easy slow cooker chicken thigh recipes
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Chicken Thighs cooked in the crock pot make a mouthwatering recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight or lazy weekends! Juicy chicken coated in a thick rich sauce flavored with garlic, honey, and soy sauce is a slow cooker hit.
Are you ready for one of the easiest and most delicious chicken recipes you’ll ever make in the slow cooker? Well, here it is!
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs is a recipe creation that’s been on repeat in my kitchen for the past several weeks. It’s uncomplicated yet has a combination of flavors that go perfectly together. As the chicken cooks low and slow, the simple 8-ingredient sauce infuses the perfect amount of sweet and savory flavors making this a recipe you will love.
Ingredients For This Recipe:
- Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- Ketchup
- Soy Sauce
- Honey
- Onion Powder
- Dried Mustard
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
Do You Need To Sear The Chicken First?
For this recipe, it’s really best to get a good sear on the chicken. It helps impart extra flavor. I use a cast iron skillet (get it screaming hot) to brown the chicken. Work in 2 batches so that the chicken does not touch while you’re searing the skin.
Substitutions For This Recipe
- If you can’t find bone-in, skin-on thighs at the store, you can use boneless, skinless thighs. I recommend still searing to impart extra flavor before adding the chicken to the crock pot.
- Change up the flavors if you want. Add-in some extra spice with red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeñpos. Mix in grated fresh ginger and sprinkle on sesame seeds for an Asian flair.
- Replace the ketchup with your favorite BBQ sauce and add in smoked paprika.
How To Store Leftovers
The cooked chicken and any leftover sauce store well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store in a resealable container then reheat before serving.
These chicken thighs coated with all that yummy rich sauce go really well with any side dish that can soak up all the juicy goodness in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in a fresh veggie or salad and dinner is served!
What To Serve With Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Herb Rice
- Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits Casserole
- Instant Pot Parmesan Noodles
- Skillet Green Beans
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!
- Skillet Chicken Spaghetti
- Balsamic Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken Sliders
Last but not least…
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How to Make Slow Cooker Thighs
- Place chicken thighs in a slow cooker (5 to 7 quart).
- Mix sauce ingredients: In a mixing bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
- Pour mixture evenly over chicken thighs in slow cooker.
How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs in Crock Pot
- Cover and cook boneless chicken thighs in crock pot on low heat until cooked through and tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Center of thighs should register 165°F.
- Transfer chicken to a serving plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
Thickening the Sauce for Chicken Thighs
- Pour juices from slow cooker into a medium saucepan (you should have 2 cups liquid), add vinegar. Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Thicken with cornstarch slurry: Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl whisk together cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water until well blended. Pour mixture into sauce in skillet.
- Simmer sauce, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour thickened sauce over chicken (or baste over chicken) and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Using bone-In chicken thighs: This recipe can also be made using bone-in chicken thighs if that’s what you have and you don’t want to remove bones. You’ll still want to use 8 thighs. Just remove the skin before adding to slow cooker, and increase cook time by about 30 minutes.
- Honey substitute: In a pinch if you are out of honey you can try brown sugar.
- Make sauce tangier: For more sour tangy flavor you can add more vinegar to taste.
- Make spicy or mild: The amount of sriracha can be adjusted to make them mild or more spicy.
- Cook time: Note that every slow cooker brand/model cooks a bit different. Some cook lower and some cook quite hot. It should take about 3 to 4 hours on low heat but if your slow cooker cooks very low you may need to increase time slightly.
- Be careful not to overcook too much or thighs will just fall apart and shred. But on the other hand cook at least to 165 °F in center for food safety.
- Don’t skip thickening sauce: Yes it’s an extra step we all want to skip but simmering and thickening the sauce on the stovetop with cornstarch is a must. It wouldn’t thicken properly in the slow cooker.
More Tasty Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes to Try
- Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Rotisserie Style Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed (about 2.5 lbs)
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sriracha (reduce for milder option)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Place chicken thighs in a slow cooker (5 to 7 quart).
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In a mixing bowl whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Pour mixture evenly over chicken thighs in slow cooker.
-
Cover and cook on low heat until cooked through and tender, about 3 to 4 hours (should register 165 °F in center).
-
Transfer chicken to a serving plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
-
Pour juices from slow cooker into a medium saucepan (you should have 2 cups liquid), add vinegar. Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
-
Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl whisk together cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water until well blended. Pour mixture into sauce in skillet.
-
Simmer sauce, whisking constantly for 1 minute.
cripy edges on slow cooked chicken? yes!
If you want those charred, crispy edges, broil thighs for a couple of minutes each side! You’ll need a lined baking sheet; baste chicken with some of the thickened sauce and broil until nicely charred. It doesn’t need long thanks to the brown sugar and honey in the sauce!
make ahead of time
Chicken and sauce can be prepared up to 1 day ahead:
- Pour sauce over seared/browned chicken (store in your slow cooker bowl, baking pan or a large, shallow dish).
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Keep the sauce in separate dish.
- Slow cook as per recipe.
slow cooking chicken thighs
Slow cooked chicken thighs need a bit of love before cooking to give you an incredible tasting meal:
- SEASON: Seasoned in a delicious rub with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar to help caramelize those edges and an optional pinch of cayenne pepper. Pat them dry with paper towel first so that the seasoning sticks and absorbs better.
- OPTIONAL SEAR: While chicken usually goes into a slow cooker raw, searing thighs first in those seasonings for just 2 minutes each side helps lock in juices. It doesn’t necessarily speed up cook time when we’re searing for such a short amount of time, but it does create DEEPER flavours on your chicken AND in your sauce! However, this is optional. You don’t have to do this step if time doesn’t allow for it, or if you just don’t want to. Chicken still tastes INCREDIBLE without searing.
- COOK: For the purposes of making the best chicken of your life, you’re going to flip them in the sauce half way through cooking time, basting them in all of those important flavours. Then cover and continue on cooking. I know the general rule is never to uncover your slow cooker in the middle of cooking, but this recipe works perfectly! (Just don’t take too long!)
