Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs

In my opinion, chicken thighs are pretty unbeatable in terms of flavor and tenderness. They’re also so easy to make, but using a slow cooker is by far one of my favorite ways to prepare them. The gentle heat helps ensure that the thighs will be tender and juicy. Plus, the sauce included in this recipe doesn’t need any pre-cooking—it just gets poured right in and is ready at the same time the chicken is. If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner savior, then keeping reading on for all of my top tips:

What People Are Saying:
“This recipe is a go-to quick and easy meal! The meat is so tender and the sauce is just amazing. I usually sauté some vegetables and add them in right at the end. 10/10 would recommend.” - CyanGrapes

“These were absolutely delicious! I put them over white rice with broccoli on the side. So good!!!” - meg6376

How To Make Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs

INGREDIENTS

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Use your favorite brand, or consult our list of the best (and worst!) olive oil brands.
• Chicken Thighs: You can use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe—it’s completely up to you.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce to prevent the sauce (and your chicken) from becoming overly salty.
• Ketchup: Ketchup may seem like a strange addition, but trust me—it’s an easy way to thicken the sauce, and add some concentrated sweetness.
• Honey: Honey adds some caramelized sweetness to our sauce that truly completes it.
• Garlic: Mince your garlic well so that it doesn’t stick out too much in the sauce. 3 cloves is the perfect amount for me, but you can adjust as needed.
• Ginger: Freshly minced ginger may seem like it’s another step, but it adds so much fresh flavor and zing to the sauce.
• Sriracha: I like a kick of heat, so I add in some Sriracha here. If you’re not a fan, you can decrease the amount, or omit it altogether.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice adds a fresh citrus flavor, and brightens up the entire dish.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, we’re going to sear our chicken thighs in a large skillet over medium heat. Heat the oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden. Searing the chicken thighs may seem like an annoying step, but trust me—it's worth it. Once golden on both sides, transfer to the slow cooker.

Then, we’ll create our sauce by whisking together soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, Sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl. Once combined, pour the sauce over the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Give the chicken a toss to fully combine in the sauce until coated.

Then, cover, and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours if you’ve got the time, or on high for 2 hours if you need dinner on the table faster. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.

Once done, serve the chicken however you please! I love to serve it over white rice with plenty of the sauce spooned over, but you do you.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Searing the chicken. Not only does this get the chicken skin nice and crispy (because it does lose some crispiness in the slow cooker), but it also caramelizes the fat, adding a ton more flavor. If you don't want to do it, that's totally fine. You can just throw the chicken in the slow cooker.
  

What To Serve With Slow-Cooker Chicken Thighs

• White Rice: This is a no-brainer—the sauce was made to be spooned over some rice.
• Caramelized Brussels Sprouts: If you’re looking for an easy veggie side, you can’t go wrong with these simple (and delicious) sprouts.
• Garlicky Broccoli Rabe: This goes well with many of our chicken dinners, but works especially great with these chicken thighs.
  

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 4 days.