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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs with a tangy-sweet glaze that turns tender and sticky after 5–6 hours on Low. Finish with a quick broil to caramelize the tops and baste for extra sauce sheen.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 5 chicken thighs bone-in or boneless
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.5 black pepper to taste
BBQ glaze
  • 1.5 cup bbq sauce
  • 0.25 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Pat chicken thighs dry, then season all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
  2. Make sure the seasoning is evenly coated so every bite picks up the smoky BBQ flavor.
Mix the BBQ sauce base
  1. In a bowl, mix BBQ sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Taste and adjust salt/pepper only if needed for your BBQ sauce.
Slow cook
  1. Place seasoned chicken in a slow cooker and pour the BBQ mixture over.
  2. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, or on High for 2.5-3 hours, until chicken is very tender.
Caramelize and baste
  1. Transfer chicken to a sheet pan for caramelized tops.
  2. Broil on high for 4-5 minutes, basting with Crockpot sauce halfway through, until the glaze is sticky and browned.
Serve
  1. Serve with extra warmed BBQ sauce drizzled over the chicken.

Notes

For the deepest caramelized finish, reserve some slow-cooker sauce and baste halfway through broiling so the glaze clings instead of pooling. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar BBQ sauce and reduce the brown sugar to 1 tbsp.