Easy Crockpot Chicken Thighs
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These Crockpot Chicken Thighs are the best you’ll ever taste – super tender and succulent slow cooker chicken thighs with amazing flavor. Serve with veggies and potatoes or rice, then drizzle the thick and delicious gravy on top!
EASY SLOW COOKER CHICKEN THIGHS
This easy recipe produces tender and juicy chicken thighs that are full of flavor after simmering in a brown sugar garlic sauce in the slow cooker.
It’s one of my favorite chicken crockpot meals for busy weeknights and only takes a few minutes of prep. The combination of sweet, garlicky and savory seasoning of these crock pot chicken thighs reminds me of Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Thighs and Slow Cooker Bacon Wrapped Chicken.
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN THIGHS IN A CROCK POT
Cooking chicken in your crockpot is probably one of the easiest slow cookers dinners around! It helps to keep it moist and making the chicken extra tender.
To add extra flavor and crispness to the chicken thighs, brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker. Start by searing in a cast iron skillet on all sides until the skin turns brown (they don’t need to be fully cooked as they will keep cooking in the crockpot).
Add the browned chicken thighs to the slower cooker with carrots, onions and potatoes. Then make the brown sugar garlic sauce and pour the marinade on top.
Once the crock pot chicken is fully cooked and the vegetables are nice and tender, remove them from the crockpot to a serving platter.
HOW TO LONG TO COOK CHICKEN IN CROCK POT
Chicken thigh cook time can fluctuate depending on the sizes and types of your meat.
In this slow cooker chicken recipe, I sautéed my bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for about 7-8 minutes in a skillet, and then place them in my 7-quart crockpot with the sauce. I cooked them for about 5 hours on a low setting until the chicken thighs’ internal temperature reached 165°F ( 74°C) using an instant-read thermometer.
Below is guidance on how long to cook chicken thighs in a crockpot:
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs: 3-4 hours on High or 4-7 hours on Low
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: 2-3½ hours on High or 4-5½ hours on Low
BROWN SUGAR GARLIC SAUCE
What makes this recipe stand out is the brown sugar garlic sauce, which is a perfect combination of sweet and savory flavor. It’s made with a few real ingredients in the sauce: brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce and ketchup. That’s it!
Chicken thighs will absorb flavors from the sauce during the lengthy cooking process and become mouthwateringly tender. You can also turn the sauce into an amazing gravy at the end of the cooking process by adding a cornstarch and water mixture (1:1 ratio).
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TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CROCK POT CHICKEN THIGH RECIPE
- Sear the chicken thighs. Don’t skip this step as it helps to seals in the flavor and creates a beautiful golden color.
- Broil your chicken for a few minutes before serving to give it additional color.
- Customize the vegetables. Swap out carrots and potatoes for your favorites such as sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc.
WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN THIGHS ARE BEST FOR COOKING IN THE CROCKPOT?
Bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs work best for this recipe, as they produce the most juicy and flavorful meat.
DO YOU HAVE TO BROWN THE CHICKEN THIGHS BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE CROCKPOT?
You don’t have to, but we recommend you brown them first because doing so will create a richer flavor in the meat.
CAN YOU PUT FROZEN CHICKEN THIGHS IN THE CROCKPOT?
No, it’s considered unsafe to cook frozen poultry in a crockpot. Let them thaw first before placing them into a slow cooker. You can cook frozen meat in an instant pot or pressure cooker, however.
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs and Veggies
- 4-5 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on, about 1½ - 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 1 pound carrots, peeled
- 1 cup onions, sliced
Brown Sugar Garlic Sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- ½ cup soy sauce, low sodium recommended
- ¼ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, rubbing it into all sides.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and once hot add olive oil.
- Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side.
- Transfer the chicken to the crockpot, and add carrots, potatoes and onions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce and ketchup.
- Pour the sauce mixture on top.
- Cover the lid and cook for 2-4 hours on High or 4-6 hours on Low.
- (Optional) Broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes before serving for additional crispiness and color.
- Remove the chicken and veggies onto serving plates.
- (Optional) Thicken the sauce by adding a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
- Drizzle with sauce and garnish with optional parsley.
Notes
- Avoid over-cooking by checking the chicken at the earliest time of the range.
- If you are making crockpot chicken breasts, follow the same instruction but adjust the cooking time.
- Don’t put the frozen chicken into the crockpot, let it thaw first before cooking.
- Guidance on how long to cook chicken in a crockpot:
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs: 3-4 hours on High or 4-7 hours on Low
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: 2-3½ hours on High or 4-5½ hours on Low
- Bone-in Chicken Breasts: 2-3½ hours on High or 4-5 hours on Low
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: 2-3 hours on High or 3-4 hours on Low
- Whole Chicken (6 lbs): 6-6½ hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
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I followed the recipe exactly as is and it turned out delicious. I cooked it on low in my small crockpot for six hours. the only thing different I did was not add any vegetables until the very last hour – – and then it was only fresh broccoli that I added. I’m definitely making this again. It was so nice to be able to prepare this in the crockpot In the morning around 11am and then get back to my working-from-home routine, knowing six hours later dinner would be done! I made a pot of white rice in the rice cooker as well. So good!
Hi there, Thanks for leaving a comment and glad they turned out to your liking!
Can youbuse skinless boneless chicken thighs?
Hi Tina, You can use boneless skinless thighs, but they don’t have much shape to them after cooking and come out rather flat. For that reason, I recommend bone-in. Hope that helps!
These chicken thighs were delicious and so easy to make in the crockpot! Loved it!
Hi Sam, Glad it turned out and thanks for your comment. The crockpot is definitely the way to go!
I just made this for the first time, can’t wait for the results!!! Hope it tastes as good as it smells 😋