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.
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
- 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
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this ????
Sure
I got boneless skinless not thinking ?. I hope they’ll still turn out okay. I’ll come update later!
Came out perfect! Really tasty.
Sounds good can you have rice for your side dish
Sure!
I got boneless skinless not thinking ?. I hope they’ll still turn out okay. I’ll come update later!
What would be best served with this
Hi Carla,
Check out our wide array of side dish recipes for tasty ideas!
https://dinnerthendessert.com/category/dinner/sides/?swcfpc=1
Sabrina
I made this tonight for dinner. It was awesome. Both the hubs and myself loved it. I followed the directions and had enough sauce and the chicken fell off the bone. Will definitely save and make this again.
This was SO good. I added in 1/4 cup soy sauce and sliced carrots at the beginning. Absolutely delicious! Will add this one to our regulars.
Can I use Swerve brown sugar substitute?
I can’t see why not, but I’ve never tried it so I can’t be certain.
Can I do more thighs then recipe calls for with increase of ingredients in my slow cooker? Making for a family of 6 but would like 2 thighs per person.
If you stack in your slow cooker it will create a soggier mess. One of the important things is not crowding a slow cooker, so I’d probably suggest using 2 if you have 2 or baking it off in an oven instead.
how did it taste with the swerve sub?
Can I use drumsticks instead?
Sure, should turn out great!
I thought the chicken just tasted garlicy. The other flavours did not come through. So 3 stars. However, I ended up putting it in pasta sauce and it was amazing. I will make it for pasta in the future. So tender and add great flavour to my sauce. So that was 5 stars.
Do I need to thaw the frozen thighs?
Yes always add thawed and patted dry meat to a slow cooker or the extra liquid will flood the sauce in the slow cooker.
Hi Sabrina,
I made this tonight and it was delicious!!! My husband loved it. Cooked it as directed, just added a bit more garlic than called for, because well… you never have enough garlic. I basted the chicken just a few times with the juices and they browned up very nicely. I cooked the skin-on bone-in chicken thighs in my slow cooker on high for 4 1/2 hrs. Just to be sure. Turned out so tender!!! Thanks for sharing a great and very flavourful recipe! Will definitely make this again.
Used chicken breasts and it was so dry. Ending up dumping it out and having sandwiches
The recipe calls for chicken thighs – not chicken breasts. They are not the same cut of chicken. Chicken breasts tend to be dryer, to begin with. It stinks when your dinner doesn’t turn out as anticipated. However, I do not think giving this recipe one star was a fair rating when you used a different chicken cut. I am going to make this recipe on Tuesday. I would love to get this.
I agree should not give a 1 star rating when you didn’t use suggested chicken. White meat chicken is always dryer than dark meat.
Can the chicken breast be frozen or does it have to be thawed?
Mine didn’t brown like the picture. Can you help
I just put this together with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Does this matter?
Wondering if this will turn out dry without the skin on.
I want to do the same thing and can you tell me how it came out? Tips? Thanks
How did yours turn out? Im about to do it now ?
Just wondering instead of putting foil underneath a whole chicken whilst cooking this in slow cooker, can I put halved potatoes and onions ?
Thanks Casey
Do you use bone in chicken thighs? What about liquid in the slow cooker?
I use bone in thighs. You do not need to add any liquids…trust me! At first I was hesitant. The fat from the chicken will create juices. This is definitely one of our family favorites ! Delicious.
Can I use boneless chicken breast instead of thighs?
Grace
I do. I use a little bit of chicken broth since breasts can dry out easier. And I keep an eye on them around the 6-7 hr mark cause they cook faster being boneless
Thank you!
I tried this for the first time today.
So easy and so good!
Definitely add the red pepper flakes….yum!
We had it with rice, corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes fresh from our garden and we can’t stop talking about what a good meal it was.
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this ????