Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken made with just five ingredients, you can set it in minutes and have the perfect weeknight meal!
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken is the slow cooker chicken version of one of the most popular recipes on my blog of all time, Brown Sugar Garlic Pork with Carrots & Potatoes.
Or if you’re looking for a slow cooker pork version of this recipe (minus the veggies and plus some bacon) here it is! Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin
Some notes about this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken:
- Yes, you can absolutely make this meal in the oven. Set it on a sheet pan just like you would in the slow cooker and roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes (you may want to use foil).
- Want some spice? Add in crushed red pepper or a squirt of Sriracha.
- If you want an even deeper caramel flavor, try dark brown sugar.
- Do not add any liquid! I know it can be scary to cook dry in a slow cooker, the chicken will release a lot of liquids.
- Serve with rice or potato wedges and roasted vegetables.
You can also swap out different cuts of chicken in the slow cooker.
- Try using Chicken Breasts (brownie points for draping bacon on them to keep the chicken moist).
- Double the topping and toss chicken wings with the same topping and cook for 6 hours on low.
- Try rubbing a double topping amount over an entire chicken propped up on some foil balls to keep the chicken out of liquid.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken recipes?
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
- Crisp & Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
Looking for more awesome Brown Sugar Garlic Recipes?
- Brown Sugar Garlic Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Brown Sugar Garlic Pork with Carrots and Potatoes
- Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin
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 me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also 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 you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Yield: 5 Servings
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Course: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
- Author: Sabrina Snyder
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
Instructions
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
- Add the chicken, salt, pepper and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Mix it up then flip the chicken skin side up.
- Sprinkle on the brown sugar.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 5 Servings, Amount per serving: 308 calories, Calories: 308g, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 324mg, Potassium: 263mg, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 90g, Vitamin C: 1g, Calcium: 27g, Iron: 0.9g
All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert.
This is my second time making this delicious chicken! Thanks for a quick and easy recipe that never has complaints or leftovers!
So if it’s a lot of water can we pour some out. Mine is the same as a above question. White chicken
Oh no! You want to make sure that your chicken is completely thawed before placing them into the slow cooker. I even pat it down before adding it to ensure all the extra moisture is removed. Hopefully that helps for next time.
Made this as per instructions – but right now it just looks like boiled chicken thighs in brown runny water in my slow cooker. Not at all delicious Like your picture.
Oh no! Was your chicken completely thawed before adding them the slow cooker? It sounds like there was too much water coming from them.
Do u add any broth or any kind of liquid?
No 🙂
I am just starting crock pot cooking and I am confused by this recipe. Am I adding water to this? How do you slow cook without it? I don’t see anywhere on these directions anything about adding water. thanks
No need to any any liquid to this recipe. The chicken will cook down and release liquids. Enjoy!
This was a great recipe If I’m breathing I will continue using this. Perfect and the taste was amazing.
Made this today and I fell in love!I can’t wait to make this again. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!:)
You’re welcome Katie!
Just put it in the croc, can’t wait!
I plan on making this tonight, but using chicken breast! When should I drape the bacon on top?
You’ll want to drape the bacon over the chicken from the beginning.
Hi Sabrina, Thank you for this delicious recipe!
I made this last night. Tweeked it a bit, I used boneless-skinless, thin sliced chicken breasts. I seasoned them with Spice Supreme Complete Mix, Garlic Powder & Brown sugar.
Marinated them for 2 hours, popped them in a casserole dish & baked at 400° in the oven for 40 mins. Turned out so good! Paired them with corn & mashed potatoes. My boyfriend now wants these in the weekly rotation, lol.
This is definitely not the same recipe. The type of chicken, seasoning and methods for cooking were all different. It wasn’t “tweeted” it was replaced.
I agree. You haven’t tweeked the recipe Brittany. You’ve just made a different recipe. How are people (including the chef) meant to get true feedback from reviews if you aren’t making the original?
Can I defrost the thighs in the microwave first? Will it change the flavor of the thighs? Thank You Wanna make it tonight.
As long as you’re using the defrost setting, you should be ok. Just make sure they are completely thawed and any excess water is removed before placing them in the slow cooker otherwise it’ll add more liquid to the recipe while cooking and will become soupy. Good luck!
Made this twice so far, turned out great!
I made the rescipe exactly as written the first, except I added carrots to the crock pot for the last half of the cooking time. It came out great. My mother in law got me drumsticks instead of thighs on accident, so this time I’m using drumsticks and going to add just touch more brown sugar.
Hi my crockpot tends to run hot on low and when i cook the chicken thighs for 7-8 hours they come out way to much falling apart ,can i cook on low for 6 hours?
Yes, feel free to adjust to your slow cooker temperatures. Enjoy!
Ok ,Thank you
Hello! I made this recipe lastnight/this morning. I used thin chicken breasts instead, same amount of ingrediants recipe called for, and did 8 hr in slow cooker. The chicken came out sort of white in color ? Was it because i used thin chicken breasts instead? Was hoping for the crjsp brown in color but looks like i failed
Thanks!
If they were skinless, they won’t crisp up the same. Hope you still enjoyed the taste.
Mine did the same, but i used chicken thighs with skin & bone ???
Absolutely delicious! I added a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce and served over rice with carmalized baby carrots and garlic bread. This will definitely be a favorite in our house. ?
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know, Crystal.
Good god I think I caused the flood with my drooling.
Another good one is oven baked brown sugar and cinnamon pork chops! I made them years ago and they become one of my top favourites. Make some homemade applesauce to put onto them and you’re golden!!
Can I use chicken breast without the bacon???? Will it be extremely dry?
I don’t recommend it.
I’m doing it right now! Covering oven dish with foil landing a little bit of either broth or butter. Why not!?
I did chicken breast without bacon and it was fine. Trying chops now.
GIRL !!!! I am slow cooking your Ultimate Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe as I am typing. Cannot wait.
Yay!! Enjoy 🙂
This recipe as is sooooo good. Have made it several times, always for visits from friends and they all give it 5 stars.
Love it!
We’ve made this & other slow cooker recipes, nothing frozen yet my crock always fills up [[to(ow/way to much water! How to make w/o so much liquid? Or when to pour out excess water?
(*Just FYI, we’re a big fam that norm cooks @least 4-5pds of chkn, not just 6 thighs for ex, & it’s little 0confusing when recipes use 6 thighs or 5 breasts etc.. instead of actual weight amounts in recipes so it’s easier to double/triple up recipe as needed)
*Thanks for any help!
You really don’t want to double this recipe using a slow cooker. It doesn’t allow the chicken to crisp up because it produces too much liquid and makes it soupy (what you’re experiencing). I would either use 2 slow cookers or make this in a dutch oven next time. Hope this helps!
how would I bake this for a big family? I am looking at at least 10 pieces of chicken
You’ll need to separate this into 2 slow cookers as you shouldn’t overcrowd it or bake it in the oven at 375.
So how many breasts are appropriate for the ingredient amounts listed?
I recommend using 5 chicken thighs for this recipe. Breasts tend to dry out a bit in the slow cooker but if you choose to use them, you can use 4-5 depending on the size of the breasts.
Have you ever tried to add Worcestershire sauce with it? If so about how much would you recommend?
I’ve not tested it so I don’t have a recommendation. If you decide to try, I’d love to know what works out. Thanks!
Hello-
I’m going to try this recipe today. However, I am not much of a cook.
If you don’t have bacon to wrap the chicken to retain moisture, what other things could I do to ensure the chicken is not dry? Would you suggest seating before putting the crockpot?
I would use thighs otherwise bacon is about the only thing that will help breasts from drying out.
Hi friends,
Please pay attention to the recipe! You may need to modify time with slow cooker depending on the chicken thighs bone in size. 7hrs here absolutely perfect caramel on top. No oven needed, only thing I played with was adding a little more brown sugar on top for that last hour look. Wish I could post a pic. Wonderful easy recipe and meal
Thanks so much, Chris. You can always post to Instagram and tag me #dinnerthendessert
I love seeing everyone’s photos.
Since I’m doing low carb/Keto Diet, I swapped the regular Brown Sugar for the SWERVE brand of zero calorie brown sugar. Oh my gawd! ? This is my new favorite go to dish
I’ve been using Swerve, too, with excellent results!
Since I’m doing low carb/Keto Diet, I swapped the regular Brown Sugar for the SWERVE brand of zero calorie brown sugar. Oh my gawd! ? This is my new favorite go to dish
going to make this tonight but wondering if i could also throw some sweet potatoes and carrots in the slow cooker or would you recommend cooking separately? I’m clearly a very novice cooker lol
I would cook them separately. 🙂
Can I use frozen thighs without thawing first or do I need to thaw before putting in crockpot? Anxious to try this!
You need to completely thaw them before adding them to the slow cooker otherwise they will release too much liquid and make it soupy. I hope you enjoy it!
This should turn out well with boneless skinless chicken thighs as well right?
Yes, you just might need to check it for doneness earlier since it doesn’t have a bone or skin to protect it from drying out.
Oh my gahhhhh! This chicken was SO good!!!! I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. I ate on it for three days and ate the chicken with everything! So so good. Taste like teriyaki but better. You’re missing out on this simple recipe if you don’t make it. Super super easy! And it leaves your Home with a nice aroma!
I am trying this recipe with chicken quarters. I didn’t have any chicken with skin on except the quarters. Will this work? I am hoping…
Sure 🙂
I was just wondering why mine is not brown like the picture? Does it eventually turn brown? My brown sugar just melted away and the chicken is whiteish but it’s not done either. Any suggestions?
You can spoon the liquid over the chicken and pop it under the broiler in the oven for a bit before serving. That’ll help darken it and crisp it. Hope this helps.
I will give that a try. Thank you so much! It smells amazing already.
Made this tonight with pork chops instead of chicken. Sooo good! This will definitely be a recipe I use again. Great flavor and so easy!
My husband is not a fan of chicken so I’m trying this recipe with pork chops. It was a little last minute so doing them in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours. Did not alter anything in the recipe. Has anyone else tried pork? No turning back now so fingers crossed! I will post results later! Wish me luck!
I have an oven recipe using pork chops. 🙂
https://dinnerthendessert.com/oven-baked-pork-chops/
I am making this today, thank you for sharing!! It was very fast and easy to make!!!
Super easy yet super tasty are by far my favorite recipes! I make this lazy dish even more lazy lol. I don’t flip the chicken over. I’ve tried it both ways and don’t taste any difference.
This recipe is amazing and I have made it several times since coming across it. Question, can you freeze the chicken once cooked and how is it when thawed and reheated?
Yes, you can freeze it after you’ve cooked it. I would recommend defrosting it in the refrigerator overnight and warming back up in the oven. Enjoy!
Very good. I will make again. I love the taste, the garlic is great.
what liquids to cook the chicken in if any?
No need to add anything additional than what’s listed in the ingredient list. The chicken will cook down and release liquid. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi I just found this recipe and it sounds delicious. I am a newbie to slow cooking ( like so new this recipe made me want to try th 1st time). I wanted to know if it will work with boneless skinless chicken breasts without bacon? We dont eat pork. or should I try in the oven instead?
If you want to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, I would recommend following this recipe:
https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-bacon-brown-sugar-garlic-chicken/
Enjoy!
She specifically said that they don’t eat bacon…
It’s not that hard to omit it…
I made tried this recipe step by step almost exactly as you posted it minus a few small alternatives and it turned out amazing!! I substituted 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic and the kosher salt with Himalayan salt same measurement and it turned out so good! I’m a major novice in the kitchen and it was super simple! I’ll definitely recommend it to friends! Thank you!
I’m so glad you decided to give it a try, Christina!