Jul 09 2012

Crock Pot Beer Chicken Recipe – 3 Points +


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Crock Pot Beer Chicken

Got some beer still left over from the 4th of July? Well this Beer Crock Pot Chicken Recipe is the perfect way to use some of it up! Just a few ingredients, plus a bottle of your favorite beer tossed into a crock pot makes some of the most delicious chicken I’ve ever tasted. It’s so simple, yet the end result is delicious. I made my Beer Crock Pot Chicken with Guinness because that is my absolute favorite beer, but any kind will work. Though I made mine using just chicken, you can also add in some veggies if you’d like. And at just 3 Points + per serving, this Weight Watchers Crock Pot Chicken Recipe is an ideal main course. Pair it with your favorite sides (I served Bacon Mashed Potatoes and a Black Bean and Corn Salad). The chicken comes out moist, delicate, and perfectly delicious. This would make a great, easy Weight Watchers Fourth of July Recipe or Super Bowl Recipe too. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Beer Chicken

A wonderful and easy Chicken Crock Pot Recipe that tastes great and has just 3 Points +. This Slow Cooker Beer Chicken also makes a great Weight Watchers Super Bowl Recipe idea.

Ingredients

  • 2lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 8 breasts, 4oz ea)
  • 1 bottle or can of your favorite beer (I used Guinness)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in the crock pot, and cook on high for 4-5 hrs, or low for 6-8 hrs.
  2. Feel free to change out the spices and herbs and use whatever you’d like.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 6 hour(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 8

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1 chicken breast
Each serving = 3 Points +

PER SERVING: 143 calories; 3g fat; 1.5g carbohydrates; 23g protein; 0g fiber

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This entry was posted by on Monday, July 9th, 2012 at 8:42 am and is filed under 3 Point, 4th of July, American, Chicken, Crock Pot, Dinner, Low Calorie, Main Dish, Super Bowl Recipes.

  • Nikki Newberry

    I made this using bone in chicken thighs, but I took the skin off. I used Guinness, 4 cloves of fresh garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes and 2 teaspoons of mixed French herbs. After the chicken was done I took it off the bone and added water and chicken Bisto to make gravy and then served it over mashed potatoes for the non-dieters and sautéed cabbage for myself (the dieter). We all loved it and the flavour was fabulous!

  • Nikki Newberry

    If you add the corn starch that is just an extra 60 calories for 2 tablespoons, I figured out calories, not points because I don’t do weight watchers, I do 5:2, and it came out to 250 calories per serving using 10 skinless, but bone in, chicken thighs and a can of Guinness.

  • JeffreyT

    Any root veg should hold up well. Potatoes should be fine too, unless they cook too long.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kevin.mcfadden.921 Kevin McFadden

    I would recommend adjusting the recipe as follows:

    1. Use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs instead of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. You can remove the skin, bones, and fat after the chicken is cooked.

    2. Cut up vegetables (as if you were making pot roast) and place them in the crock pot with the beer first. They will take longer to cook than the chicken (especially if you use potatoes).

    3. Season and brown the chicken in a skillet before placing in it a crock pot.

    4. Start checking the chicken for doneness after 2 hours. Add the herbs when the chicken is almost done.

    5. Use the leftover broth to make a gravy for the chicken and vegetables.

  • VeggieGrettie

    Unfortunately I had a REALLY BAD result with this recipe. I followed it to the T and cooked it EXACTLY as instructed and the result was soooooo dry that my family didn’t eat more than a bite (I am not a meat eater, but my husband and son are). I bought 2 pounds of organic chicken breasts and that set me back $18. Major bummer.

  • http://www.facebook.com/carrie.campbell.9235 Carrie Campbell

    We have done this on the grill. It is awesome. Looking forward to trying it in the crock pot.

  • http://www.facebook.com/madeline.matty.green Matty Green

    Tried this recipe and it blew the lid off the crock pot… Literally, the pressure from the beer blew the lid off and across the countertop. Chicken looked like it had been drowned, and was all wrinkly. It looked nothing like the photo above. Will never cook this again!!!

  • http://twitter.com/asthegirlturns Jennifer O O’Connell

    This turned out great! But in my fashion, I made a few changes that may have made a difference. I only used 5 chicken breasts instead of 8. I used Cayenne Pepper instead of Black Pepper, and all the other spices I did to taste–so way more than 1 tsp the recipe called for. Having done Crock Pot cooking in the past, you need to over do on certain spices in order for them to not get lost. Or do what someone else suggested, and add spices an hour before the end of cooking time–but that kind of defeats the point of putting it in the pot and forgetting about it. I happened to have a leftover can of Guinness (go figure), so I used it–but only about 3/4 since I reduced the number of breasts. I set the Crock Pot on low for about 1.5 hours, then switched it to high for the last three; so all-in-all, I only did 4.5 hours. The breasts were tender and succulent, and VERY flavorful. I also used the gentleman’s recommendation of creating a gravy from the broth, which just added a nice touch. Served it with Quinoa and mixed vegetables. Happy eating!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1253950414 Tim O’Brien

    Chicken was dry. Won’t try this again

  • meanmybabe

    I made this today following all the directions, only substituting Italian seasoning in place of Oregano, adding some onions and using a 16 oz size Corona beer….After 4 hours of cooking on ‘warm’, I checked to see how the chicken was doing and it was already done and very dry !! Maybe if using dark meat it would be better, but white meat just always dries out in the crock pot for me…

  • Katie A

    get redbridge beer. i’m gluten free as well and redbridge is a “dark” beer and would probably work well!

  • http://www.facebook.com/lilac.woodson Lilac Woodson

    It’s because 6 hours is way too long to cook any chicken in the crock pot.
    I’ve made so many crock pot recipes, and they all usually take 4 hours. So, your chicken was dry because it was overcooked.

  • http://twitter.com/elle_dee_see LDC

    I made this last night and it was YUMMY! I used 4 mostly-frozen chicken breasts (huge ones), 2 bottles of Coors Light, a heaping tsp of salt (and some extra sprinkled over the top of each breast), a full tsp of black pepper, a heaping tbsp of garlic powder (cuz we love garlic), a heaping tbsp of dried oregano leaves, one small diced onion. I put all of the ingredients in before the chicken and then ladled the mixture over top of the breasts once they were in the pot. I cooked everything for an hour on High to make sure the breasts thawed, then I turned it down to Low. I cooked it all for 8 hours total (1 on high, 7 on low). There was SO much liquid that at the 6 hour mark I took some out and kept it to add back in if things got too dry. I checked it every half hour then but had no problems. At the 7 hour mark, I turned the breasts over and ladled the juice on top of them. I checked every hour or so to make sure they weren’t getting dry. Used a knife and fork to open one up and slice out a tiny piece for tasting. Once done, served with rice. The meat was SOOO juicy and flavourful!! Highly recommended.

  • Bugito

    Wish I had read all these comments first. . Chicken was overlooked and bland. Would not make it again.. I even added carrots then peas at the end.

  • MomCat

    Pmil, I did exactly the same thing. Chicken salad that had bitter overtones.Even though I cut the oregano in half, then substituted other with half basil, oregano was still too overpowering. The picture looks so good, but all I got was dark brown boiled chicken breast. I used Sam Adams seasonal ale, “Old Fezziwig” and we have chicken salad all week. :(

  • JuliabVT

    delicious, thanks for the recipe! I also made a gravy out of my leftover ‘broth’. How would I go about figuring out those points?

  • http://www.facebook.com/baristablair Blair Kreiger

    I made this tonight for the first time. It was outstanding! I used Guinness and only cooked it for 6 1/2 hours on low (any longer and I think it would have been dry). That Guinness gravy idea is genius! Will try that next time! Also, hubby thought it might be good with a little lemon juice added in for a citrus kick. A+ from me!

  • balooney2

    To get the browning as in the picture above, you could take the chicken out while making the gravy or sides and place under the broiler for a couple minutes (remember to baste before or you will dry it out), just to brown the outside….

  • momof6

    I used Guinness (as suggested) NOT a good choice for us. Won’t be making this again. The chicken was fall apart tender, but the taste was way too bitter.

  • AlliB

    Could this work with a mulled cider like woodchuck? I am gluten free so beer recipes are hard…

  • http://twitter.com/_FireBugWife Amanda Davis

    My chicken was terribly dry as well… Had to choke it down. Very disappointed since it smelled so good cooking! Tossing this recipe!

  • Donkey

    Came out bland? You used Bud, what did you expect…? Not trying to be rude, but I mean, really, it’s bizarre to think any American light lager is going to contribute much, if any, flavor.

  • k

    Any idea of Points for the gravy?

  • Marg

    I used Blue Moon Pale Ale, the seasonings from the recipe along with Mrs. Dash salt free table seasoning and some red pepper flakes and served it with sweet potatoe hash browns, so delicious. Thank you for the recipe.

  • MsFoodie

    I cooked my chicken on low for 3 hours in my crock pot and it came out slightly dry. I recommend cooking on a low heat and checking the meat for readiness after 2 hrs. Certainly not a recipe I would leave unattended for 6 hrs while at work.

  • Tara N

    This was pretty bland and the chicken was dry.. I cooked it at low and it was done within 3-4 hours– I then turned it down to warm because it would have been way over cooked. I even put a little extra seasoning and it was still bland :/ if I make it again, I will use thighs instead of breasts.

  • CJ

    This was horrible! My chicken turned into jerkey and wasn’t even a little bit edible. I may try it again with a shorter cooking time but I kind of doubt it. I followed the recipe to the letter and even used a very trustworthy crock pot so I’m not sure what happened but I did not have good results and ended up throwing the entire thing away.

  • laaloosh

    Great question! The browned bits are just the spices I coated the chicken with, which blackened when cooking. Other than that, yes, it is just plain, skinless boneless chicken breast. The long cook in the beer helped to keep in tender and moist.

  • DaveS

    I’m just seeing this recipe. Is the picture really plain boneless, skinless chicken breasts? It looks like there is something else, eg, skin, onion, or something that makes up all those browned ‘bits’

    Recipe sounds very good, but someone mentioned they can’t see how the chicken can brown while seeping in beer. I’m wondering the same thing. Does the chicken, the way you gave the instructions, come out moist?

  • Nancy

    K=I made this last night!! Really good! Thank you so much for the recipe. I followed the recipe except I used thigh meat instead. Came out so moist and actually, it looked like the picture!! I think next time I make it, I am goign to try garlic salt too!

  • goddess63

    I tried this with boneless/skinless thighs and thought it was pretty good. I used a locally brewed dark ale since I didn’t have any Guinness on hand. I added some fresh rosemary and thyme as well and I cut the amount of oregano in half. I also added fresh carrots and frozen peas (carrots about halfway into the cooking and the peas the last 15 minutes). I thickened the gravy too, which really helps. But my chicken ended up shredded when it was all done, which was fine. This is definitely a keeper, though next time I’ll change it up by using beef or even lamb (yes, I know that changes the weight watchers points but I’m also going for flavor!). All in all this is a really nice recipe that’s incredibly easy to play with. :)

  • jkwild

    Although I am a little late for this post, I thought…hmmm, I don’t even have beer left over on the 5th of July! Thanks @hongryhawg:disqus for the laugh this morning!

  • daveg

    Choose a firm robust potato like whole or halved small red potatoes; they should hold up better with the longer cooking times.

  • Pmil

    Very disappointed with the recipe. My chicken looked had no color whatsoever…….looked nothing like the photo. How can it possibly brown while floating in beer? I also agree with another poster who said the amount of oregano was way to much. I ended up removing as much of it as I could from the chicken pieces and made chicken salad.

  • Tessa

    Awesome chicken. I used Guinness as as suggested. It was a hit with my guests.

  • Brenda

    This was crazy good! My 13 year old daughter had fourths! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipes with us. It will definitely be made again and again. :)

  • YiaYia

    I used a whole chicken. Easy and tasty. Makes wonderful left overs with the balance shredded and used or tacos with the corn relish.

  • BeavisBob

    Agreed. The oregano is way too powerful. Don’t think a tablespoon is needed. Maybe 1/2 a tsp. Thinking more garlic, pepper, a little kick of lemon pepper or even some chicken grill seasonings.

  • Jack

    Try tarragon.

  • KatCurlee

    Yea, I had the same results. I think I’ll use bone-in meat next time. probably better. I’m sitting here eating super dry meat and feel like another failed crock pot chicken recipe has just gone down the drain… :(

  • Angela

    I made this last night and found it to be extremely dry, we couldn’t even finish eating it :(

  • laaloosh

    Mine didn’t, and I used Guinness, which is a strong beer. All the alcohol cooks off, so the remaining taste is beautifully mild.

  • Tracy

    Does the chicken have a strong beer taste?

  • http://www.facebook.com/jcgee88 John Gee

    Tried this last night. I followed the recipe, with these exceptions: used Bud instead of Guiness (Bud was what I had on hand); added 1/2 C chopped onions and a chopped carrot; used chicken leg quarters instead of breasts. The texture of the chicken was good, and the aroma of this dish cooking all day was great! However, it tasted bland, and if I were going to make it again, I would follow the reader suggestion to add the spices towards the end of the cooking not the beginning. The crockpot cooking method also results in a lot of broth, and it would be good if the recipe had some way of converting that to a sauce and then incorporating the sauce into the final dish.

  • Jessabelle

    Has anyone tried this while a whole chicken?

  • Mal

    Made with thigh meat and recipe was to die for. Also added mushrooms and parsnips made very good flavor dusted the top with powdered chicken broth for an added kick! Five stars!!!….

  • Jcasty

    Made this for dinner tonight… I added some minced garlic (no garlic powder to be found when I went to get it). Plain old yuengling light for the beer, and some other spices. Cooked on low from 9-5, and since I knew it’d be in a while, I added a bit of chicken broth I had in the fridge. Thanks so much for the recipe, because wow is this tasty! Almost no effort on the front end, and a wonderful dinner when we all got home from work and afterschool activities! Yum & thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Redbourn/100002266741122 Michael Redbourn

    Never add herbs and/or spices to a crock pot until about an hour or so before the end of the cooking time.

    If you put them in before that the meal (any crock pot meal) will be bland.

  • hongryhawg

    Beer left over from the 4th of July? I don’t even have beer left over from Columbus Day (yesterday).

  • victoryman

    I also used Newcastle….double delicious. I added two Texas style sausages to the recipe for additional flavor and served the chicken with sliced sausage…..enjoyed by all.

  • kelly

    Can I use something other than beer? I am allergic to alcohol. I don’t get to try many dishes because of this allergy. If someone can recommend something, maybe I can enjoy it, as well. Thank you! :)

  • tina

    Ok, so I wouldn’t recommend this for a “cook while you’re at work” dish. I also wouldn’t recommend it iwth breast meat. Though my pot shut off at the prescribed time, I came home to dry chicken with a very strange texture. The flavor was ok, but, for chicken that basically braised (sat in liquid) for 8 hours, it was almost inedibly dry. I”m going to try it again with bone-in thighs and less cook time and see if that helps.

  • http://twitter.com/StayingSaneHome Elizabeth Dodds

    This is in the crockpot right now! I added a few spices and used Shiner Bock, our fave household beer. :) Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Love fix it and forget it meals on junior high football game nights.

  • jaime

    I made this this this morning and used coors light (it is all we had, haha) hope it is just as good as you all are saying. !!

  • Nicole

    I made this in the crock pot and used frozen chicken breasts. I added another half a can of beer because it was on low for 10 hours and I was worried it would dry up. It was too much beer. I recommend only one can if you are using frozen. It was very good and I will definitely make it again, just with less beer!

  • Jess

    Thanks! I actually ended up getting three boneless/skinless breasts, but they were huge- total of 2.61 lbs! They were done after about 3 hrs 15 min on high, put them on low while I made sides. The gravy idea someone mentioned earlier was very good! I put about 1 1/2 Tbs of cornstarch, brought to a boil, then simmered for a few minutes, and poured it over the chicken and also the mashed taters. Delicious, thanks!

  • laaloosh

    By a bit, but not too much. Just check the chicken, and as soon as it cooked through and gets to the point of falling apart, then it’s ready.

  • laaloosh

    Yes, this was in a 6 quart slow cooker. There was plenty of room for veggies, but depending on how many you add, you may need to use some extra beer.

  • http://www.facebook.com/BeerLuver Bob Hartl

    Was this in a 6 quart slow-cooker? If so, how much room was leftover for veggies then? I want to try & make this with maybe baby red potatoes or diced sweet potatoes (maybe even Yukon golds if small sized), baby carrots, celery, corn, & peas. I’m thinking maybe add the veggies in about 90 mins. prior to serving? Think that would be long enough? They’ll be canned peas & corn & the rest of the veggies would be fresh, not frozen.

    Thanks for sharing the recipe though. Sounds delicious :)

  • Jess

    This looks delicious! If I half the recipe, do I cut the time down? I’m not the most experienced in the kitchen, so pardon the possibly very dumb question! :)

  • laaloosh

    GREAT question! I haven’t tried leaving it in that long myself, but I would def use some extra beer…maybe another half bottle. And I think using the frozen chicken would help a bit too. Let us know how it goes!!

  • molpel

    Warning: possible dumb question ahead…..I want to make this tomorrow, but the chicken would most likely be in the crock for about 12 hours before dinner. Do you recommend then to throw it in frozen or will thawed be fine on low for 12 hours? As it might be in for that length of time, would you also recommend more beer to keep it moist or would 1 bottle still be sufficient?

  • http://www.facebook.com/julie.pinta Julie Hodina Pinta

    I liked the chicken, but the oregano was overpowering… next time I’m gonna experiment with the spices… I’m thinking rosemary instead of oregano. The bacon mashed potato side dish was a hit and sprinkling some cheddar was delish, but the corn salad is really more like salsa and we are gonna eat it with chips instead.

  • cheryl

    What kinds of veggies could i put in here with out them getting mushy also could I cook potatoes right in there with the chicken like you do with a pot roast or will it make them taste funny??

  • Melosis

    I meant frozen meat!! LOL

  • Melosis

    One thing you have to keep in mind when using frozen meet in the crock pot is you will have more liquid as the meat thaws, so may want to add less liquid initially.

  • laaloosh

    I used thawed, but haven’t tried frozen, so I don’t know if that would work or not.

  • Mamichelle

    Do you start with thawed or frozen chicken breasts? I need to make for the weekend. Thanks!

  • Taysha Riggs

    I made this with Sapporo and some leftover veggies that I threw in– YUMMY! So tender. Next time I’ll try the guiness :)

  • Nicole

    Does the chicken need to be thawed before putting in the crockpot?

  • http://www.facebook.com/KristinaGoad Kristina Goad

    I made this tonight with Newcastle (couldn’t find an individual can/bottle of Guinness) and it was delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe :)

  • laaloosh

    Mmmmmmm!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Guiness gravy idea!! Fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing. Me + Guinness = BFF.

  • Ashton Christie

    My chicken was done in 3 hours. Some slight differences in what I did…1st chicken breast only had 3 were frozen, so started 1st hour on high then went to low setting. Is the fact that I had less chicken the reason for a faster cooking time…new to crock pot cooking. I have a 6 qt Revel crock pot if it matters.

  • Becky Barnes SINGLER

    I made this for the family today and it was so yummy! I used Guiness (Guiness makes everything better) and the same seasonings in the recipe. When the chicken was done, I removed most of the “broth” and put it in a small sauce pan and thickened it up with a cornstarch slurry. Then I poured the “gravy” back over the chicken and kept it warm until we were ready to eat. Served it over mashed potatoes. Definitely will make this dish again. Thanks for sharing it!

  • lisa

    Just discovered your site. Awesome recipes! Thank you so much. And thanks for including gluten free stuff. I am going to make this one with gluten free beer.

  • laaloosh

    The color of the chicken will depend on the kind of beer you use. I used Guinness, which is very dark. It was sooooo yummy! If you use thighs, the Points + value will probably increase by a Point or two.

  • Sandy

    How does the chicken get so nice and brown, as in the picture? Also, could you use boneless skinless thighs, and how much would that increase the point value? Thanks!

  • MamaC

    You don’t have to worry about giving it to kids, the alcohol with boil off. I cook with beer in my crockpot all the time.

  • Tiny Coconut

    Since it’s in the closed crock pot…does the alcohol boil off, or is this something you need to be careful with kids/people who can’t have alcohol? (This is probably a VERY stupid question, but I’m asking it nonetheless.)
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