Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs is prepared in just 10 minutes and cooked low and slow until tender. It is coated in a thick, rich honey garlic sauce, making one of those perfect easy dinner ideas for busy weekdays.

How to make slow cooker chicken thighs

Check out how to make this chicken recipe step-by-step:

1. Prep the chicken: Remove the chicken from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. SEE PIC. 1 Let it sit at room temperature.
2. Gather the ingredients: Meanwhile, gather the other ingredients. In a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottom frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden brown. SEE PICS. 2 & 3 Transfer the chicken to the crock pot, skin side up.
3. Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, soy sauce, honey, garlic, onion powder, dried green onion or chives, and ground ginger. SEE PIC. 4 Then pour the sticky sauce mixture over the chicken. SEE PICS. 5 & 6
4. Cook the chicken: Lock the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken thighs are tender and the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve: Remove the tender chicken thighs from the slow cooker and place them on a serving plate. Spoon the sauce over the cooked chicken, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh green onions. Serve over brown or white rice or noodles, or with steamed veggies like green beans!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This simple recipe calls for staple ingredients, making one of those easy dinners with an Asian flair that the entire family will love!

• Chicken thighs: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs but you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or other cuts of chicken such as chicken legs (drumsticks). I recommend still searing the boneless, skinless thighs to impart extra flavor before adding to the crockpot. All these cuts have a similar cooking time! And no, the boneless chicken thighs won’t be dry because they will be cooked low and slow in sauce (wet cooking method). However, you must check whether the boneless thighs are fully cooked about 30-40 minutes before the set cooking time which is 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. But no matter what chicken cut you use, make sure to remove the chicken from the fridge at least 20-30 minutes before cooking to ensure they cook evenly.
• Oil: Skip if you are not searing the chicken. But the skin won’t be golden brown and will require a little more time cooking in the slow cooker. I used peanut oil but you can use any vegetable oil or olive oil.
• Seasonings: Salt and pepper to taste! For every pound of chicken, use 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Try to distribute them evenly when seasoning the chicken.
• Spices: I used fresh garlic, onion powder, ground ginger, and dried green onions or chives. But you can use whatever spices you want such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, spice mix of choice, etc It depends on what cuisine or flavors you want to adapt to this recipe.
• Sauce: The base is made from ketchup, honey, and soy sauce. But you can easily replace them with BBQ sauce (or a mixture of tomato sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar), maple syrup, and tamari respectively. For a gluten-free recipe, use a gluten-free soy sauce. t is like making a slow cooker honey garlic chicken that tastes like this honey garlic butter shrimp, honey mustard chicken thighs, and honey soy chicken.
• Garnish: I used sesame seeds and fresh green onions, but you can use whatever you want to give the final dish a touch of freshness.

Reason to Make this Crock Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe

This easy recipe makes one of the best family dinner meals. There are many other reasons why you should be making this recipe:

1. Simple ingredients: It calls for staples such as bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, oil, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, honey, a few seasonings, and a few seasonings and spices.
2. Easy to make: You’ll need to season and sear the chicken in oil, mix the sauce ingredients, and then cook it in the slow cooker for 3-5 hours, or until the chicken thighs are tender and the sauce has thickened. It requires no cooking skills! Alternatively, you can make this recipe in the Instant Pot on High Pressure.
3. Versatile: You can serve it for dinner with noodles, brown or white rice, steamed veggies, or more. Moreover, you can take care of the leftovers by shredding and making sandwiches with shredded chicken for a quick lunch.
4. Time-saver: You prep this chicken recipe in just 10 minutes. The rest of the time is spent in the slow cooker which requires no supervision. You just press a button and let the crockpot do the job for you!
5. Crowd-pleasing: It has a mildly sweet and savory flavor that pleases even the pickiest palates. Your whole family will love it!
6. It can be gluten-free (if using gluten-free soy sauce) and low-carb (if using keto ketchup and sugar-free honey/maple syrup).

How To Store Leftovers

• Store any leftover slow cooker chicken thighs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• It is one of those slow cooker recipes that you can freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat crockpot chicken thighs before serving.

FAQs for Cooking Slow Cooker Chicken

Do You Need to Sear the Chicken First?

No, you don’t! But it will brown the chicken skin and provide a depth of flavor. Make sure to sear it over medium-high heat after heating a cast-iron skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet; otherwise, it will lower the temp. Instead, work in 2 batches!

Can I Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs in the crock pot?

The  USDA doesn’t recommend cooking frozen chicken in the slow cooker, but rather thaw chicken.

To defrost the chicken safely, either thaw it in the fridge overnight or submerge the frozen chicken in a bowl of hot tap water (about 140 degrees F) for 30 minutes, stirring the water once and a while.

But if you are in a rush, make sure to cook the frozen chicken in a single layer to bring the chicken thighs up to temperature more quickly.

How long to cook on High?

Cook chicken thighs for 2 to 3 hours on High.

How long to cook in the slow cooker on Low?

Cook chicken thighs for 5 to 6 hours on Low. 

How To Make Crispy Bone-In Chicken Thighs in the Slow Cooker?

After the chicken thighs are cooked, place them onto a baking sheet and brush some of the sauce on top. Then broil them for 3-5 minutes, or until the skin starts to brown up and get crispy. Serve them with the sauce!

What to Serve with Crock Pot Chicken?

This is one of those versatile crock pot chicken recipes that goes well with many sides such as:

• Basmati rice
• Jasmine rice
• Air fryer asparagus
• Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
• Roasted Delicata Squash
• Popovers

 More chicken thigh recipes to enjoy:

• Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Chicken Thighs
• Keto Ranch Chicken Thighs
• Galinhada Recipe

PIN & ENJOY!