or apricot jam or even with fresh apricots. Yum yum yum!!!!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Mrs.O – I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂

  11. Hi! I was just wondering what kind of clean salsa you buy? I live in Canada where we don’t have whole foods (and Amazon is not nearly as well-stocked), so I just want to know what I should be on the hunt for. Thanks!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Amy – It’s hard for me to say since you are in another country. I don’t know what is and isn’t available to you. Unless you make your own, the only thing you can do is spend a little time reading labels at the grocery store. And if you need any help with that, this article should help you figure things out: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/reading-labels-for-clean-eating/ I hope that helps!

  12. Do you know anything about pressure cookers? I’d like to use it for recipes like this to save on time.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Helen – No, I’m sorry. I’ve never used one.

  13. Laurel Wycoff says:

    I use Newman’s Own Mild Salsa in my clean eating recipes. It has a low sodium content

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Laurel – And is it clean?

  14. Lila Berma says:

    Couldn’t see the “clean” salsa in your recipe and don’t exactly know what you mean by clean. I use mostly organic foodstuffs when I cook. Can you explain “clean” and tell me more about the salsa. Thanks so much..

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Lila – If you are looking for a basic definition of clean eating, here is how I define it: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/what-is-clean-eating/
      When looking at salsas, look at the ingredient list. Each ingredient should be a food you would buy separately to cook with at home. So if it says, tomatoes, onions, chili peppers and vinegar, it’s clean. If it has other preservatives or chemicals added, it would not be clean.