Description
Delicious and tender Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs, seasoned with a flavorful blend of spices and slow-cooked to perfection in your crockpot with rich BBQ sauce and butter. This easy recipe yields juicy chicken thighs with a crispy, caramelized skin when broiled, perfect for a hearty family meal or casual gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Seasoning
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and patted dry
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce & Butter
- 1–2 cups BBQ sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 4 tablespoon salted butter, sliced into 5-6 pieces (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Dry and Season the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry thoroughly using paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to create the seasoning blend.
- Apply Seasoning: Evenly rub the seasoning mixture over the entire surface of each chicken thigh to coat them completely.
- Add BBQ Sauce to Slow Cooker: Spread about ½ cup of BBQ sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Arrange Chicken: Place the seasoned chicken thighs in a single layer inside the slow cooker with the skin side facing up.
- Pour Remaining Sauce and Butter: Pour the remaining 1 to 1½ cups of BBQ sauce evenly over the chicken pieces, making sure each is well-covered. Top with sliced salted butter pieces to add richness.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2.5-3 hours. Check doneness with a meat thermometer ensuring the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Optional Broil for Crispy Skin: Preheat your oven broiler on high and line a baking sheet with foil. Using kitchen tongs, carefully transfer chicken thighs skin-side up onto the baking sheet. For extra sauciness, brush additional BBQ sauce on top. Place under the broiler for 4-5 minutes until skin turns crispy and caramelized. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Rest and Garnish: Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after broiling to allow juices to redistribute. Garnish with minced fresh parsley, chives, or green onions if desired before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with BBQ sauce.
- For shredded BBQ chicken, use boneless thighs and cook for about 3 hours, then shred inside or outside the slow cooker and mix with juices and sauce.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in oven or microwave as needed.
- To freeze, cool chicken to room temperature, portion into freezer-safe containers with extra BBQ sauce, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
- Reheat in oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes covered with foil, removing foil for last 5 minutes to crisp skin. Microwave in covered dish in 30-second intervals until warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bone-in skin-on chicken thigh with 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and 1/2 tablespoon butter
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
