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–+ servings
overhead of chicken thighs in a slow cooker.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Crockpot Chicken Thighs Recipe

Crockpot chicken thighs are an easy, flavorful option for a hands-off meal that comes out tender and perfectly seasoned every time.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: Sarah Olson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of bone-in skin on chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Pat the chicken thighs down making sure they’re dry. Place them in a large bowl and set aside.
  • In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine the spices.
  • Add the olive oil to the chicken thighs and stir it around to evenly coat the chicken.
  • Sprinkle the spice rub mixture over the chicken thighs in the bowl. Toss to coat the chicken. Make sure the seasoning is over all of the chicken.
  • Place a skillet (I used a cast iron one here) over medium heat. Once the skillet is warm, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes giving them a beautiful crust on the skin.
  • In the bowl of your slow cooker, add the chicken broth and the chopped garlic. Stir to make sure the garlic isn’t clumped in one spot and even distributed.
  • Place the chicken thighs skin side up in the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 185 degrees F (or 85 degrees C).
  • Serve with desired sides and enjoy.

Video

Notes

  • If you do not have smoked paprika you can sub regular paprika plus 1 or 2 drops of liquid smoke or a tbsp of BBQ sauce then omit the brown sugar. If you want to skip the rub all together, you can use a store bought rub.
  • Browning the chicken thighs skin side down helps lock in those juices and flavors. This extra step will have your chicken thighs come out tender.
  • To store the leftover chicken, you’ll want to allow the chicken thighs to cool and place them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • You can reheat the chicken on the stovetop, oven, or microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 580mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 472IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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