Cooking chicken thighs in a slow cooker is one of the easiest and most foolproof ways to prepare this tasty and inexpensive cut of chicken. With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can have a hearty, delicious chicken dinner ready with minimal hands-on time.
Why Cook Chicken Thighs in a Slow Cooker?
There are several benefits to using a slow cooker for chicken thighs:
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Not much work is needed—just put everything in the slow cooker, set it, and leave it alone all day.
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Chicken thighs become incredibly tender and juicy due to the slow moist cooking environment.
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You can cook a large batch easily. Slow cookers can fit multiple pounds of chicken thighs.
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Adds lots of flavor as the chicken simmers in sauce or spices all day.
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Frees up your oven or stovetop for cooking other dishes if making a larger meal.
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Keeps your kitchen cool, avoiding heating up the oven on hot days.
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Allows you to start dinner early so it’s ready when you are. Just prep in the morning and set the slow cooker before heading out.
Tips for Cooking Chicken Thighs in a Slow Cooker
If you use a slow cooker to cook chicken thighs, make sure you follow these steps:
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Choose bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The skin and bone help the meat stay juicy and taste good. Skinless boneless thighs can dry out.
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Brown the chicken thighs first for crispy skin and richer flavor. Quickly sear the thighs in a skillet before placing in the slow cooker.
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Cook with a sauce or liquid like salsa, barbecue sauce, chicken broth, etc. This prevents drying and creates a delicious finished sauce.
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Add veggies like potatoes, carrots, onions to cook alongside the chicken. They soak up all the flavor.
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Resist the urge to constantly open the lid. Opening lets heat escape and can lead to improperly cooked chicken.
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Allow leftovers to cool before refrigerating. Don’t place the piping hot crock straight into the fridge.
Simple Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh Recipes
These easy chicken thigh recipes result in fall-off-the-bone tender chicken with wonderful sauces using only a few ingredients:
Mediterranean Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs cooked in a tangy sauce of olives, tomatoes, garlic, and white wine. Serve over pasta or rice.
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs braised in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. Quick to prepare and so delicious!
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs infused with the classic spicy, aromatic flavors of Jamaica like allspice, thyme, habanero peppers.
BBQ Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs smothered in bold and sticky homemade barbecue sauce. The sauce thickens into a finger-licking glaze.
Chicken Thighs in Red Wine Sauce – Chicken braised with onion, garlic, and red wine with hints of rosemary and thyme. Elegant yet easy!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
This basic method can be used as a template for most slow cooker chicken thigh recipes:
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Pat 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
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Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
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Place browned chicken thighs in a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with aromatics like garlic, onion, herbs.
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Pour 1 1⁄2 cups braising liquid like broth, barbecue sauce, salsa over the chicken.
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Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours until chicken thighs are fork tender.
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Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker. Thicken the sauce if desired using a cornstarch slurry.
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Serve chicken thighs garnished with parsley and spoon braising liquid over the top. Enjoy!
So simple and so tasty. With just a few ingredients and 10 minutes prep time in the morning, you can come home after a long day to a fabulous home-cooked chicken dinner ready and waiting for you. Slow cooker chicken thighs are sure to become a regular rotation in your dinner menu.
How To Make Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs
- EVOO: Choose your favorite brand or look at our list of the best (and worst!) olive oil brands.
- As for the chicken thighs, you can use either boneless or bone-in thighs for this recipe.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: To keep the sauce (and your chicken) from getting too salty, I suggest using low-sodium soy sauce.
- You might think ketchup is an odd thing to add, but trust me—it’s a simple way to thicken the sauce and add a sharp sweetness.
- Honey: Honey gives our sauce a caramelized sweetness that really makes it whole.
- If you don’t want your garlic to stand out too much in the sauce, mince it well. For me, 3 cloves is the right amount, but you can change it if you need to.
- Minced fresh ginger: This may seem like an extra step, but it gives the sauce a lot of new flavor and zing.
- Sriracha: I like spicy food, so I add some Sriracha here. You can cut down on the amount or leave it out completely if you don’t like it.
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice gives the dish a bright citrus taste and makes it taste better overall.
First, we’re going to sear our chicken thighs in a large skillet over medium heat. Heat the oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden. Searing the chicken thighs may seem like an annoying step, but trust me—its worth it. Once golden on both sides, transfer to the slow cooker.
Then, we’ll create our sauce by whisking together soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, Sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl. Once combined, pour the sauce over the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Give the chicken a toss to fully combine in the sauce until coated.
If you have time, cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. If you need dinner on the table faster, cook on high for 2 hours. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.
Once done, serve the chicken however you please! I love to serve it over white rice with plenty of the sauce spooned over, but you do you.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
- Searing the chicken. Even though the chicken skin loses some of its crispiness in the slow cooker, this makes it nice and crispy. It also caramelizes the fat, which makes it taste even better. If you dont want to do it, thats totally fine. You can just throw the chicken in the slow cooker.
The Best Ever Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs You’ll Ever Make! – Sweet Caramelized Onion Chicken Recipe
FAQ
How long do you cook chicken thighs in a slow cooker?
Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Whisk soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, and basil together in a bowl; pour over chicken thighs. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours.
Is chicken thigh better in a slow cooker?
Best suited to stews, curries, barbeques or bakes, chicken thighs benefit from slower cooking times that tenderise the meat while infusing plenty of flavour. If you’ve got a slow-cooker, then using it to cook chicken thighs is a great idea.