April Comfort in a Bowl: Just 5 ingredients. I make it when I want dinner handled hours ahead on rainy spring afternoons.

This 5-ingredient slow cooker April Showers Chicken is my go-to when the sky turns gray and I want dinner quietly taking care of itself all afternoon. Everything goes into the slow cooker in minutes, then it bubbles away into tender pulled chicken under a caramelized golden-orange crust from the sweet chili glaze. It’s simple, cozy, and made for those rainy Midwestern spring days when you’d rather listen to the storm than fuss over the stove.

I like to spoon this saucy pulled chicken into bowls over hot mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, then drizzle a little extra sauce from the slow cooker on top. It’s also great piled onto toasted buns or over rice with a side of steamed green beans or a simple salad. For kids, I often serve it with carrot sticks or corn and some warm dinner rolls to soak up the sweet, tangy juices.

Servings: 6

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Lightly spray the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup.

Lay the chicken thighs in an even layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s fine if they overlap a little, but try not to stack them too high in one spot so they cook evenly and shred easily.

In a medium bowl, stir together the orange marmalade, sweet chili sauce, and dry onion soup mix until well combined and mostly smooth. This will be your golden-orange cooking sauce and glaze.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, using a spatula to scrape every bit out of the bowl. Turn the chicken pieces so they’re all well coated in the sauce.

Dot the top of the saucy chicken with the small pieces of butter, spacing them out so they can melt and help the sauce get glossy and caramelized around the edges as it cooks.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart with two forks. You should see the sauce thickening and turning a deeper golden-orange color around the edges, with little bubbling pockets of caramelized glaze and rendered fat on top.

Once the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred it directly in the slow cooker. Stir the shredded chicken into the thickened sauce, scraping up any browned, caramelized bits from the sides of the crock and mixing them in for extra flavor and that rich, glossy look.

Let the shredded chicken sit on WARM for 10 to 15 minutes so it can soak up more of the sauce and the top can stay slightly bubbly and glazed. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt, if needed, before serving hot in bowls with your favorite sides.

For extra heat, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful of hot sauce into the marmalade mixture before pouring it over the chicken. If you prefer a little smokiness, add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. For a slightly less sweet version, use half orange marmalade and half low-sugar apricot preserves. To make it more family-friendly for picky eaters, you can swap sweet chili sauce for mild barbecue sauce; the color will still be golden-orange and the flavor will be familiar, like a cross between BBQ and orange chicken. If you don’t have chicken thighs, boneless, skinless chicken breasts work too—just check for doneness a bit earlier, as they can dry out if overcooked; adding an extra tablespoon of butter can help keep them moist. For a fuller meal in one pot, you can tuck thick-cut carrot chunks or halved baby potatoes under the chicken before adding the sauce, but be sure they’re in contact with the liquid so they cook through. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed chicken, not frozen, to ensure it reaches a safe internal temperature quickly enough in the slow cooker. Cook until the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Keep the lid on during cooking to maintain a safe temperature and avoid extending the cooking time. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot before serving. If reheating in the slow cooker, bring the chicken to a safe temperature on the stove or in the microwave first, then transfer it to the slow cooker just to keep warm.