Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

Cooking chicken in the slow cooker with BBQ spices and sauce is my favorite way to make “BBQ Chicken” when I can’t use the grill! This recipe is almost completely hands-off and the flavors are just delish!

Grilling gives you that nice, crispy skin but that problem is easily solved with a few minutes under the broiler! A little liquid smoke added to the sauce also helps with the smokey, grilled flavor!

Serve this chicken up with a nice pasta salad, cornbread, or green beans!

• Tender, super juicy chicken thighs!
• Delicious meal with minimal effort = WINNING!
• Quick prep time–just 10 minutes (quicker if you use a pre-made spice rub!)
• Super easy to get nice, crispy skin by broiling for about 5 minutes!

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these amazing Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs:

Chicken Thighs: Bone-in chicken thighs work best with slow cooking and longer cook times. I prefer skin-on but you can remove the skin if you like.

BBQ sauce: Use your favorite!

Spices + Brown Sugar: If you have a favorite BBQ rub, feel free to use that in place of the salt, onion powder, garlic powder smoked paprika, and brown sugar. My family is obsessed with this Kinder’s Wood Fired BBQ Rub!

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Combine spices, then generously coat the chicken with the spice mixture.

Step 2: Place chicken in the crockpot and brush with BBQ sauce so each thigh is coated with sauce. DO NOT ADD ANY EXTRA LIQUID TO THE CROCKPOT! Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Step 3: Transfer cooked chicken to a baking sheet and brush with some extra BBQ sauce. Broil for 4-6 minutes until skin begins to sizzle and get crisp!

Step 4: Allow a few minutes for the chicken to rest and enjoy.

• Do not add any liquid to the crockpot (like chicken stock or water)–I promise, enough liquid will come from the chicken thighs and you won’t need it!

• This recipe is a crowd-pleaser! If you have a large crockpot, double the recipe to feed a crowd! You may just have to add a bit more cooking time. Remember, make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165° or more.

• Use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup!

⭐️ CONFIDENCE TIP ⭐️

• Storage: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

• Reheating: Leftover chicken can be reheated in the microwaved until warmed through (cover to prevent BBQ sauce splatters!) or in the oven or air fryer.

• Freezing: You can freeze leftover cooked chicken in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for about 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat according to the instructions above.

Here are a few substitutions you can make:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: You can use boneless chicken thighs but the cooking time will be less. I personally think they cook too quickly and it’s easier to dry them out if you aren’t watching them closely.

• Chicken legs (drumsticks): Chicken legs work great as a substitute for bone-in thighs! Cook time is roughly the same–look for an internal temperature of 165°F. You can also use chicken leg quarters (which is the thigh and leg)–they will take slightly longer to cook.

• Chicken breasts: Bone-in chicken breasts work best and are a lot for forgiving than boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which tend to dry out easily in the slow cooker. I prefer bone-in meat for slow cooking.

Either are just fine, but I HIGHLY recommend using bone-in vs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts. They hold up so much with the longer crockpot cook times and don’t dry out as quickly.

NO! I know it might seem odd, but you do not have to add any additional liquid. The chicken contains quite a bit of liquid that will release during cooking.

Mashed potatoes, cole slaw, this orzo salad, corn salad, green beans, or cornbread are all delicious sides for this BBQ chicken!

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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE

Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!

Pioneer Woman Crockpot: I LOVE the simplicity of this crockpot and how pretty it is!

Brush: For brushing on your BBQ sauce!

Serving Platter: I use these white serving platters for everything!

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