Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Chicken

Jun 16, 2023Updated Jun 03, 2025

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This Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Chicken is sweet, tangy, and full of rich flavor thanks to a simple marinade that cooks right into the meat. It takes just minutes to prep and makes a great weeknight dinner

Brown sugar chicken breasts in a slow cooker on a spatula.

If you love dump-and-go recipes, try this 3-ingredient brown sugar chicken. This unique recipe is my family’s favorite and makes you look forward to chicken again in the crockpot.

Ingredients for brown sugar chicken on a table.

Key Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients Brown Sugar Chicken. The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images.

Italian dressing – Adds tang, herbs, and just the right amount of acidity
Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Stay tender and soak up all the flavor
Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness and helps create a rich, caramelized glaze

overhead shot of brown sugar chicken in a black slow cooker.

Cook’s Notes

Dressing Swap: If you want to use dry Italian dressing mix, follow the directions on the packet (with vinegar and water) then use the amount of dressing in the recipe.

Thighs: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.

Veggie Addition: If you want to add vegetables, great options are sliced onion, carrots and small diced potatoes.

Brown sugar chicken breasts, done cooking in a crock pot.

How to serve

Serve the chicken whole or shredded with the brown sugar sauce drizzled over the top.
We love it served over steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. For side dishes, try crockpot mac and cheese, slow cooker collard greens, or corn on the cob.
You can also pile the shredded chicken onto toasted buns for easy sandwiches.

plate with rice and a brown sugar chicken breast.

Featured Comment

Made this tonight with 2 chicken breasts, and I also used Wishbone Italian Salad dressing. I also used 1/3 cup of brown sugar and it turned out really delicious! Thank you for this wonderfully easy recipe that makes weeknight dinners simple and tasty. Will be adding this to my meal plan rotation!
– CS

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