How to Make Inexpensive, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs With Figs in Your Slow Cooker

This easy to make dish is great for a Sunday or special weeknight dinner, and it's a little different from run-of-the-mill chicken dishes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are wrapped in bacon, browned, and then braised in the slow cooker in a savory-sweet sauce that includes onions, garlic, and dried figs. Want to use fresh figs? You can, just let the chicken cook in the slow cooker until almost tender and then add the fresh figs for the last hour or so of cooking time. To keep the sauce interesting, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard brighten up the mix. The thighs come out tender, and the succulent sauce is incredible atop rice, potatoes, or pasta. The recipe also is great because you can get it started and in the slow cooker earlier in the day and have it ready and waiting for dinner with minimum additional fuss. Enjoy!

How to Make Inexpensive, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs With Figs in Your Slow Cooker

Slow Cooked Bacon and Fig Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs -- Serves 4+

2 teaspoons of canola oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

8 slices of bacon

1 medium-large onion, chopped

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or reconstituted "Better than Bullion")

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

8-10 dried figs, stems removed and halved or quartered, depending on the size

2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

1/4 cup of flour whisked with 1/4 cup of water

Chopped parsley (optional)

Spritz the insert of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Heat the oil in a large chef's pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the bacon out flat and place a chicken thigh--opened up flat--on top of each piece of bacon. Roll up the bacon and chicken thighs--jelly-roll-style--and secure the bacon around the chicken thighs with kitchen string or toothpicks. When the oil is hot, add the bacon-wrapped thighs to the pan. Brown the thighs for a few minutes on one side, then flip them to brown the other sides. You want the bacon to brown a bit and the fat to render. Place the bacon wrapped chicken in the slow cooker. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the fat, and add the onion to the chef's pan. Saute the onion for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Then add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute them with the onion for a minute or so. Add the chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, figs, and Dijon to the pan and stir to combine the mixture and loosen the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the flour/water mixture and stir everything together until the sauce thickens a little. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker (it will thin out with the chicken juices as it cooks). Cover the slow cooker, and cook the chicken on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-5 hours or until the chicken is very, very tender. Sprinkle the chicken with a little chopped parsley if you'd like before serving it.

How to Make Inexpensive, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs With Figs in Your Slow Cooker