Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

This is a delicious recipe that is easy to prepare - and uses your crock pot! If you ask me, crock pots are magic - you fill it up, go away, and when you come back, dinner!

For this recipe, combine brown sugar, cider vinegar, lemon-lime soda, minced garlic, soy sauce and pepper. I use a measuring cup, adding the liquid ingredients first. (I try to dirty as few dishes as possible!)

Pour just a bit of the sauce into your crock pot, just to coat the bottom. Add a whole chicken that has been cut into serving pieces. If you're brave, you'll cut it yourself. If you're me, you'll buy "pick of the chick" and it will already be in pieces. (Why is it called pick of the chick? You're getting all the pieces, not just the ones you pick... oh well, I digress...)

Then pour the rest over the top. The chicken will be so happy, swimming in all that garlic.



Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 or less. Chicken cooks really quickly in the crock pot, so the first time you make this you might want to check it after the first few hours.

I've also made this with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it is really good that way too. It just cooks much more quickly, probably 3-4 hours on low.

After the chicken is done, you may want to take some of the sauce from the crock pot to make a gravy. (You should want to, it's good.) Ladle about 1/2 the sauce from the crock pot into a saucepan. Combine 2 T cornstarch with 1/3 c water and stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the thickener, and stir and boil until it is thick enough to your liking. (Supposedly, you can do this in a crock pot, but I've never been able to get it to work. So I use the stove top.)

Serve the chicken with the sauce over the top, with rice or noodles or potatoes to soak up the garlicky goodness!

Find more great uses for your crock pot at the Crock Pot Fest hosted by Bailey's Leaf.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

1 large chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar (I use cider)
1/2 cup Sprite or 7-Up
2-3 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1/3 cup water for thickening

Combine brown sugar through pepper in a 2-cup measuring cup. Stir well until brown sugar is dissolved. Pour a little into the crock pot, just enough to coat the bottom of the crock. Add the chicken pieces to the crock pot and cover with remaining brown sugar mixture.

Cover; cook on low 6 hours or on high 4 hours.

When chicken is done, remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Ladle 1/2 the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch with water and mix well until cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the boiling sauce, and stir and boil until it is as thick as you desire.

Serve sauce over the chicken.