SLOW COOKER BACON GARLIC CHICKEN BREAST

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless*
• 8-12 slices bacon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)

Optional

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground or to taste
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, minced garlic, and optional salt and pepper.
2. Place the chicken breasts on a plate and rub half of the spice mixture all over the chicken breasts.
3. Wrap each chicken breast with 2-3 slices of bacon, starting and finishing on the bottom of each breast. (The amount of bacon needed depends on the size of your chicken and bacon.)
4. Place the wrapped chicken breasts seam-side down in the crock pot in a single layer, snuggling them in as evenly as possible.
5. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture on top.
6. Cover and seal the lid. Cook on LOW for 3 hours or until an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) is reached**.
7. Optional: After cooking, place under the broiler (about 6 inches from the heating element) for 2-3 minutes to make the bacon crispy and add a nice caramelized color***.
8. Remove chicken to a cutting board or plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Let rest for 5-10 minutes so that you will get clean slices.
9. Garnish with optional parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• *If your chicken is frozen, you need to thaw it before use. For quick thawing, place the frozen chicken breasts in a sealed ziptop bag. Submerge the bag completely in cold tap water for 20 minutes. As the chicken thaws, pull the pieces apart to expedite the process. Replace with fresh cold water and submerge for 10-20 more minutes. Your chicken breasts are now ready to be cooked!
• **Check doneness after 2.5 hours the first time around, as there’s some variation between crockpots. It’s best to insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the middle of the chicken.
• Avoid removing the lid unnecessarily during cooking, as doing so lengthens the cooking time by 15-30 minutes each time.
• This article and recipe adapted from this site