Name: Slow Cooker Peach Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 370 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup onion (puréed); 2 tsp garlic, (crushed); 1 29-ounce can of sliced peaches, (drained); 1/2 cup peach jam or preserves; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tsp chicken bouillon; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground white pepper (black pepper may be substituted); 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger; 2 lbs chicken thighs, (about 8 pieces); 2 tbsp sesame seeds, (optional, for garnish)

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Scents of ginger, peach, onions, and garlic fill the home as the slow cooker does its magic. The tantalizing aroma of peach chicken is unmistakable, as are the reactions from everyone in my family. They know what’s coming, and nobody will late for dinner – guaranteed.

A white plate with rice and peaches with chicken on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and half of a peach on it.

Even the most passionate of cooks deserve to hit the “easy button” every now and then. And there are few recipes easier than this one! Just a teeny bit of prep work, and then the slow-cooker takes over.

This chicken recipe is simple to make, but the end results are incredible. Juicy, and flavorful chicken with a sweet and tangy ginger-peach sauce. And while the fruit and meat combination of chicken and peaches might sound odd, remember how much everyone loves dishes like orange chicken, pork chops and applesauce, or turkey and cranberries. Same energy.

A close up with a white plate with rice and peaches with chicken. There is a blue and pink cloth with half of a peach on it.

This is great year-round dish. Peaches are a classic Summer fruit, but because the recipe calls for canned peaches, this recipe is consistently delicious in the fall, winter, and spring, too.

To keep the “easy” theme going, serve this chicken and peach recipe with a side of couscous, rice pilaf or butter noodles. Hearty, simple, and delicious. But if you want to tell everyone you slaved over a hot stove all day long, that’s between you and your crock pot.

A white plate with chicken, rice and peaches on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and a peach on it.

INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED

This super easy chicken has a sauce made from onion, canned sliced peaches, peach jam, corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken bouillon, salt, white pepper, and fresh grated ginger. It’s slow cooked with chicken thighs and garnished with sesame seeds.

HOW TO MAKE PEACH CHICKEN

Purée 1/3 of an onion in a food processor or blender until you have ¼-cup of purée.
Use a garlic press to crush 2-3 peeled cloves of garlic, giving you 2 teaspoons. If you don’t have a garlic press, peel your garlic and lay it on a cutting board. Then carefully crush it by pressing down on it with the flat side of a kitchen knife.
Add all ingredients (except the chicken and sesame seeds) to a bowl and stir together to form your sauce.
Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook for 6 hours on high.
Top with sesame seed garnish and serve.

A white plate with rice and peaches with chicken thighs on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and half of a peach on it on a white marble counter.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME AND FREEZE IT?

Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead recipe. Follow the same steps, but put sauce and chicken together in a 1-gallon freezer bag. Freeze. When it’s time to cook, remove bag of frozen ingredients from freezer and empty into a slow cooker. Cook 6 hours on high.

A resealable bag with raw chicken and sauce in it with the words peachy keen ginger thighs written in black on it on a whit marble cutting board.

CAN YOU USE FRESH OR FROZEN PEACHES INSTEAD OF CANNED PEACHES?

This recipe works best with canned peaches for a few reasons. The long cooking time in the slow cooker can break down fresh or frozen peaches, giving you a slurry with no chunks. Canned peaches are pre-cooked, and stand up better to extended cooking times. Also, peaches can vary in flavor throughout the year. A life-changing peach in August gives way to a meh peach in December. Canned peaches are consistently sweet all year long. They’re basically foolproof.

Some other great peach recipes Peach Cobbler and Fresh Peach Pie.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS WITH CHICKEN BREASTS INSTEAD OF THIGHS?

You absolutely can! Crock pots are very forgiving, so you don’t have to worry about changing the temperature or cooking time if you use chicken breasts instead of things. The end result, however, may be a little less moist if you opt for lean white meat chicken.

A white bowl with white rice and peaches with cooked thighs on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and half of a peach on it.

WHAT SIDE DISHES GO WITH SLOW COOKER PEACH CHICKEN?

This meal is amazing with white rice, which soaks up that delicious peach sauce. Rice pilaf or butter noodles are great, too. You could even serve with Bombay Potatoes or Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, depending on whether you want to keep things simple or incorporate extra cooking steps. If you’re feeling really ambitious, use the time while the chicken is cooking to make these Vintage Brown Buttered Homemade Noodles.

WHAT VEGETABLE GOES WITH PEACH CHICKEN?

I like to serve a colorful plate, so I’d recommend broccoli, green beans, or peas to contrast with the orange-yellow of the chicken and peaches. That being said, a side of steamed carrot slices with little of the peach sauce drizzled on top is magnificent!

A white plate with rice and peaches with chicken on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and half of a peach on it with a white marble background.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

The slow-cooking process makes the chicken separate from the bone easily, so use a gentle touch when removing the chicken thighs from the crockpot. This allows each piece of chicken to stay beautifully intact when serving.

Make your thighs look extra pretty by broiling them for a couple minutes right before serving.

If you plate each person’s food individually, be sure everyone gets 2-3 peach slices. This “announces” the flavors of the meal, much like when you garnish lemon chicken with a lemon wheel.

A centered white plate with rice and cut cooked peaches with chicken on it. There is a blue and pink cloth with a gold fork and half of a peach on it.

WHAT OTHER RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE WITH CHICKEN?

Make this delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Create this Seriously Easy Chicken Pot Pie.
Make this Heritage Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings.
Prepare these Chicken Enchiladas.
Make these Asian Lettuce Chicken Wraps.

The next time you make this recipe, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

Slow Cooker Peach Chicken Thighs

Moist and tender chicken thighs in a sweet, juicy homemade ginger-peach sauce, served with rice and topped with sesame seeds. This incredibly tasty chicken requires just 3 easy steps. So simple to make, it’s almost like having a night off from cooking. Let your slow cooker do the work! A perfect make-ahead meal for your freezer.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Peach Chicken, Slow Cooker Peach Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Karrie

Ingredients

1/4 cup onion puréed
2 tsp garlic, crushed
1 29-ounce can of sliced peaches, drained
1/2 cup peach jam or preserves
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper black pepper may be substituted
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 lbs chicken thighs, about 8 pieces
2 tbsp sesame seeds, optional, for garnish

Instructions

Purée 1/3 of an onion in a food processor or blender until you have ¼-cup of purée.
Use a garlic press to crush 2-3 peeled cloves of garlic, giving you 2 teaspoons. If you don’t have a garlic press, peel your garlic and lay it on a cutting board. Then carefully crush it by pressing down on it with the flat side of a kitchen knife.
Add all ingredients (except the chicken and sesame seeds) to a bowl and stir together to form your sauce.
Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook for 6 hours on high.
Top with sesame seed garnish and serve.

FROM FROZEN:

Empty contents from freezer bag into a crock pot and cook 6 hours on high.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with rice or butter noodles.

Notes

Use a gentle touch when removing the chicken thighs from the crockpot. This allows each piece of chicken to stay beautifully intact when serving.