Slow cooker chicken thighs is an effortless meal solution resulting in outrageously tender chicken generously dusted with a simple chicken seasoning rub.
Once upon a time, when I was a kid I drove our lawn mower into the side of my parent’s garage, significantly damaging it. The only thing that spared me from the full extent of my dad’s wrath was a tree falling on our roof before my dad got home. Fast forward twenty years and my son drives an ATV into the side of my pole shed, punching a good hole in it. What happens next? Well, a tree lands on the roof of the shed! I wish history didn’t repeat itself quite so often.
So that’s pretty much what is on the agenda today. As soon as I am done writing about these slow cooker chicken thighs I have to meet with the insurance adjuster to assess the damage.
But, you know what? It is hard to beat the slow cooker for crazy days like today, and it is hard to beat chicken thighs for an inexpensive hassle-free meal. Let’s take a look at one of my favorite ways to make them!
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone-In)
I actually prefer to cook chicken thighs in the slow cooker instead of the oven. Why? As the bone-in chicken thighs cook the moisture renders out of the skin, pooling in the bottom of the slow cooker where the chicken is sitting, essentially cooking the chicken in its own flavorful juices. Not only does this make the chicken taste better, the moisture makes the meat more tender.
How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs in Slow Cooker
I find 4 hours on low to be ideal when cooking chicken thighs in the slow cooker. This gives the skin plenty of time to render out the fat, resulting in firmer/dryer skin when served. You can cook the chicken longer if needed, nothing bad will happen. The meat will get more tender the longer it cooks until it finally falls off the bone.
How Do I Cook Bone-In Chicken Thighs
You have a lot of flavoring options for cooking your chicken thighs. When using a slow cooker, I personally recommend sticking to a dry rub, or basic chicken seasoning. By not adding moisture to the slow cooker (like a BBQ sauce for example), you will allow the skin to dry out as it cooks, resulting in a more crisp skin. Adding a sauce will certainly flavor the meat, but the skin will remain soggy.
How to Cook Chicken Thighs in the Slow Cooker
I find six chicken thighs fit perfectly in the bottom of my 6-Quart Crock Pot, however, you can still easily make this recipe if you have a different sized slow cooker. The chicken thighs need to be laid in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker, so you are welcome to use as many thighs as will fit in yours.
Will Skin Get Crispy in the Slow Cooker?
The slow cooker is NOT an ideal cooking vessel if you are looking for crispy chicken skin. Baking or broiling your chicken thighs will result in much crispier skin. That being said, you do not need to settle for soggy, rubbery skin just because you are using a slow cooker. As the chicken thighs cook they will release moisture, the skin sitting in the pooling liquid will never get remotely crisp. However, the portion of the skin resting above the liquid will render fat and will firm up. I still would not describe it as “crispy”, however, it is crisp enough that you can bite through it.
To summarize: If you are looking for maximum crispy chicken skin, use your oven.
Chicken Thighs Recipes
If you are looking for other recipe ideas for chicken thighs, check out these crispy Soy-Brined Chicken Thighs, my Indian Butter Chicken, or my Filipino Chicken Adobo!
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone In)
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs (bone in)
- Salt and needed
Chicken Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 dash Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt on each side.
- In a small dish combine chicken seasoning and blend together. Sprinkle liberally over chicken thighs.
- Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer at the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, skin side up. Turn on low and let cook for 4 hours. Chicken will surpass 165 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer.
Notes
If you enjoyed reading my Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone-In) recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today!
Deb says
Did not try your recipe but I am using a Food Network recipe and had to make a substitution. Walmart did not have boneless skinless chicken thighs as called for in the recipe, I had to buy bone in. Also I did not want to spend $9 as there is only two of us now. I bought four bone in chicken thighs for $4. I went to Google how long it would take to cook four bone in chicken thighs and your posting came up. Just wanted to give you 5 stars for putting yourself out there and giving those of us who struggle to come up with dishes to cook for just two. Any help is appreciated so Thank You!
Elaine Williams in Baltimore says
I agree. Could not have said this better. It is just the 2 of us now and I am always on the lookout for “adult” chicken recipes. The kid friendly recipes are loaded with starch and cheese! Mush food!! I have the chicken thighs hubby got on sale a few weeks ago out to thaw now. Yes I know you are not supposed to do that but i have been doing it for 38 years and haven’t killed anyone yet. I will come back to rate!
Susan Thorne says
I ball up some aluminum foil and put in the bottom of my crockpot and put the thighs on top of that. Also I put pats of butter on top of the thighs. And, I put paper towels over the top rim of the cooker and then put the lid on. I change them when they get wet. That way moisture isn’t dripping on the thighs and the skin does crisp up!
Shirley Last uka says
Sounds like a smart idea I’ll give it a try
Elaine Williams in Baltimore says
Excellent tip! Thank you.
Beth Bailey says
How much longer do you think it would take from frozen?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Without testing it I am not sure, likely a couple hours. Use a digital meat thermometer and check to see if they’ve hit 165 degrees.
Leslie M says
I have read from several sources that frozen meat shouldn’t be slow cooked in a,crockpot as bacteria can form.
Fox Valley Foodie says
That is an important point. I certainly would not cook them from frozen on low. Cooking them on high may get them out of the danger zone quick enough, but again, use a thermometer to be sure. Although it is better just to use thawed meat.
Jane says
So do you butter chicken first? I seen that in Keyword.
Thanks
Fox Valley Foodie says
That auto-populated by mistake. Thanks for mentioning it, I removed it.
Lou says
Do I cook with the lid on or off
Fox Valley Foodie says
Always keep the slow cooker lid on when cooking.
Richard Garrison says
This is 2nd time I cooked per your directions. Again, they turned out great. I took all the juices and added chicken stock (one cup) and added this to noodles cooked earlier. I simmered this for 30 minutes and had the most rich tasting noodle soup ever. Even added meat from one of the thighs and it was Delicious. This receipe has to be one of the very best. Thank you.
Rosa Merino says
Can I add vegetables without adding any liquids?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Yes, absolutely. I would put them under the chicken to soak up all of the delicious juice. However, if the chicken is raised out of the liquid completely, they may take a bit longer to cook.
Jim Allenis says
I’m going to try this tomorrow. My wife is having a tough time with all of our kids now in college. Cooking for her helps and she loves chicken. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the recipe.
Mary Armstrong says
Does chicken make it own juice correct. I love thighs I just add seasoning an that’s it. I know they will turn out delicious.
Fox Valley Foodie says
Yes, the chicken will release juice as it cooks.
Tammy Donovan says
I love how easy this recipe seems, I’m always worried if i have what I need on hand. Im going to try and rub the chicken with butter. Maybe add more flavor and more crispyness to the chicken and sauce. I read about someone else using the juice to put with noodles, that’s an awesome idea. I’m going to also add vegetables to the chicken and noodles. Perfect meal for a Sunday 🙂
Judith Clausen says
Trying it right now. I hate to cook (40 years cooking for others) so this is right up my alley. I have a small cooker so I only used 4 thighs. Salt, pepper, paprika. Nothing more. I’ll make acorn squash as a side dish and that’ll do it for me. Minimum amount of work for maximum amount of pleasure. Thanks for posting this extremely simple recipe!
Suzy Eaton says
Hi! Can I cook them on high for less time if I’m going to use them in a chicken soup recipe? I got a really late start today and found when I opened the package that the thighs were slightly frozen! I’m not gonna use tbe skin in the soup, but I like the idea of crisping the skin up more by putting it under the broiler for a crispy snack. Is that disgusting or what?
Thanks!
Fox Valley Foodie says
You don’t have to precook the chicken for the soup. You can add the chicken right to the soup and let it cook with everything else for whatever length of time the soup recipe recommends. You can also remove the skin in advance and crisp it separately if you want, but the fat that renders from the skin will add a lot of flavor to your soup.
Ashlea says
Can you put in oven on broil to brown skin?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Absolutely!
Grace albers says
This recipe sounds good. I took the skin off and put the seasoning right on then thighs put it in the bottom of my Crock-Pot and I put six carrots on top hi. I’m trying to lose some weight so I thought this would work maybe for the whole week. It smells delicious. I have none of my own high because I was running out of time. Thanks for the recipe I need recipes to lose weight on thank you
Grace albers says
I made the recipe tonight it was very good. I took the skin off. I also put 6 whole carrots on top of the chicken. There was juice on the bottom which a person could use for chicken soup.
VivaciouslyVictoria says
Amazing! I was hesitant to try as I’ve never used our slow cooker without adding any liquid. I used your recipe for my first attempt and it worked out great! I salted the chicken and used dry rub made of the ingredients from your recipe – to be honest I probably used double the amount for the 4 (not 6) thighs I used. I used the sauté feature to start, then slow cooked on low for 4.5 hours. Finished up with a little broil to crisp the skin. Delightful! And the juices from the chicken were mouth-watering and delicious
Val says
Have made this recipe twice now for company dinner and received rave reviews each time as to how tasty the chicken is. This is definitely a winner! Thank you for a delicious and super easy recipe.
Kelli says
Cooking this right now and it smells and looks amazing!
Chelsea says
I’ve had this recipe of your saved for what feels like ever now, and it’s my favorite way to cook thighs I make it all the time! Turns out so crispy every time!
Ann R. says
I was looking for a recipe to make pulled chicken because I had an abundance of chicken thighs. Most of the recipes called for boneless skinless which I didn’t have. I came across this one and was a little nervous because it did not include any liquid. I decided to try it with 4 of the thighs and I took the skin off. It was DELICIOUS!! So tender!! Will be making this again and again!! Thank you!!