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
Have this in the crockpot as I type this. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Making this tonight should I add a lil water or chicken broth I’m using boneless chicken breast
I would recommend draping bacon over it to keep it moist. 🙂
Hi, first of all this looks delicious, 2ndly you are definitely one patient person, LOL. My question is for a whole chicken. I know I saw somewhere to just double the ingredients, is that correct? Also completely thaw and pat dry? Any propping needed? Do you even recommend this recipe for a whole chicken? How much time in slow cooker? If it’s the standard would you recommend 4 or 8 hours? Anything else I should know when using a whole chicken? Should I use the oven at all or will it be ok in just slow cooker? So many questions I have asked, because something simple just doesn’t sound right, it’s too easy. I have to make it more difficult, lol ? And lastly, thank you for taking the time to post recipes and for your awesome responses to EVERYONE!!
So sorry it took me a bit to respond. If you want to use a whole chicken, I would recommend following my Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken recipe https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/ and just double the other ingredients and rub it all over the chicken. Enjoy 🙂
I am making this as we speak. I do have a bit of an emergency. I dont have bacon to wrap my breasts in. Any other way i xan preserve moisture?
Oh no! I know some have said they had no issues using breasts but maybe just watch the cook time and try not to cook any longer than needed. Good luck!
I made it last night. How do I prevent from it producing so much liquids?
Make sure that your chicken is completely thawed. I even pat it dry before putting it into the slow cooker at times to make sure any excess liquid is gone. I hope this helps!
Do I use any liquid in this recipe?
No, don’t add any liquid. I know it can be scary to cook dry in a slow cooker, the chicken will release a lot of liquids.
How long in the crock pot if I’m using boneless and skinless chicken thighs?
I’d think it would be the same cook time in a slow cooker.
I have made this with up to 8 thighs I didn’t care that the skin didn’t crisp up on all of them because we don’t eat the skin any way. I am making this for dinner tonight . A great recipe because I set it up and it’s all ready when we get home from work.
Nothing better than coming home to dinner! I’m so glad you enjoy it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I want to cook this for six people and enough for people to have two thighs, so up to 12 thighs. How will they cook and look like this if there is a double decker in the slow cooker?
You don’t want to layer or overcrowd the slow cooker otherwise they won’t crisp up. I would suggest using 2 slow cookers or making this in the oven.
Can I use same recipe FOR 8 PIECES OF CHICKEN THIGHS?
It would depend on how big the pieces are. You’ll want to make sure not to crowd the slow cooker or layer any pieces.
I just made this with chicken breasts! I read comments before cooking hoping for a solution since they aren’t thighs. I have two very thick chicken breasts, and I tried three tablespoons of butter and even olive oil! And I only cooked for 2 hours on high. Still came out very dry 🙁 Better just stick to thighs for this recipe!
For anyone wanting to use breasts, I recommend using my Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken witout the liquids and it won’t burn or dry out??
If you’re using boneless skinless, I would recommend following my Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe to ensure it doesn’t dry out.
Hello! If i made this yesterday and i need to warm it up, what is your recommendation for the best results? Thanks!! It looks amazing 🙂
I would recommend reserving the sauce with the chicken in an oven safe dish. Reheat in the oven for 15 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees. If you want to try and crisp it back up, I would bump it up to 375.
Last night this was a hit!!! I thought I’d have leftovers but I didn’t. Will definitely be making this again.
No leftovers is a good sign that this one is a winner! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how much everyone enjoyed it!
This is my first time making this recipe but I made it with chicken breast. I wrapped my chicken up in bacon to help keep it moist. I hope it comes out delicious, I did add a little more brown sugar then the recipe asked for; is that ok?
Yes! I actually have a different recipe that does just that. Hope you enjoyed it!
Has anyone tried making this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
I have a Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe that uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 🙂
We don’t eat bacon! Any other recommendations for making this with chicken breasts instead?
There isn’t really any other thing that would help keep the breasts moist that’s why I use thighs. So sorry.
Do you have the nutritional information for this dish please?
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
This sounds like a great, easy dinner. I am making it tonight.
I would like to make more of the sauce to add to the rice. Do you have a recipe for that?
I don’t have a recipe for just the sauce but you could use the same ingredients and then add better than bouillon base since some of the flavor from the sauce if from the chicken rendering down. I hope you enjoy it!
I am looking to try this amazing dish just wondering can you use skinless chicken breast?
If you want to use skinless chicken breast, I would recommend my Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe. You’ll be wrapping bacon around the chicken so it’ll help to keep it moist while cooking.
Ok…I just put this together in my slow cooker. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, because that’s what my husband likes. I’ve read to cut the cooking time by two hours so it doesn’t dry out. I’ve also read that someone added butter to help with moisture. Do you recommend the above to keep the chicken breasts moist?
When using breasts, I like to use my Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe to ensure the breasts don’t dry out. Since it’s already all in there though, you’ll want to adjust the cooking time. I hope you enjoy it!
This recipe is super easy and super delicious. My family loved it. Great for a week night if you have no time to cook. I will definitely make it again. I recommend this recipe to everyone.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This looks amazing, and yummy, as well as the oven recipe. What I am wondering is how well do you think either of the recipes would do in an Instant Pot?
I’m sorry but I’ve never tested it so I’m not comfortable giving recommendations. You might be able to find a recipe online with similar ingredients and try and follow that.
I love the recipe!
I jazzed it up a little bit and made sort of a sweet and sour. I added 3 anise star pods, 2 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tsp red chili flakes, and 4 Thai dried chilies to the slow cooker with at the beginning with the garlic. When the 4 hours was up, I stirred in 2 tbsp rice vinegar. I removed the chicken and crisped up the skills in the oven like you said to at 425. I reduced liquid from the slow cooker in sauce pan for about 3 minutes on high heat. It was delicious! Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
What is that finishing garnish?
Parsley, so the photo didn’t look all brown! Haha.
Sabrina this sounds so yummy. I want to prepare this for my small ladies gathering tomorrow night. I have chicken breasts that I am going to use. I have bacon to wrap… will I add the brown sugar to the top of the chicken under the bacon, or on top of the bacon? will this have juice to put over rice, or should there be a little broth added? Or anything else added? I am using chicken breast because we have that and are moving and need to empty out freezer… hubby will not allow me to buy more meat right now… ;0)
You’ll want to add the brown sugar before wrapping in bacon and after. The chicken will cook down and release liquid so you won’t want to add any additional liquid to the slow cooker otherwise it won’t crisp up. I hope everyone enjoys it!
I am making this right now! I only had boneless skinless chk thighs, so I dried them well with paper towels, salted and peppered them, sprinkled a tiny bit of brown sugar on the inside, then rolled them back into a compact shape. I sprinkled some finely minced garlic on each one, then wrapped each one in a slice of bacon, and topped each one with a mound of brown sugar. I am cooking on high for 4 hours. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
LET ME JUST SAYYYYYY, LORDDD HAVE MERCY !!! My food hasn’t been in the crockpot for over an hour and the juices from the chicken are just filling the pot up. I’m so happy I didn’t use chicken breast. I also added some cajun seasoning and a little cayenne pepper just because I love spiceeee. It is turning out amazing omg. And my fiancé is starving and I told him he can’t order pizza because he needs enough room in his stomach for this deliciousness.
Glad you were able to keep him away from pizza knowing this was in his immediate future, lol!
Wow!! Lots of comments and same questions over and over. You are very patient 🙂 I’m interested in trying! I’ll do this version first and then may try to add a bit of soy sauce … and green onions sprinkled at the end. This was reminding me of shoyu chicken from Hawai’i. Typically has soy sauce and some star anise and ginger plus the sugar … also done with water and then pulled out. Thank you!
Enjoy!!
Making this for dinner tonight, my first time. I was wondering if there is a way to cook the potatoes and carrots with the chicken instead of roasting them?
No, I’m sorry but it’ll overcrowd the slow cooker and will affect the chicken from browning and crisping up.
Made this and it was so tender and delicious
I’ve made a double recipe using skinless thighs. It’s still cooking and tastes great but it does not have that beautiful orange glaze color or crispness on the outside.anyway to fix that?
You can always pop it under the broiler to crisp it up a bit more. Just watch it because it can burn quickly.
Wonderful! I used my hands to roll each thigh in the garlic ,salt and pepper. Messy but sooo worth it.
Is it a good idea to add potatoes to the crockpot with the chicken ?
Unfortunately it will crowd the slow cooker and not allow the chicken to crisp up. I would recommend making them separately. Enjoy!!
How would I use chicken leg quarters (bone in skin in). This recipe looks too good and that’s the only chicken I have in the fridge!
I would suggest propping them up around the slow cooker so they’re not sitting on the bottom, that’ll help with crisping up. Good luck!
Can i use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this?
I don’t like to use them in a slow cooker because I feel like they dry out a bit but I know readers have commented before saying they didn’t have an issue. Good luck!
Tried this last night and LOVED it! Thank you for sharing! I altered by using frozen boneless/skinless and dark brown sugar and the sauce turned out fine! I also added a tablespoon of chili paste and about an hour before it was done tossed in broccoli and served on rice. AMAZING.
So glad you enjoyed it Linda!
I have 12 pieces for a family should I just bake in oven? How much ingredients?
Yes, I would recommend baking it in the oven or two separate slow cookers. I’m obsessed with mine and have multiple, lol! You’ll want to start by at least doubling the recipe and add on from there depending on how big your pieces are. Good luck!
Does this recipe still turn out delicious if slow cooked for 4 hours? Or USB it better off to just bake itnin the oven? I will be trying this another time in the crockpot for 8 hours.
Definitely! Cook on high for 4 hours in your slow cooker. If you decide to put it in the oven instead, it’ll take 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees.
This turned out great! Thank you for the recipe. I did four large chicken breasts wrapped in bacon. The family had the breasts with some barbeque sauce. I shredded mine (so easy btw) and layered it over a salad with baked beans. Super yummy!
Ooh, that sounds fantastic! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Making this today. Wrapped 4 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts in bacon and followed your recipe to a “T” we’ll see in about 8 hours. Fingers crossed ?
Hi. Did it take 8 hrs on low in the slow cooker for the 4 breasts or was it done sooner? Thanks
I am in college and was looking for easy crockpot recipes and my roommates and me loved it!
So glad you all loved it!
Will be trying this in the morning
Cooking low and slow …
I will let u know how it turns out
Absolutely loved this recipe. I made it with boneless skinless breasts and added soy sauce and honey and the meat just falls apart. Amazing and will definitely make it again! I also loved that i didnt have to search far and wide for ingredients!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad to hear that it turned out great with boneless skinless breasts!
Did you wrap the boneless skinless breasts in bacon and how much soy sauce and honey did you use?
Sounds yummy!!!! 🙂
Can i use this with frozen chicken breasts? want to do that tomorrow maybe! Thanks!
You’ll want to completely thaw them out before placing them in the slow cooker. If used frozen, it will release too much water during the cooking process.
Do you suggest low for 8hours or high for 4hours making this now
You can do it either way but I prefer low for 8 hours.
Wow. I only just came upon this recipe and great I had not started my cooking as yet. The only thing is I had already skinned my chicken but I am giving it a try anyway. I pray it comes out well.
It’s now in the crockpot so will patiently await the outcome.
I have thighs and a couple legs cooking on high close to 4 hours now, can’t wait to own the lid. Hope it tastes as good as it smells.
Could i make this recipe with leg quarters?
Thanks in advance 🙂
As long as the slow cooker doesn’t get over crowded, leg quarters should be fine.
This recipe doesn’t make sense. In the picture there is liquid in it, however, the recipe does not call for adding water, or broth, etc. The recipe needs to be fixed because I followed the directions and came home to burn chicken…later looked at the picture and the ingredients and there is no liquid listed. The comments before i made this must be fake because there is no way that people made this recipe and it did not turn into crap.
I’m so sorry you chicken burned. I can promise you that this recipe has been tested time and time again. The skin on the chicken will help keep it moist and as the fat renders down, that will create liquid in the slow cooker. It sounds like your slow cooker might run hot.
Could you add some potatoes into the crockpot too?
You can but it will add more liquid to the slow cooker while it cooks so the chicken won’t have the same look to it. If you’re ok with that, then go for it!