Nothing beats a warm bowl of tender and juicy Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs for dinner! This is a hearty, one pot meal paired with potatoes and carrots…all simmered in broth that turns into a rich, savory gravy.
Here’s how to get the most flavor: Give the chicken a quick stovetop sear first! Then, your crockpot does the rest. With only 20 minutes of prep, this simple crockpot chicken recipe is mostly hands-off!
Quick Look: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Method: Stovetop sear, then slow cooker
- Main Ingredients: Chicken thighs, carrots, potatoes, onions
- Flavor Profile: Juicy, tender chicken with deep savory gravy
- Ideal for: Family-friendly dinner, comfort food, one pot crockpot meals, freezer-friendly.
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Ingredient Notes
- Bone-in chicken thighs: You’ll need about 3 pounds, trimmed of excess fat to prevent an oily gravy.
- Seasonings: A blend of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper. The smoked paprika adds a subtle smoky depth, which I really love!
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and baby potatoes. I prefer baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes because their waxy texture holds up beautifully without turning to mush. You can also use baby carrots to keep prep minimal.
- Fresh herbs: I use bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. My all-time favorite herbs!
- Chicken broth: Use a high-quality broth as it forms the base of your gravy. Use low-sodium broth so you can control the saltiness of the final gravy.
- Cornstarch slurry: A mix of cornstarch and water added at the end to thicken the juices into a rich gravy.
Substitutions and variations
- Add whatever vegetables you want! Swap potatoes for sweet potatoes, add mushrooms or green beans.
- Or skip the potatoes and serve with creamy mashed potatoes instead.
- Prefer to use boneless thighs? You can, but check on them a bit sooner as boneless cuts cook faster.
- Add extra seasonings! If you have a favorite seasoning blend, go ahead.
- Note on potatoes: Avoid Russets. They can disintegrate during the long cook time.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Prepping the ingredients for this easy slow cooker chicken thighs recipe couldn’t be easier. Let’s make it!
Step 1: Season chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Season generously with olive oil and the spice blend (garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper). Quantities listed in the recipe card below.
Step 2: Sear. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the chicken on both sides, starting skin-side down. Let it sit undisturbed to unlock those deep flavors. Recommended: deglaze the brown bits with broth and add it to the crockpot.
Step 3: Vegetables. Place the carrots, potatoes, and onions into the bottom of a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Return chicken. Arrange the seared chicken on top of the bed of vegetables, in a single layer.
Step 5: Slow cook. Pour in the chicken broth, nestle in the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
Step 6: Gravy. Once ready, transfer the chicken and potatoes onto a plate (you can leave the carrots in there). Stir the cornstarch slurry into the hot liquid until incorporated, then return the chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes until thickened and warm.
Tips for Success
- Can you cook on LOW? Yes, cook on low for a maximum of 6 hours, as 8 hours will make the chicken stringy.
- The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 195ºF. Dark meat needs to reach this temperature to fully break down the connective tissue and become truly tender.
- Amount of broth: The broth shouldn’t cover fully submerge the chicken, as it will release plenty of juices as it slow cooks.
- Crisping the skin: Since the chicken thighs cook in the slow cooker for hours, it won’t stay crispy. But you can transfer the chicken to a sheet pan at the end and throw it under the broiler for a few minutes. If you want true golden and crispy skin, try my Cast Iron Chicken Thighs!
- Don’t add cornstarch directly into the hot broth. It will clump up. It needs to be dissolved first. If you want a thicker gravy, add more.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in a sealed container for 3-4 days. The flavors often improve by day two!
Freezer: Store in an airtight container. Here’s an extra storage tip – keep the chicken submerged in the gravy to prevent it from drying out while reheating
Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pan with a splash of broth to loosen the gravy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but they cook faster. Check them at about the 3-hour mark on HIGH to ensure they don’t overcook.
Yes. On LOW, cook chicken thighs for only 6 hours. Anything longer than that will turn the chicken stringy and make it lose its juicy, tender texture.
Since the slow cooker uses moist heat, the skin won’t stay crispy naturally. However, you can still get crispy skin! For a golden finish, transfer the finished chicken to a sheet pan and broil for 3-5 minutes until crisp.
No, it is not safe to cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker. Always ensure your chicken is fully thawed before starting.
What to Serve with Chicken Thighs
While this crockpot chicken thighs is already a complete meal with potatoes and vegetables, you can certainly add more sides to make it heartier!
Potatoes on potatoes? Yes please! Try it over my Fluffy Mashed Potatoes or Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Greens: Use your oven to make some veggies while the crockpot does it magic. Chicken thighs so well with my Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Parmesan Roasted Asparagus.
Bread! You can’t go wrong with a warm, toasty side of crusty bread OR soft honey butter rolls.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
By the way, if you love the savory gravy in this dish, I think you’ll also love my Slow Cooker Pot Roast which uses a similar gravy thickening technique.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (with Gravy!)
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet for searing the chicken, or any skillet
Ingredients
For the chicken and seasoning
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs - about 3 pounds
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil
For the rest:
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and thick sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 fresh sprigs rosemary and thyme - 2 of each
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch - diluted with about 1 tablespoon water (for the thickening slurry)
Instructions
- Prep chicken: Trim off any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towel.
- Season chicken: Season chicken thighs generously with a few drizzles of olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Sear: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides, skin-side down first, until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Tip: Sear undisturbed to get a good sear. If it sticks, it’s not ready to flip yet. Use medium or medium-high heat to avoid burning.
- Optional: Deglaze the pan’s browned bits with some broth (or wine), and add it to the slow cooker.
- Arrange vegetables and chicken in slow cooker: In a large 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, arrange the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the seared chicken on top. If you deglazed the browned bits, add that too (highly recommended).
- Add liquid and herbs: Pour in the chicken broth. Nestle in the bay leaves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
- Cook: Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 3.5 to 4 hours until the chicken is tender.
- Thicken gravy and serve: Once ready, transfer the chicken and potatoes onto a plate (you can leave the carrots in there). Stir the cornstarch slurry into the hot liquid until incorporated, then return the chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until thickened, warm and thickened. Enjoy!
- Optional crispy skin finish: Transfer just the chicken onto a sheet pan and broil for 3-5 minutes. Highly recommended!
Notes
- Searing makes a HUGE difference in flavor. I tried skipping the sear and it turned out bland. So do take the extra 10 minutes to sear.
- Sear the chicken undisturbed so it actually browns, not steams. If it sticks to the pan, it’s likely not ready to flip yet.
- Those browned bits in the pan = flavor! I’d highly recommend deglazing and adding that to the crockpot.
- Don’t overdo liquid: Keep chicken on top of the veggies so it doesn’t boil in the broth. It will look like less at first, but the chicken releases plenty of juices as it cooks.
- Cook time on HIGH: 3.5 to 4 hours is ideal. Longer can make it too soft and stringy.
- Cooking on LOW? If so, cook for max 6 hours. I still think the high setting is better for thighs when it comes to texture.
- Gravy tip: Taste the broth before thickening and adjust salt if needed.
- Cornstarch slurry: Always mix cornstarch with water first. If you just add plain cornstarch into hot liquids, it will clump up. Give the gravy 10-15 minutes, it thickens as it heats. If not thick enough, add more.
- Store leftovers in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing and reheating: Freeze with plenty of gravy to keep the chicken from drying out. Thaw overnight and reheat with a splash of broth to loosen. Or reheat directly from frozen.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold or reds hold their shape. Avoid russet potatoes.
- Boneless thighs: cook a bit less, check early, about 3 hours on HIGH.
- Add-ins: Swap potatoes for sweet potatoes, add mushrooms or green beans!
- No fresh herbs? Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning instead.
- No cornstarch? Use a flour slurry instead, 1:1 substitution.
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