Crisp & Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken

4
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 1 minute

Crisp and Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken recipe for slow cooking juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin in a crock pot with just salt and pepper!

Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.Crispy and juicy, the fat in the skin completely melts away leaving crispy chicken skin that will remind you of your favorite rotisserie chicken. Looking at the picture it would be easy to assume there is some trick to chicken that is golden brown and crispy, but still so moist! The secret? A slow cooker.

So Dinner, then Dessert is officially a month old as of this week and I’ve used this method for cooking chicken in two recipes already. Both times, Tony Roma’s BBQ Chicken and Armenian Chicken Pita Tacos I mentioned my love for this method of cooking and both times the pictures were….well… not as enticing as they deserved to be and the focus was on the other ingredients in the dish rather than the chicken. This post is more a method than a recipe.

I love staying simple with Sunday posts, I get to share our staple food items, things that are in heavy rotation and usually always available no matter what. JustĀ like oven baked brown riceĀ this “recipe” is a constant in our fridge. It is one of the few things I can depend on my oldest eating without complaints.

Most people who use a slow cooker are well versed in the school of thought that says “ADD LIQUIDS!!” Well, welcome to the new world here. Two of my absolute favorite ways to use my slow cooker is this chicken and Hawaiia Luau Pork. Both recipes are 3 ingredients total and both have resulted in family members crowding around the slow cooker to pick pieces off before I can even put food on plates.

Please give this a chance, you are going to want to let your slow cooker take all the counter space it wants after you see how great these turn out.

Tools Used in the making of these Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Thighs:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for meā€¦ untilā€¦
My New Slow Cooker: For larger roasts I alsoĀ brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If youā€™re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.

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Crisp & Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken

Crisp and Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken recipe for slow cooking juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin in a crock pot with just salt and pepper!
Yield 4
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 1 minute
Course Main
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 6-8 Chicken thighs , skin and bone on! (however many you can layer in a single layer)
  • Kosher Salt , to taste
  • Freshly crushed black pepper , to taste

Instructions

  • Liberally season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper
  • Put bone in, skin on chicken thighs in the slow cooker in a single layer, skin side up.
  • Note: Do not add liquids of any kind.
  • Cook on low for 7 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 347mg | Vitamin A: 130IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Keyword: Crispy Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken, crock pot, crockpot, slow cooker, slow cooker chicken

Don’t be afraid to put chicken in the slow cooker with no additional liquid! Here is a shot of the chicken while still in the slowcooker. This chicken releases fat and juices into the slow cooker. Ā Make sure the skin side is up or it won’t get crispy!Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.The chicken skin becomes translucent because all the fat has rendered off.Ā Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.The chicken stays very moist and tender. It is perfect for using it in any other recipe that calls for spiced chicken as well. Just add the required spices to the bottom of the slow cooker, then on top as well. No need to toss it with the chicken.Ā Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.

Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.Three Ingredients: Chicken, Salt and Pepper. The Easiest method ever for Crispy & Juicy Chicken! Tastes like a Rotisserie Chicken.

Next time you want some chicken, please consider using your slow cooker. You’ll be so pleasantly surprised!

The method for CRISPY Slow Cooker Chicken! So EASY!
The method for CRISPY Slow Cooker Chicken! So EASY!

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert ā€“ Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. So sorry it took so long to respond, this comment somehow got filtered into spam. Yes, for four thighs I usually do 5-6 hours.

  1. I made this dish the other day & really liked how easy it was to make. I placed sliced onions on the bottom of the crock pot before adding the chicken thighs to keep the chicken from sitting in the grease šŸ™‚ I made them overnight & put them in the fridge in the morning until we were ready to eat later that day. When we were ready to eat…I removed the chicken from the fridge…placed in microwave for a few seconds to take some of the chill off…then I put them in a hot skillet (fat side down) to crisp up the skin. They turned out perfect!! Thank you for this simply but yummy way to make chicken thighs šŸ™‚

    1. I’ve tried it but I think the time the chicken takes to render the fat is more successful at creating a crispy skin. The chicken itself will certainly cook on high for half time but your skin may not be crisp.

  2. Wow!! This was incredible! I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, but my boys love thighs, so I gave it a try. Eight thighs devoured in record time with two thumbs up. The meat was literally falling off the bone, it was so juicy. It took about 5 minutes to prep, and $6 to make it. Easy and cheap! Thank you so much for sharing!

  3. Ever tried this with a whole chicken? Most whole chicken Crock-Pot recipes call for added liquid or other vegetables or a bed of onions, celery Etc. I’m going to give this a try. What do I have to lose? A few burnt spots on the side of the crockpot… Oh well I’ll get it clean! LOL

    1. You definitely won’t have any burnt spots, but your chicken breasts are going to be very dry before the thighs are done cooking. I don’t recommend cooking breasts in the slow cooker. If you want to give it a shot anyway, I would suggest putting some large potatoes or balled foil under the chicken to prop it up so that your chicken isn’t sitting in a soggy bath of liquid after cooking.

    1. Possibly. There is less skin on drumsticks and they’re not quite as thick sometimes, so you may have difficulty getting anything crispy. They will still be delicious though.

  4. I’m a single guy in Manhattan, who’s NEVER cooked before. I just got a slow cooker and this is the first recipe I’m trying today. Just put the thighs in the cooker šŸ™‚
    What I did was I covered the chicken with some some minced garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes , salt and pepper and a bit of lemon juice.

    Will report back in 7 hours if my modification of your suggestion comes out any good !

    1. Sabrina. Reporting back. The thighs with the modified spices came out pretty good .
      2 questions:
      1) Is the color of the chicken close to the bones supposed to be a little darker than the rest after its cooked? I was a bit concerned that it may be under cooked.. My crock pot was on for Atleast 7 hours .

      2) Can you point me to some simple recipes that I can use that juicy cooked chicken. Even if it’s serving with some dressings, or using them in some sort of sauce/ gravy. I liked eating the roasted chicken , but would enjoy it more if it’s part of something more saucy.

  5. My wife and I like to grill a large batch of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and then eat them for several days. Obviously, the slow cooker wouldn’t produce a large batch of crispy chicken because too many for a single layer. Could you use a large grill pan in an oven and slow-cook? Not sure the chicks would come out any better than if just grilled, though.

    1. Sure, you could cook them at 250 for 6-7 hours and they would probably come out similar to how they would cook in a slow cooker (just make sure you salt them well!) But if you cook them at 425 for 18-22 minutes, just make sure you salt them well and they will come out delicious, but they wouldn’t be as fall-apart tender.

      1. I tried doing your recipe but in an oven at 250 for 6 hours. First I trimmed the excess skin that my grocer leaves wrapped around the thigh so that only the top side of thigh was covered with skin. I also lined my 2″ deep baking pan with large carrots to keep thighs out of the juices released during cooking.
        Results: thigh meat falling off bone tender, skin papery and defatted, but not browned. I’m wondering if I should have used a slightly higher temp to brown the skin a bit more. P.S. The carrots turned out great too.

        1. If the chicken tasted great but you want the skin more brown, it could mean that the lid or cover you used was too tight to allow steam to get out. You might try leaving the lid or cover off for the last half hour of cooking. If that doesn’t work, you can set the oven to broil and set the chicken on the top rack for a couple minutes.

  6. Well, I can say this, the chicken was moist and delicious. The skin? Not crispy at all. I am wondering if my crockpot might not get hot enough.

    1. It might not be a factor of hot enough – you might have too much moisture getting trapped inside. You could try using slow cooker liner, or take the lid off the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking time, that will try it out.

  7. Made this last week it was sooooooo goooooooood! Next time i am going to take Aluminum foil roll it into small balls and put it in the bottom of the crockpot to raise the chicken up out of the juice more.Hopefully it will crisp up better.

    1. So glad you loved it! If you ever find it isn’t getting quite as crisp on top, leave the top open a crack for the last half hour or hour to let any moisture escape. Thanks for coming back and letting me know you enjoyed it!

  8. I hate using my oven so much, but I never thought to put chicken thighs in a slow cooker and have it be crispy. I want to try this soon, but would the time change at all if I’m cooking only 3 or 4 pieces? I have a small cooker and it’s just me (so I’d be cooking for a few meals), so I’d hate to overcook!

    1. Yes, as long as you only have one layer of chicken, also maybe lower cooking time to 5 and a half or 6 hours. Hope you enjoy it!

      1. Just thought I’d reply again and say that I’ve done this so many times now and have shared the “secret” of slow cooker crispy chicken with my sisters… Today, I went to do this again and could not for the life of me remember the time for 4 thighs… Went here on a whim (new laptop, lost all my links!) to see if the comments would give me an idea on time and lo and behold, here again was your answer to me from last year.

        šŸ™‚ Thanks again. This is seriously my go-to for chicken!

          1. Hi Sabrina, love reading all your comments. I just got the idea to ball up tin foil into like tennis ball size, and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer the meat on top , sprinkle on the spices, add your lid and cont. on from there. Then pieces like wings and drumsticks would get soggy and the skin would crisp. Let me know what you think please.

      1. Slow-cookers temperature at “low” varies tremendously between manufacturers. It would be helpful if you put a thermometer or thermocouple in yourslow-cooker so others could better replicate your outcome. Mine has adjustable temp and digital readout of actual temp.

    1. Legs probably yes, the very tops would still be out of the liquid the chicken releases. Wings would submerge pretty quickly so I would avoid them.

  9. Just finished our Sunday dinner featuring the slower cooker chicken thighs. My husband loves dark meat chicken and he was impressed! I thought it was very tasty also. I wish the skin was not so soft. I’m wondering if I should have trimmed some of the extra fat off of the pieces before cooking. There was a lot of fat left in the cooker, however, at no time did it cover the chicken while cooking. Should the skin be crispy? We will definitely prepare this again!

    1. So glad you enjoyed it! Let’s trouble shoot the soft skin issue. Did you put frozen thighs in or super wet thighs, like if you rinsed them or something? If you find they have too much moisture I would recommend patting super dry with a paper towel. I also like to salt the tops, I find it helps dry out the tops. I did have one reader who used a slow cooker liner and it steamed the chicken from the moisture proof seal it created. When she removed the liner she got crispy skin. Last ditch effort I suggest possibly leaving the top partially open for the last hour, let any moisture out that you can. If the thighs have a ton of fat it could be you had so much they couldn’t render and if they can’t all render out the skin has no chance at getting crispy. So try trimming a bit and if you want to trouble shoot more I am always around! contact @ dinnerthendessert . com šŸ™‚

      1. Thank you Sabrina. I think the issue I had was not enough salt. Will be trying it again soon.

  10. So I’m wanting to try this, I’m a huge chicken lover, I could eat it every day & be happy! I have chicken legs in the freezer, would you adjust cooking time since they’re not thighs? Hoping to try this tomorrow, taking legs out of freezer today!

    1. I would defrost first or the extra liquid on the chicken legs would melt off and submerge the chicken in the slow cooker. Other than that, legs should work fine. Sorry for the delayed response, I hope it turned out well!

  11. I tried this chicken recipe last night! It came out just as pictured and was delicious. Seriously, my new “go to” we will be eating this a lot!!! Yummy

    1. Yay! I love when people try this “recipe” out, it is one of our go-to methods. Thank you for coming back and letting me know you enjoyed it.

  12. do you think this would work if i put some veggies — onion, celery, garlic, maybe a little broth and white wine – UNDER the chicken and layer the chicken on top with the skin up? or would that introduce too much moisture to crisp up the skin?

    1. No, that wouldn’t work. The additional liquid that is in the chicken will drain out during cooking and it will raise the water level above the chicken, poaching it instead of keeping it crisp and juicy.

  13. This looks so yummy! I’ve read thru all the comments & what I couldn’t find is my question. Can I use BONE-IN skin ON chicken breasts? Don’t eat dark meat but would like to try ! Does this idea make enough juice?

    1. Sorry, but the fat throughout the dark meat is what keeps the meat moist. If you tried this method with breasts, it would dry out the meat in the time it took to cook. Your best bet is to dry the skin with a paper towel, add salt, rest for 30 minutes (so the salt call pull out the moisture) and roast in a 425-degree oven for 18-25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.

    2. btw i vastly prefer white meat to dark also, but since i started cooking with chicken thighs i’ve not looked back. with braising or slow cooking they really are the way to go. much better flavor. it’s not like roasted dark meat. just my experience.

  14. OK…. We frequently eat bone in chicken thighs… I am constantly trying to find a way to have them come out with crispy skin and moist meat without frying.. I am constantly finding disappointment because of the liquid ingredients called for in every recipe..

    I’ve read this page a half dozen times today and I have to try your method.. I am thawing 6 nice thighs at present.. I will get them as dry as possible tomorrow and pop them in the slow cooker Friday morning.. Fingers crossed… ;o)

    Hoping to come back and light up all 5 stars… :O)

    1. I hope you enjoy it! If you want to try and make crispy-skin chicken in the oven, you can dry and salt the chicken, put it on a baking sheet and put in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes – that’s a method we use when we don’t have a lot of time.

      1. :O) I should have mentioned that my disappointment was in slow cooker recipes.. I use mine as often as possible..That’s why your recipe intrigues me… The thighs go into the slow cooker this morning..

  15. I have done this method/recipe several times now. It’s is amazing that chicken can come out this good in the Crockpot. As many people, I stopped cooking chicken in the Crockpot because it was always just mush. I think the key is using chicken thighs, bone in, skin on. Do not try and make this with boneless breasts. I think it would come out terrible with super lean, and no skin. But if you are good with thighs, this is the way to go. Plus, bone in, skin on, chicken thighs are SO cheap!! Thank you, thank you for experimenting Sabrina!

  16. it was really good and the meat fell off the bone,i made gravy with the juice and put over rice,simple and very good?

    1. Sure, keep the side of the legs with more of the skin up to help keep them moist though. Sometimes chicken legs have skin only covering half the meat. The skin keeps things moist since you aren’t adding liquids.

  17. Does it just have to be one layer to get it to be crispy? I started a new job and have a large family and 8 pieces won’t be enough. So can I put the thigh and legs in on top of each other and will I get the same effect?

    1. Yes, one layer. I have done it with legs, the part pointing down won’t get the same effect, but In a pinch I have leaned the chicken thighs up against the side of the slow cooker to get more inside. Depending on the amount of saline your chicken is pumped with you run the risk of the chicken releasing more liquid than the layer you put down when you line the sides differently. Worst case scenario, if I open and it isn’t quite as crisp, I leave the slow cooker lid off a bit for the last hour to vent it. Congratulations on the new job!

        1. I would hesitate to say yes because there is so much more water in frozen thighs. I think as it melted and cooked the level of the liquid it released would rise above the level of the chicken skin. I’d also question if that skin would crisp up even if it didn’t get covered in too much liquid.

  18. I am 3/3 on recipes I’ve seen from yours and have pinned. Came for the fat witch brownies and now I can’t leave! You had me at love/eh with chocolate.. I am same way. I’ll always take salty first but I love a good brownie. So impressed so far.l I am going to keep browsing but I think it’s safe to say you have a new follower… And I usually don’t follow specific blogs!

    1. I’m totally honored! Thank you for coming by and giving the blog a chance! That brownie is absurdly good and I can’t recommend it highly enough! The other amazing baked treat I always recommend to people is the Jacques Torres cookies (also on this blog). Every chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever eaten won’t feel like it compares, haha.

  19. Finally got around to trying this out and it was FANTASTIC! Such an easy thing to throw in the crockpot in the morning and then make a couple of sides later to complete a meal. As a mom of 3 boys and a foodie hubby, this passed the test with flying colors with all of them. I might even add a little Old Bay seasoning next time for a little kick. Thank you!

  20. How long can you leave the chicken in there??
    Also can it cook on keep it warm because I work all day and I would love to make this for dinner but I always make things that take no less than 1 hour because it’s usually late .

    1. Hi Carla, sorry for the delay I was at a food blogging conference all weekend. I usually put it in around 8 am for 7 hours on low. Then I let it “keep warm” until dinner šŸ™‚

  21. I love recipes like this that seemingly go against what we usually do, but produce amazing results! I will definitely try this in my slow cooker this weekend. It would be great to make several batches to have on hand for recipes during the week.

  22. I never liked chicken growing up and never cooked it, but am making this dish all the time. I may have to get another slow cooker so I can have an assembly line.

    1. Hahaha, I am so glad you have a new favorite! I remember you asking me for less chicken at cook dates. I should’ve had this in the mix then!

  23. I made the chicken again without a liner in the slow cooker and left the cover ajar for the last 45 minutes or so. Skin crisped right up. I am trying it again today with a liner and will leave uncovered toward the end.

  24. Made this last night with 5 big chicken thigh, however at low 6 hours. My chicken thighs were very overcooked. šŸ™
    May be I should have gone 4 hours?

    1. You cooked five bone in, skin on chicken thighs on low for 6 hours and it was overcooked? Wow. I have gone as long as 8 and they haven’t been. Does your slowcooker run hot? Or do other recipes cook in the same time the directions call for and taste like you would want?

    2. Trying to think why this could be. When you pulled the skin back off the thighs did it look like my photo at all? Or was it dry. Sometimes if you put it in the fridge then reheat it, it may not be as moist when reheated. But right when it comes out, it should be super juicy. I do have one friend who made a chicken dish in her slow cooker and even at much less time her dish burned completely (this was a slow cooker cashew chicken dish) whereas mine was still saucy.

      1. Sabrina,
        The skin was not crispy. The skin pulled back was so dry, the meat tasted powdery šŸ™
        Next time I will try to reduce the time.

        Sandrine

        1. Wow, that does not sound great. I had a friend who made it and she said she didn’t have crispy skin but we narrowed it down to the liner in her slow cooker keeping in too much moisture. I made the dish again a couple of nights ago and we actually left it in all night and I didn’t have that issue. I would say reduce the time but yours wasn’t even cooked for a terribly long amount of time. Are you sure your temperature isn’t running really high?

          1. I’m so glad you enjoyed the taste! Next time you make it, make sure the chicken is fully thawed and use a paper towel to dab off any excess liquid before placing into the slow cooker. Also, try propping the lid open for the last hour or so to help crisp up. Hope this helps!

  25. Mmm, this looks amazing! I ‘ve never made a slow cooker rotisserie before. Looks so good.

  26. The chicken look delicious! It is especially nice that it is made int he crock pot. My kind of cooking!

  27. That looks delicious! I have never tried cooking chicken in a slow cooker. I will definitely try this.

  28. I didn’t realize you could get crispy chicken in the slow cooker. I am going to have to try this! I love using that rotisserie meat in other recipes.

    1. That is what we usually do too. I make one large tray of thighs, keep 3 or 4 for a recipe and leave the rest to eat plain and in sandwiches. You also will lose at least one thigh when it cooks because it is impossible to not keep taking bites as you take it out.

  29. I never thought to use my slow cooker to get crispy chicken. I used it last night to make Bacon Racon Chicken. Thanks for the new recipe. Can’t wait to try it.

    1. I know right?! It sounds so against what we think of slow cookers, but it is just so good! I hope you love it too!

  30. This chicken looks sooooo good! I would have never guessed you used the slow cooker. I find often chicken seems stewed when cooked in the slow cooker but this looks like you did it in the over. That skin!!

    1. Yes! I used to hate putting meat in the slow cooker, it was grey and mushy. I swear this changed everything. The trick is NO LIQUIDS and it basically crisps the skin and braises the meat. I love it!

      1. I am so excited to try this! I feel the same way. I am a working mother of five and am short on time. I love my slow cooker, but do feel like foods often come out bland. If I can get crispy chicken out of the slow cooker, this will be fantastic! Maybe my husband will even enjoy it! We do a lot of boneless skinless chicken breasts around here, but the price of bone-in can’t be beat! šŸ™‚

        1. Just make sure you don’t make a second layer and your don’t start with frozen chicken. If the top skin layer stays out of the liquid it should crisp up nicely. If you really want the best outcome I would even pat the top dry with a paper towel if your chicken is in a lot of liquid from the store. Hope you love it! šŸ™‚

  31. I always pan sear meats first before putting them in the slow cooker so they will be crispy or caramelized. I didn’t know you could put chicken in the slow cooker and it would come out crispy. Now that is awesome! Can’t wait to try this!

        1. No, the chicken fat really doesn’t render as fully on high. I’ve tried it and while it would be cooked it wouldn’t have the same level of doneness. Sorry šŸ™

  32. This looks amazing. I didn’t know you could make chicken crispy in a slow cooker! I pinned this for later.

  33. I shared this to my FB profile wall so I can make it. Needed something to do with chicken as it was buy one get one free so we are up to our eyeballs in chicken. Haha.

  34. This looks really good. I love the cook in my slow cooker on the weekends. I will make this next week.

  35. I love slow cooker recipes and I also love simple. These recipe looks super simple and it looks like it came out spectacular.

    1. Yes, haha can chicken salt and pepper even technically be considered a recipe? lol. It is basically just, hey slow cook it with no water. But I swear the discovery of it changed how we make basic dark meat chicken in the house permanently.

        1. The moisture in the barbecue sauce will prevent it from getting crispy. If you want the skin to stay crispy but get some barbecue flavor, you could try a dry rub.

          1. Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I don’t recommend chicken breasts in the slow cooker as they will dry out. The extra fat in the chicken thighs helps keep the meat moist.

  36. Really? I never knew you could do this before! I can’t wait to try when we get back to the States. So easy!

    1. Yep! I discovered it after doing something similar with pork shoulder. It’s so good! We always have some in the fridge!

        1. The problem with cooking without skin is that the skin keeps the chicken moist. If you cook skinless with no liquid the top of the chicken will dry out and look kind of leathery.

      1. Just made a batch and skin is yukky. I think it’s because I put it in skin side down.
        What’s your method?

        1. Yeah if you put skin side down then the skin would’ve had no chance at becoming crispy because it sat in liquid. The chicken needs to be skin side up, then add salt and pepper to taste. The drier the skin you start with the better so if you want to dry with a paper towel ahead of cooking you’d be even better off. Hope that helps!

          1. Unfortunately yes, depending on the size of the slow cooker. I have a 6.5 qt one I can fit 5-6 thighs in, but if you layer then the liquids will rise above the first layer and it ruins the method.

      2. I just made this using organic fryer chicken, two breasts and 4 legs, but I know thighs are fattier so i used a very small amount of bone broth in the bottom of the slow cooker, maybe 1/4 cup, honestly I don’t know if it needed it, and it came out perfect! The chicken fell of the bone and the skin was crispy. This is my new go to slow cooker recipe.

        1. I used this recipe and cooked the thighs for about 4 hours (without preheating), and they came out beautifully. Simple, wonderful recipe.

          1. Awesome. Ill be trying the 3-4 hour method for this particular recipe. Ive cooked plenty of juicy chicken in that time but normally add a bit of juice haha.

      3. Iā€™m going to do the chicken right now but what did you do with the pork butt? Did you do it the same as the chicken? …