Make easy slow cooker chicken thighs for a healthy, flavorful dinner perfect for busy weeknights! This budget-friendly main dish is a family favorite that’s perfectly juicy and tangy every time. Pair with Creamy Coleslaw and Oven-Roasted Potatoes for a yummy meal!
I love the convenience of my slow cooker, and as much as I love Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma, Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, and even Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef Roast, sometimes I want WHOLE pieces of meat instead of shredded meat.
Know what I mean?
And by loading up our plates with plenty of sides, and sticking to a cheaper cut of meat, we can have a meal where meat is the star AND still keep things frugal.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN THIGHS
These Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs have been making it to our menu rotation pretty regularly for this exact reason. We get to eat whole pieces of chicken (which my husband LOVES) but cook in the slow cooker – perfect for busy weeknights!
Plus, this particular recipe is SO FLAVORFUL…the simple ingredients turn into a homemade BBQ sauce of sorts, and I always have everything I need in the pantry!
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN THIGHS IN CROCK POT
The ingredient list for making chicken thighs in crock pot is pretty simple and straightforward:
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (you can also use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, but adjust the cooking time – see notes below)
- Ketchup (you can also substitute barbecue sauce)
- Low-sodium soy sauce (I substitute coconut aminos)
- Honey (maple syrup will give you a slightly different, but still delicious, flavor)
- Mustard (any variety will do, but spicy brown mustard is especially yummy!)
- Spices: minced garlic, onion powder, thyme, parsley
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN THIGHS IN SLOW COOKER
Step 1: Place raw chicken thighs in slow cooker in a single layer. It’s okay if the pieces of meat touch, but you don’t want them stacked on top of each other. This recipe calls for 8 chicken thighs, and they fit perfectly in my 6-quart slow cooker.
Step 2: Mix the sauce ingredients together in a large measuring cup. I recommend a 2-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup like this one. You can easily measure and mix what you need and clean just one dish, rather than using several measuring cups and a bowl to mix the sauce in.
Step 3: Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken reads 165F with a meat thermometer.
Step 4: Serve the chicken with the sauce. I like to spoon the sauce over the chicken at the table, but the extra sauce is optional.
DO YOU NEED TO SEAR THE CHICKEN FIRST?
No! I’ve tested this recipe both with searing and without, and it makes such a minimal difference that it’s easier and less messy to skip the searing.
If you WANT to sear the chicken, you can do that in a cast iron skillet with about 1 Tablespoon of healthy cooking fat (coconut oil, lard, avocado oil, etc.) before you load the slow cooker with chicken thighs.
SLOW COOKER WITH CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPE TIPS
If you can’t find bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or simply prefer meat without bones, you can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Boneless meat cooks a bit faster than bone-in, so reduce the cooking time to 4 hours on LOW, or 2 hours on HIGH if you make this substitution.
This recipe is incredibly forgiving if you don’t have a certain ingredient in the pantry. Substitute BBQ sauce for ketchup, dry mustard for prepared mustard, hoisin sauce for soy sauce, or even maple syrup for honey. Each variation will change the flavor just a bit, creating a unique-to-you meal!
Make a thicker sauce by mixing in a cornstarch slurry. After the meat is done cooking, remove it from the slow cooker. Whisk 2 Tbsp water with 1 Tbsp cornstarch and then mix into the remaining juices. Serve the sauce over the chicken.
Store leftovers in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SLOW COOKER CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPE
Enjoy these easy and delicious sides with healthy slow cooker chicken thighs:
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Pan-Roasted Broccoli
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
Or shred your slow cooker boneless chicken thighs and pile them onto Dinner Rolls for some delicious BBQ chicken sliders!
CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE CROCK POT RECIPE FAQS
Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?
Yes! You can put any raw meat in the slow cooker.
How long does it take to cook chicken thighs in crockpot on low?
This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which take longer to cook than chicken breasts. I’m also using bone-in chicken thighs, which adds a bit more to the cooking time than if you were to use boneless.
This chicken thighs in the crock pot recipe calls for a cooking time of 5 hours on low, but you can reduce that to 4 hours if you make slow cooker boneless chicken thighs.
Is it better to cook chicken thighs or breast in a slow cooker?
I like to make crock pot chicken thighs because they turn out juicy and delicious every time. Chicken breast can sometimes turn out dry and overcooked in the slow cooker, or mushy if it is cooked with too much liquid. Chicken thighs are more forgiving with just the right tenderness. If you prefer chicken breast, adjust the cooking time, or check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe for the best results.
MORE YUMMY CROCKPOT CHICKEN RECIPES
- All-Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Fajitas
- Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
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- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 to 5 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours and 10 minutes – 5 hours and 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce (I use coconut aminos)
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 Tbsp mustard (any variety)
- 3 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Place chicken skin-side up in a 6 qt or larger slow cooker. It’s okay if the chicken pieces are touching.
- In a large measuring cup, stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken reads 165F with a meat thermometer.
- Serve warm with the sauce from the slow cooker if desired.
Notes
- If you can’t find bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, or if you simply prefer meat without bones, you can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Boneless meat cooks a bit faster than bone-in, so reduce the cook time to 4 hours on LOW, or 2 hours on HIGH if you make this substitution.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 125
This looks delicious! I’m going to make this today. I like the addition of the orange slices – do they serve a purpose or decoration only?