A Recipe: Crockpot Spanish Braised Chicken

While I was out with Holly last night, she and Noel mentioned how much they liked the Crockpot Spanish Braised Chicken recipe from my food blog, Meals For Real.  I think I am going to start posting some of the most popular recipes from Meals For Real on this site and maybe one day combine them into one blog.  Any thoughts on that idea??

Anyway, Holly and her family make this and eat it as sandwiches on hoagies.  It is such a fantastic, easy, no-stress recipe.

Crockpot Spanish Braised Chicken from A Year of Slow Cooking
1 T of butter (not pictured)
4 large chicken breast halves
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 t dried thyme
3 bell peppers, sliced (I used red and orange)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced in rings
1/2 cup cooking sherry (you could use apple juice)
2 t orange juice
12 large green olives, chopped

Directions: Plug in your crockpot and turn it to low. Add the butter to the bottom of the stoneware insert. Add the chicken--my chicken was frozen, but thawed would work, too. Add all of the dried spices to the chicken. Cut the peppers and onion, and chop or mince the garlic, to add to the mix. Top off with the cooking sherry and orange juice. Chop up the green olives, and sprinkle them on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Here's what you'll need: 

Since this post is from a while back, it makes me a little sad to see that can of baby formula.  We haven't had bottles for a long, long time.  :(

 

My crockpot works more like a slow cooker so I set mine for 10 hours.  I would say 8 hours is a good starting point for yours.

 

Throw in the butter and then your chicken breasts.  Mine were frozen and that is fine.

. .

 I seasoned the chicken with Home Seasoning and then added the thyme. 

 

Slice up the peppers and add them.

Slice up the onion into rings and add to the crockpot.

Chop up the garlic cloves and throw them in.

I didn't have any apple juice but I did have an Apple Harvest Fruitable so I emptied the whole box into it. #10 I also poured in a couple Tablespoons of orange juice at the same time.

Chop up the olives and add them.

Here's what you'll end up with:

The Finished Product: Our Thoughts:

I put this in the crockpot early in themorning and went out for the day. Man, when I walked back in the smell was fantastic. This chicken was really moist and tender and had a great juice with it. The whole time I was eating it I kept thinking that it would taste fantastic as a sandwich.

I served this with mashed potatoes and Scott had a great idea that made it taste even better . . . he poured it over the mashed potatoes and ended up eating 3 helpings of it. I tried it that way, too, and he was right. The juice was great on the potatoes, kind of like a gravy, and it really enhanced all of it.

Let me know how you guys like it!