Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

Rich, deeply flavored, sweet, and spicy – these crockpot BBQ chicken thighs are an easy recipe to fix and forget! Make ahead and come home to a fabulous dinner to share with the family.

The smell of this recipe cooking is fantastic. Juicy, tender chicken thighs cooked low and slow in a sweet, spicy delicious sauce is a favorite way of mine to have dinner on the table with minimal effort.

There’s nothing quite like coming home after a day of work, errands and other busy stuff to this crock pot BBQ chicken.

Prep a a few of your favorite side dishes to go with this, and dinner is done!

Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!

Why you’ll love this

• This is a set and forget kind of meal. With just a short prep time, this delicious dinner the whole family will love will be ready at the end of your day!
• Simple ingredients. Nothing you probably don’t already have on hand
• It is budget friendly, kid-friendly, and yummy!

Make ahead

A little make-ahead prepping, and you too can avoid the drive-through on busy weeknights. I often prep this the night before, and set it on a timer the following day. It’s only a short cook (3-4 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low heat).

That said, I make this most often on a weekend, so I can spend my off-hours with my family instead of in the kitchen, but still eat good food.

FAQs

What to serve with Barbecue Chicken thighs

This Crockpot BBQ Chicken pairs perfectly with homemade mac and cheese! Try my Skillet Mac & Cheese and some my favorite green beans recipe, or roasted broccoli.

Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead

How to make this recipe

Season and Sear the Chicken. Add the coarsely diced onion to the bottom of the slow cooker. Mix the paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle onto the chicken, and in a large pan sear on both sides (2 mins per side). Place chicken into the crockpot in a single layer, on top of the onions.

Make the Sauce. In the same pan you used to sear the chicken, add 1 tsp olive oil and heat over medium. Sauté the onion for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add cornstarch to the canned tomatoes, and add the mixture, plus the vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to the pan.

Simmer for a few minutes. You may wish to blend the sauce at this point for a smoother consistency. Add sauce to crockpot, covering chicken and mix until combined.

Set, and forget! Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or 3-4 hours on high.

Serve. Remove chicken from crockpot, and put on a plate, spooning the extra sauce over the top. Devour.

More recipes to love

Looking for more crockpot recipes? I have you covered!

• Crockpot Cowboy Casserole. Quick to prep, this is a real family pleaser!
• 15 Bean Soup. Packed with flavor and goodness –  this meal is a great one to set and forget!
• Slow Cooker Whole Chicken. A delicious, slow cooker whole chicken, that is fall-apart tender and juicy. Just season the chicken, set it in the crockpot, and serve later!
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Sweet, spicy, juicy and cooked low and slow until the meat falls off the bone in tender juicy deliciousness.
• Chunky Crockpot Chili Recipe. A rich, tasty crockpot chili that is easy to prepare and slow cooked all day. No long list of ingredients, you probably have them all in your pantry already!
• Crock Pot Pork Loin. Comfort food that cooks all day, ready to eat when you get home!
• Hamburger Stew. A deliciously easy to prep crockpot recipe, using basic ingredients, this hamburger stew is a family favorite and budget-friendly!
• Smothered Pork Chops. tender & juicy, covered in a flavorful onion gravy. Slow-cooked while you do other things.
• All Slow Cooker Recipes

5 from 12 votes

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

Author Kylee Ayotte

Servings 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 hours hrs

Total Time: 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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A rich, deeply flavored, sweet, Crockpot BBQ chicken dinner, that is easy to fix and forget! Make ahead and come home to a fabulous dinner to share with the family

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Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• Skillet
• Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For the Chicken

• ▢ 1 coarsely chopped onion
• ▢ 6-8 chicken thighs (can use bone in or out but remove the skin)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the BBQ Sauce

• ▢ ½ finely diced onion (not a typo, we use onion twice here)
• ▢ 1 minced garlic clove
• ▢ 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoons cracked pepper

Instructions

For Chicken

• Add 1 coarsely chopped onion to the crockpot.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper onto 6-8 chicken thighs, and in a large pan sear on both sides (2 mins per side)
• Place chicken into the crockpot, on top of the onions.

Make the Sauce

• In the same pan you used to sear the chicken, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and heat over medium.
• Sauté the 1 minced garlic clove½ finely diced onion for a few minutes until softened, then add the 1 minced garlic clove. Cook for 30 seconds
• Add 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch to the 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, and add the mixture, plus the ½ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and ½ teaspoons cracked pepper to the pan.
• Simmer for a few minutes. You may wish to blend the sauce at this point for a smoother consistency.
• Add sauce to crockpot, covering chicken and mix until combined.

Set, and forget!

• Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Serve

• Remove chicken from crockpot, and put on a plate, spooning the extra sauce over the top.
• Devour.

Notes

What to do with leftovers

Crockpot BBQ Chicken is even better the next day! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat until piping hot!

Substitutions/Additions

Spice it up! Add some garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper when seasoning the chicken, or some red pepper flakes in the barbecue sauce!

A little hot sauce after cooking will also blast it with flavor.

Chicken Temperature

Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F (internal temperature) when tested with a digital thermometer in the thickest part.

⭐️ Don’t Forget! I love to hear how this turned out for you! Share your thoughts by leaving a review and rating below.

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Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Did you make this recipe?

Make sure to follow @kyleecooks on Instagram for more and tag me #kyleecooks so I can see!

Update: This recipe was originally published in January of 2016. It was updated in 2019, and republished in September of 2022.

About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee