Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
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This Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs recipe will show you how to cook chicken thighs in your crock pot! The result is juicy, tender and flavorful chicken that falls right off the bone.
I figured it was about time I create a recipe for slow cooker chicken thighs!
See, I adore my air fryer chicken thighs and my Instant Pot chicken thighs recipes, but sometimes you just want to set it and forget it, and that’s where the slow cooker comes in handy.
Since the weather’s been getting cooler, we’ve been loving my slow cooker chicken stew. But, sometimes I just want to batch cook chicken for lunches, and using the slow cooker is perfect for that!
Recipe features
- The chicken is pan-seared in a skillet first, which allows the skin to become crispy
- Coated in a simple yet flavorful dry rub
- Cooked slow and low, which allows the chicken to become so tender that is falls right off the bone
Ingredients
Bone-in chicken thighs – I recommend using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; see “Tips and Tricks” section below if you prefer to use boneless
Spices – A mixture of garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning works well; I used sweet paprika, but smoked paprika will work in a pinch.
Chicken broth – The chicken will essentially cook in the broth, so don’t skip it!
Butter – Butter makes everything better, am I right? You could use ghee instead, but I would not substitute oil.
Garlic – Fresh garlic really elevates the flavors of this recipe. Plus, it pairs well with the butter.
Instructions
Step 1: Season the chicken. In a small bowl, stir the garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning together. Pat the chicken dry, then use your hands to rub the spice mixture all over the chicken thighs.
Step 2: Pan-sear the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the chicken skin side down into the skillet and pan-fry it for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Now, transfer it to your slow cooker in a single layer, skin side up.
Step 3: Add everything to your slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth, butter and garlic to your slow cooker, then place a lid on top and cook the chicken in LOW for 5 hours. Add salt to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.
Tips and tricks
- To use boneless skinless chicken thighs: Coat the chicken in the dry rub, then pan-sear it smooth side down in a skillet for about 2 minutes. Transfer it to your crock pot, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for approximately 3-4 hours.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F. Chicken thighs vary in size, and therefore the cook time may be slightly different.
- For optimal flavor, spoon the juices from the slow cooker over the chicken before serving.
Is there a way to serve this with gravy?
Yup! Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it with tongs, then pour the juices from the crock pot into a saucepan. Use a hand whisk to whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking for a few minutes until it’s thickened into a gravy. If it doesn’t seem to be thickening, increase the heat.
What should I serve with crockpot chicken thighs?
- Roasted red potatoes
- Roasted carrots
- Braised greens
- Green beans
- White rice
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Reheat chicken in the microwave until it’s warm. Alternatively, you can add it to a baking dish with a little water in the bottom, then heat it at 350° until it’s warmed through.
More slow cooker recipes
More easy chicken recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Video
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, (4-5 chicken thighs)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Stir the garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl. Use your hands to rub the spice mixture all over the chicken, making sure they're coated.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then place the chicken skin side down into the skillet and cook it for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy; transfer to your slow cooker skin side up.
- Pour the broth into your slow cooker, then add the diced butter and garlic. Cook the chicken in LOW for 4.5-5 hours, checking the internal temperature is at 165°F before removing it. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’ve made this recipe a couple times, and the second time passed the picky eater. Tender and flavorful. One of my favorite recipes for chicken thighs thus far!
Woohooo — love to hear when a recipe is picky-eater approved 🙂
Very good! Glad I seared the chicken for the crispy skin; wish I would have added more seasoning though.
2 questions:
1) If I want to double the amount of boneless, skinless thighs, is it OK if the chicken isn’t in a single layer?
2) Does the size of the slow cooker make a difference? I have a 6qt Hamilton Beach Set & Forget.
You can double the chicken, though I do suggest rotating the chicken half way through the cook time so every piece of chicken has a chance to be on the bottom. The size of the slow cooker doesn’t matter, as long as the chicken fits in 2 layers I’d say.
My family isn’t very fond of skin on the chicken – they rather skinless & boneless thighs .. will that work as well with this recipe?
Yes! If you want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Think I could substitute chicken legs in this recipe? Would i need to make any adjustments to the cooking time!
Hi Linda! I actually have a slow cooker chicken legs recipe if you want to check that out instead: https://thealmondeater.com/slow-cooker-chicken-leg/
I have added you to my website. Buy chicken thighs and breast, which is probably much too much are tenderizing in my crockpot on low, and as it is only 520 at the moment, I expect I will have to wait until the chicken cause off and reheat it for tomorrow added with some veggies, but I’ve certainly adopted your website. It’s been a long time since I had to cook for the family, but as I took cookery classes at school, following a recipe with such good instructions it’s going to be a joy. I’m 84 now and still like a nice dinner even if I eat alone. I still love chicken and lots of green vegetables and English gravy. Living in America has never changed that thank you.
Thanks Patricia, I hope you liked the chicken!
Absolutely delicious!! The chicken is so flavorful and moist. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Thanks so much Laurie, I’m glad you liked it!
Excellent flavor and a terrific easy recipe, too. I removed the chicken and kept the precious liquid rendered, then used quality rice to cook in it. Added some dehydrated onion and some mushrooms to the liquid with rice, and cooked it up. Wow, the chicken fell right off the bone, so I deboned all of the chicken, added it to the mushroom rice, and served it up. It was sooo tasty. Thank you for this recipe…it will be on regular rotation in my household 🙂
This sounds delicious! I’m so happy you liked the chicken 🙂