Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (BBQ)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jul 1, 2024 (last updated Mar 19, 2026) 
Boneless chicken thighs are the best thing you can make in the slow cooker! They stay juicy no matter what, they’re budget-friendly, and they take about five minutes to throw together. My version keeps it simple with a quick spice rub and your favorite BBQ sauce, and the result is fall-apart tender chicken that works for weeknight dinner, meal prep, or stuffed into buns with slaw. Five ingredients, set it and forget it, done!
Why Chicken Thighs Are the Best Cut for the Slow Cooker
I started making these slow cooker chicken thighs as a way to big-batch prepare chicken thighs, and oh my goodness, I got hooked! These tender and juicy chicken thighs have a similar flavor profile to my famous BBQ chicken legs, that classic sweet, spicy, and smokey BBQ flavor ,and can either be shredded or quickly glazed whole under the broiler.
This time, I’m leaning on good ‘ole boneless chicken thighs because they are oh-so budget friendly and stay extra juicy compared to chicken breast. And the best part is that they’re almost too easy to make thanks to the crock pot, which does all the hard work for you. No browning, chopping, or even babysitting the grill; just the perfect low-lift recipe for year-round dinner ease.
Simply cover skinless, boneless chicken thighs with a simple 3-ingredient spice blend, douse in your favorite BBQ sauce, and set and forget it. Stuffed into buns with creamy cabbage slaw, this is my ideal low-effort meal, and I think you’re going to love it too. If you end up with extra chicken, my BBQ chicken bowl is the perfect next-day meal, just pile the shredded thighs over rice with corn, black beans, and a drizzle of extra sauce. Yum!
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (BBQ)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup BBQ sauce, plus more for glazing
Equipment
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Add the chicken thighs, then sprinkle all sides evenly with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Pour over ⅓ cup BBQ sauce, spreading to evenly coat the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-5, or until the chicken is very tender.
- Preheat the broiler to high. Carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs to a foil lined broiler safe pan. Thinly brush each thigh with an additional ⅓ cup BBQ sauce. Broil 3-4 minutes, until just browned, keeping a close eye to avoid burning.
Notes
- For shredded BBQ chicken thighs: skip step 4 and instead remove the thighs from the slow cooker, shred with two forks, then add back to the slow cooker with the juices and ⅓ cup BBQ sauce.
- Chicken: Want to cook a different cut? Try my slow cooker BBQ chicken breasts, or slow cooker chicken legs,.
Damn, That’s GOOD!
So glad you enjoyed, Ken, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Agreed – damn, that is GOOD! Very tasty and not overly seasoned like a lot of other chicken thigh slow cooker recipes. Plus, very easy. Don’t need a lot of ingredients and doesn’t take a lot of work. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Chris, love it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate it and so glad to hear you enjoyed this one. 🙂
Fantastic! Could not be more simple or delicious. Served shredded on toasted brioche buns with a side of coleslaw and it was just smashing – will be a regular dish at our house.
Carole, yum, sounds like a yummy way to serve this chicken! Thanks for the ideas and for leaving a review!
I did this with skinless bone in thighs, was perfect. Fall off the bone and delicious.
Chuck, so happy to hear this recipe worked well with bon-in chicken thighs! Thanks for the tip and for leaving a reivew!
Tasty and easy! Would cook on low though, at a little more than half the recommended time on high, the chicken thighs were starting to dry out a bit. Maybe that was because I only cooked half the amount, but I also used my small crockpot. Will definitely make again. After all, who doesn’t love something with less than five minutes prep time?
Kristen, yes, when cooking half of chicken you’ll often need to reduce the time by more than half depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks, though cooking on low is definitely a good call. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Great recipe! I was looking for a chicken stew using thighs with skin on, and crock pot, of course. I had a neighbor who made something like that.
But I love barbecued chicken, and this is really good!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Linda! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Tried last night… quick, ready, and oh so yummy. Can’t wait v to make again.
Judy, wonderful to hear this chicken recipe was a hit for you. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a reivew!
I think for shredded chicken you mean to replace step 4 with the shredding step?
Pat, you’re absolutely right, it should say replace step 4! I’ve updated the notes. Thanks for letting me know about that!
Easy and we loved it!
Lisa, fantastic, so happy to hear you enjoyed this slow cooker chicken thigh recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Can this be left on low all day? For like 10 hours?
Michelle, unfortunately I don’t think that would work out very well – the chicken would definitely be dry and it’s possible the sauce would dry up and start to burn around the edges as well. If you work outside the house (or have other reasons for being away for long stretches) a programmable slow cooker might be worth considering. That way you can set it to cook on low for a few hours (or whatever the recipe calls for), then it automatically switches to warm, which decreases the likelihood of things overcooking. I hope that helps!
We used bone in because they are cheaper. Sam’s Club has nice big thighs. Lots of Stubbs BBQ. Low for 4.5 hrs. Putting them under the broiler was a nice touch so they aren’t so messy. Meat just fell off the bone. Soo good.
Jason, great tip on using budget-friendly bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe! Thanks for sharing your notes and for leaving a review.
Can you use frozen chicken thighs?
Hi Lyndsey, for food safety reasons I can’t personally recommend cooking chicken from frozen in the slow cooker. Sorry about that!
This was amazing. I used Japanese BBQ sauce (cause it’s all I had) and just shredded the chicken and served it on homemade tortillas. Oh, my goodness. We will be making this again.
Amy, ohhhh, yum, I bet Japanese BBQ sauce would be so good in this shredded chicken! Thanks for sharing your notes and for leaving a review!
Was really good. Had to skip the broiling part because I’m disabled and unable to use a stove but was still delicious. Will definitely make this again
Jolene, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and it’s still so yummy even without the stove. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and leaving a review!