Will BBQ sauce burn in a slow cooker?

If you're cooking BBQ sauce in a slow cooker on high for a long period of time, yes, it can burn. In this recipe, we're cooking on low for a shorter amount of time so the BBQ sauce will not burn.

Should I brown chicken thighs before putting them in the crockpot?

No, since these are skinless chicken thighs, you do not have to brown the chicken thighs before adding them to the crockpot.

Is it better to cook chicken thighs fast or slow?

It's always best to cook chicken in the slow cooker low and slow.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

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5 from 2 reviews

Boneless chicken thighs are seasoned with dry rub and tossed with your favorite BBQ sauce. They're slow-cooked until juicy and fall apart tender! Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs are smokey, sweet, and savory, and they only require a few ingredients!

Author: Katie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: lunch, dinner
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs - about 8 thighs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup thickly sliced white onion
1 cup BBQ sauce
Extra BBQ sauce for serving

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Instructions

Make your dry bbq seasoning blend by combining the brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place the raw chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker. Open them up so that they lay flat. It's okay if they overlap.
Season the chicken thighs with the dry BBQ seasoning blend. Use tongs to move the thighs around and turn them over so that all sides are coated in the dry rub.
Add the sliced white onion to the slow cooker.
Pour 1 cup of BBQ sauce over the chicken and sliced onion. Use tongs to toss the chicken and onions into the sauce.
Cook the BBQ chicken thighs on low for 2.5 - 3 hours. When they're done cooking you can shred them if you'd like. I like to partially shred the thighs and leave some larger pieces just gently pulled apart.
Transfer the chicken thighs to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the chicken out in a single layer. You can drizzle some extra BBQ sauce on the cooked chicken before broiling it. Broil the chicken under high heat for about 5 minutes. This will crisp up the top edges of the chicken. Don't skip this step! Broiling the chicken deepens the flavor of the BBQ sauce and adds nice, crispy texture to each bite.
Remove the chicken from the oven, serve with an extra side of BBQ sauce, and enjoy!

Notes

I used small-sized boneless chicken thighs (pictured in the blog post for reference). Larger thighs may take longer to cook. Doubling the recipe may increase cooking time as well. Plan on extra cooking time for either of these scenarios.
The nutrition information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
I do not recommend cooking boneless chicken thighs on high.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 358
Sugar: 22.5 g
Sodium: 776.1 mg
Fat: 8.5 g
Carbohydrates: 28.3 g
Fiber: 1.4 g
Protein: 40 g
Cholesterol: 186.7 mg

Find it online: https://sugarandsnappeas.com/slow-cooker-bbq-chicken-thighs/

📖 Recipe