Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

5 Servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

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 made with just five ingredients, you can set it in the morning in just 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.

We LOVE this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken, we've made it twice this week!

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?

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken is AMAZING and EASY!

Looking for more awesome Brown Sugar Garlic Recipes?

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.

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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken made with just five ingredients, you can set it in the morning in just minutes and have the perfect weeknight meal!
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

  • 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

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 263mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Keyword: Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken made with just five ingredients, you can set it in the morning in just minutes and have the perfect weeknight meal!
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken made with just five ingredients, you can set it in the morning in just minutes and have the perfect weeknight meal!
We LOVE this Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken, we've made it twice this week!
5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken is AMAZING and 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 – 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. My family loved it. I added red pepper flakes and just a little Worcestershire sauce at the beginning and halfway through I added carrots. It didn’t really have the glaze in the picture in the crockpot but I think it’s because I doubled the recipe and cooked 12 wings instead of 5 so I put them in the oven and added just a little bit of brown sugar. Nevertheless, they were falling off the bone and were very flavorful.

    1. I said wings but I meant to say drumsticks and they were pretty big & meaty so they didn’t dry out at all.

  2. Can I substitute chicken breast for the thighs in the slow cook bacon brown sugar garlic chicken recipe?

  3. I made this tonight and it was really nice. I always alter things for my family taste and sometimes don’t use measurements. Yet I go about it with about stand point of getting my family to enjoy….. Well enough of that it was great! I baked it in the oven at 350 for 1.5hr then sprinkled a small amount of brown sugar on the skin and broiled it for 15 mins. Broiling itt made the skin really nice and crunchy… I am glad I made this and wish I’m going to add it to my family list of favorites.

  4. I made the Brown sugar garlic chicken. Wow easy and very good. I put it over white rice. I will be making this again.

  5. Amazing and easy! Best chicken I’ve had in a long time. Had to use the boneless and skinless thighs I had and it turned out perfect! Thanks!

    1. I’m going to try this today with boneless skinless thighs. Just curious, did it still require the same amount of time? I’m going to have to cook on high in order to be done in time for dinner. Thinking4 hours might be too long. Thanks. Enjoy your day.

      1. I did leg quarters on high. 4hrs was about 15 minutes or so to long the meat was a little dry. The sauce saved the meal.

  6. This sounds intriguing, can you use chicken breast instead? My husband isn’t a fan of chicken thighs, I love them!

  7. I’m so excited to try this recipe!! I’m so terrible at remembering to defrost chicken, can you actually use frozen chicken??

  8. Made this a couple of weeks ago in the crock pot and my kids (21 and 23 years old), boyfriend and I absolutely loved this! Trying again tonight in the oven, as I didn’t thaw chicken in time for the crock pot…. hoping it will be as yummy as crock pot version….

  9. Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good! And so easy to do…

    I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!

  10. Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good! And so easy to do…

    I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!

  11. Made this tonight and it was really good, my husband and 2 year old both loved it! I served it over jasmine rice and made some rainbow roasted vegetables (one of Sabrina’s other recipes) and it paired well.
    I was worried it wouldn’t turn out as good as the reviews say it is because I opted to use skinless chicken instead and it was still super yummy : )

  12. I am adding this to my slow cooker favorites, it was amazing! I seared the chicken in a pan with peanut oil after seasoning lightly with salt and pepper then I doused them in honey before mixing them in the seasoning. I generously wrapped each breast in bacon then rolled foil to keep it off the bottom of the crock pot. I poured maybe half a cup of chicken stock over them and put them on low for 6.5 hrs (internal temp read 170 F). I drained the juice and made a delicious gravy adding more chicken broth and some cold water mixed with flour to thicken it. I served it with mashed potatoes and butter pan fried asparagus.

    1. I used frozen skinless, boneless chicken thighs in my crockpot and it was fork tender. I put chicken and poured sauce over jasmine rice. Was delicious. Only wish there was more sauce. Will try in the oven next time with skin on bone in thighs.

  13. I have made this fish using your recipe several times, but, I must admit, I ” tweeked ” it! (Lol) I have made a similar recipe, using honey, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, Worcester sauce , and balsamic vinegar: my hubby calls it ” sticky-chicky-legs”! So, in my nervousness, I added these ingredients to your recipe each time I’ve made it and it turned out delish! This time, I have no honey , or ketchup , so, I have to follow your recipe to the letter. I’m sure it’ll come out fine . Great recipe and super simple, thank you for sharing ?!

  14. How many pounds of chicken are you using for this? I have a little more than 5lbs of chicken breasts that I would like to use.

    1. If I remember correctly, this was almost 2 pounds of chicken. If you use more, just make sure to use a larger slow cooker as to not overcrowd it or make it in 2 separate slow cookers.

    1. I’d be afraid they might dry out since there’s not much meat on them compared to thighs. I would recommend propping them up around the slow cooker and not lay them flat. Good luck!

  15. I made this both in the oven and slow cooker, I loved it in the oven. The skin was really crispy and caramelized and the meat was very moist.

    It was fall off the bone in the slow cooker but it didn’t retain the sweetness that much, plus the skin was very soft. I won’t be making it in the slow cooker again.

    1. Hi there- what was the recipe in the oven? How long/at which temp, etc?

      I’m not super keen on soft chicken skin, but I’d love to try this in the oven instead!

      Thank you!

  16. This dish is absolutely delicious, although I did slightly different, I used chicken breasts because that’s what I had, and I mixed all the ingredients,(except chicken) together in the bottom of crockpot then added chicken, cooked on high for 5 hours, we like it falling off the bone hehehe, but it’s definitely a keeper and so easy and delicious ?

  17. This dish is absolutely delicious, although I did slightly different, I used chicken breasts because that’s what I had, and I mixed all the ingredients,(except chicken) together in the bottom of crockpot then added chicken, cooked on high for 5 hours, we like it falling off the bone hehehe, but it’s definitely a keeper and so easy and delicious ?

  18. I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I will this weekend. Am I adding any chicken broth or water? And can I mix the ingredients together and put it over the chicken?

  19. Feeding a gang can I triple this receipe? Like fill my crockpot or double it in two crockpots? What would you suggest. Thankyou

    1. You’ll want to use at least 2 slow cookers if you decide to triple. You want to avoid the chicken from overlapping or overcrowding the crock pot. Enjoy!

  20. This was great! I used the oven roasting method and roasted an assortment of vegetables on a second sheet pan. Definitely a keeper!

      1. Yes but you may want to cut the cook time down by about 30 minutes so they don’t dry out. Enjoy!

  21. Has anyone converted this recipe to use in an Instant Pot? I’m experimenting tonight, so we’ll see! If anyone has successfully done it, I’d love to know how you did it!

  22. I absolutely loved this recipe I even put a little bit of soy sauce and i used some siracha! My family loved it !

      1. I made this with bacon wrapped chicken breast and it was Aaaamazing! The best chicken that’s ever come out of my crockpot ? Definitely will be making this again.

        1. Hiiii!

          That sounds ridiculously good!! Just curious…Did you pre-cook the bacon? And how long did you cook the chicken breasts in crockpot?

    1. Don’t have any minced garlic on hand and don’t have time to run in the store since everything is closing early. Can I use a little garlic powder instead?

  23. What is the green garnish used. Nothing in recipe calls for it. Is it just for the visual or need to add flavor?

  24. I love this recipe. When I set it up before work I don’t have a lot of time usually and this recipe is as easy as it gets. I usually buy bone in skin on chicken thighs rather than other parts cuz they have good flavor and a good price so this works well for me. I frequently add a package of sliced frozen carrots to the slow cooker part way through cook time. It works well and I love having a side dish done. If I don’t have frozen carrots I have also put a can of carrots in the slow cooker at the end of cook time, stirring the carrots in the juices. I am going to make the with bacon version soon using a pork loin roast. Pork loins tend to be dry and the bacon will help.

  25. Hi Sabrina,

    I’m hoping to attempt this recipe, but with a whole chicken instead. One of your tips is to double the toppings then prop the chicken on foil balls – I just want to clarify that, unlike in the original instructions with chicken thighs, none of the ingredients will actually sit in the slow cooker? Will the chicken skin still crisp up or will I most likely have to broil it afterwards? And last question – does the cooking time need to be adjusted if using a full chicken?

    Thanks in advance for the advice!

    1. My advice is to score the chicken and pat it down dry before pouring the toppings over it. That’ll help to ensure that some of it “sticks” to the whole chicken. Also try rubbing it inside and out with the other ingredients. You’ll want to cook it on low for 8 hours. Depending on how crispy you want, you may need to pop it under the broiler for a bit. I hope this helps!

  26. Sabrina, you are fantastic. I have been looking through your recipes and want to try all of them. I have been in the kitchen with my mom since I was six and she taught me a lot about cooking. I am 84 and still love cooking. After awhile you get so nothing sounds good for supper. I am so glad you have recipes that are great in the crock pot. I will be looking on your web site for my recipes. Thank you so much for your recipes and all you do to help us get good meals on the table. Bless you.

  27. Hi,

    I made this tonight — SO yummy.

    But, I was wondering why mine didn’t look crispy/thick.

    I followed the recipe to a T, so I was wondering if theres another step not mentioned.

    Thanks!

    1. Your chicken may have had more saline which will make it release more liquid, this will keep it from crisping up. If you make again, try broiling for a few minutes when it’s finished cooking.

    1. This is the only way I make them. It turns out DELICIOUS! Super tender, very moist and full of flavor! I do everything the same but swap the thighs for the breasts.

  28. I have made this a few time just as spelled out above and it was great. This last time I made two small changes or additions I guess. I did crisp up the skin on my chicken thighs before I put them in the crock-pot. Just a preference but not require. Then at the end I strained out the liquids. I put those liquids in a small pot and added cornstarch and cold water mixed and thickened that on the stove top. Poured that over the chicken and severed. Oh man was that good.

  29. No joke, this is my new favorite recipe. I’ve made it about 3 times in the past month. Love serving it with roasted carrots and making a gravy out of the leftover juices for putting on mashed potatoes 🙂 I also like to use seasoned salt instead because… yum, seasoned salt. So simple and delicious.

    1. I wouldn’t recommend unless you have a big slow cooker. You don’t want to crowd the cooker and have too much liquid release from your chicken and not cook out.

    1. I would definitely thaw first. If they release too much liquid, the sauce will be off and you won’t get that golden brown goodness.

    1. I wouldn’t add veggies. They will release too much liquid and your chicken won’t get that crispy deliciousness.

        1. It should brown in the slow cooker unless your chicken released a lot of liquid. If so, this will keep it from crisping up. If you make again, try broiling for a few minutes when it’s finished cooking.

  30. I’m cooking this tonight and just threw in the slow cooker. I don’t cook often. Do you have any suggested sides with this meal?

    1. I want to use boneless skinless chicken breasts but I can’t have bacon ?
      Any other suggestions to help keep them moist?

      1. You don’t have to have the bacon to keep it moist, it just adds to it. You can check the chicken after 6 hours (low) to see if they are done.

    1. It’s just a sprinkling of parsley for garnish. Feel free to add it or leave it out, it’s to make the dish pretty 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!

  31. Hi! I have this in my slow cooker right now. I’m looking at the pics of the dish you posted and it looks like you garnished it with a fresh herb sprinkled on top. What herb is that? Parsley? Thank you.

      1. No liquid 🙂 Trust me on this! Since your thighs are skinless and boneless, I would drape some bacon over them to keep moist and add flavor. Let me know how they turn out!

    1. All your recipes look good especially the ones made with chicken and brown sugar I have a Pampered Chef quick Cooker similar to an Instapot, do you have any recipes for such pressure Cookers?

      1. I’ve just started dipping my toe into the IP craze, haha! Some of my newer recipes have instructions for both the slow cooker and pressure cooker.