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Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken Thighs

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Dec 9, 2019
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Meet your new favorite party dish! Sweet and smoky with just the right amount of spicy kick, these barbecue chicken thighs are a crowd pleaser that’ll make every host’s life a little bit easier. Here’s why this recipe is so good: First, thighs are the perfect cut of chicken for the slow cooker, because they contain more fat, which means they don’t dry out as easily as breasts. Second, the sauce is homemade—and homemade does not equal hard in this case. If you can chop an onion, you can make this sauce, and it is so worth it! We’ve made sure that there’s enough sauce to coat the chicken while it cooks, and some extra to add as a finishing touch, because let’s be real—it’s all about the sauce when barbecue’s on the menu!

More About This Recipe

  • We created this recipe because this is Betty Crocker™. Entertaining is a part of our DNA, and Betty’s been showing home cooks how to pull off parties for nearly 100 years now. So, taking an appliance we know you all love and rely on and using it to transform everyday ingredients into an impressive, delicious dish you can be proud to serve—well, that’s just us doing our job.

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken Thighs

  • Prep Time 30 min
  • Total 4 hr 20 min
  • Servings 8
  • Ingredients 13
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons mild-flavor (light) molasses
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 16 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 1/2 lb)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Spray round 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • Step 
    2
    In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until softened.
  • Step 
    3
    Add garlic, chili powder and pepper flakes; cook and stir 1 minute. Add ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to slow cooker; cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.
  • Step 
    4
    Season chicken with salt; added to slow cooker. Toss chicken with sauce in slow cooker to coat. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through (at least 165°F).
  • Step 
    5
    Drain liquid from slow cooker; discard liquid. Pour reserved sauce over chicken; toss to coat. Increase to High heat setting. Cover; cook 15 to 20 minutes or until hot.

Nutrition

340 Calories
11g Total Fat
42g Protein
18g Total Carbohydrate
14g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 Thighs
Calories
340
Calories from Fat
100
Total Fat
11g
17%
Saturated Fat
3g
15%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
190mg
64%
Sodium
960mg
40%
Potassium
570mg
16%
Total Carbohydrate
18g
6%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
14g
Protein
42g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
10%
10%
Vitamin C
2%
2%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 6 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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