Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs Crockpot

Our boneless skinless chicken thighs Crockpot recipe in sauce is an incredible meal made in one pot. It’s easy made with homemade or your favorite bottle of barbecue sauce and one of our favorite easy Crockpot recipes we make often.

Crockpot Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe

This is one of the most underestimated, overlooked pieces on the bird. Dark meat is so much more tender and flavorful than breasts. I didn’t fully realize this until much later in life, but now I am here to share it.

Yes bone-in is cheaper but many times you can find without on sale and that is when I load up! If you have a deep freeze you should too. Separate them out into 1 lb. bags and defrost the night before. Then make Crockpot chicken recipes of all kinds like this one.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Ingredient Notes

As for the sauce you have a lot of options. I mean I have gone Italian with our Crockpot chicken cacciatore with a jar of spaghetti sauce. If you have a favorite bbq sauce you can just use that with some chicken broth.

If you wanted to add some sweetness like we did here I like to add a dollop of Peach jam or apricot jam is the bomb, or substitute 1/4 cup of brown sugar

Ideally you will want to use medium sized fresh or defrosted skinless and boneless chicken thighs for this. You could use bone-in however those don’t soak in the sauce as easily and are harder to eat (especially for kids).

As for seasonings and other items that are optional but add a lot more flavor to the dish, we like Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, I will typically add some Poultry seasoning and Garlic powder and/or salt would be a good add in too + minced garlic if you want a stronger flavor

You could add some salt and pepper, a pinch in the sauce too. Then use a bit when serving to taste. I love serving this over a pot of pressure cooker white rice and a side of slow cooker mashed potatoes.

You literally lay the meat on the bottom, whisk the sauce together, pour it on top and let this baby go. Then about 30 minutes before it’s done you can make some vegetables or this is the best way to make baked potatoes to serve with it.

Do you need to add liquid to cook chicken in slow cooker?

Yes. It needs a liquid and/or sauce to create some steam and help to steam the meat in a way. That is why you should slow cook chicken on low at all times. Speeding up the process on high is possible but not as desired. I will provide both options below in the recipe card but always recommend a lower temp. for longer.

Since you’re adding raw chicken into the mix there will be a little more liquid added / emitted from the meat as it cooks. You should add a bit of water or broth to begin with though so it isn’t quite as thick and will be soaked up better.

How Long to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs on Low

On low you are looking at about 5 hours or until they are fork tender. The timing will vary depending on how large they are and in the case that you should use bone-in that will add a little bit longer too. Check after 4 on low. Lift out, use a thermometer in the thickest part to see if it has reached 165 degrees F. yet.

I didn’t find this necessary but at the end if you really wanted to thicken the sauce you could whisk some cornstarch to thicken into the liquid. Set a pot on the stovetop and boil it all until it is the consistency you want.

Yes you could do the same with bone in chicken thighs but I would increase the cooking time by 30 minutes to 1 hour. Want to make it look wow when serving these cooked chicken thighs? Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds and diced green onions if you want. Served with green beans my family loved this recipe last week.

How long should you cook chicken thighs in a Crockpot on high?

About 3 hours on high is about right for us in our testing, though I do not recommend rushing things. Of course this always depends slightly on how thick they are and whether there is a bone or not. Before consuming poultry you should always ensure the internal meat temperature is high enough or you may get sick.

For the most part when you make meat in a slow cooker it will fall apart when done. Like so tender and soft you can cut or shred it with two forks. Yes, it is in fact that wonderful. A great other way to serve this one is to shred the meat, put it back into the sauce and serve inside tortillas as tacos, or inside slider buns for a fun appetizer!

Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in Crockpot

I have made Frozen Chicken Thighs Crock Pot before which turned out great. You have to expect that this way the meat will not really stay together in one piece. If you want it shredded though it doesn’t really matter whether it is defrosted or not other than increasing the cook time.

Believe it or not the timing doesn’t really change whether rock hard or fresh, but they do need to be separated from one another. Know that it will let go more liquid when it cooks as well so your sauce may become thinner than you’d like. It is a good option though if you are in a pinch and want to throw dinner in and had a forgetful moment.

Can you overcook chicken thighs in a slow cooker?

I mean anything can be cooked too long but these are pretty darn forgiving. Since it has a higher fat content than breasts it can handle a bit more heat without negatively affecting it, to a point. I wouldn’t allow it to sit past 6 hours. Even at that point they are going to fall apart and become more shredded than anything.