Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken is a quick recipe with fantastic authentic Jamaican flavors of peppers, onions, allspice and cloves and with no mess to clean up.
Jerk Chicken in the Slow Cooker is Easy
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken is an easier way to make a delicious authentic Jamaican meal than firing up the grill and you’ll have no worries about the smoke you’ll be making on the indoor grill or the peppers burning your eyes standing above the outdoor grill.
Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken is actually a take on my classic Jerk Chicken recipe that I used to roast for clients (I would spatchcock the chicken and rub the mixture into it and roast it in a cast iron skillet for basically the best roast chicken ever!) but adjusted for the fact that I never have time or patience to keep my eye on the oven now that life is basically a circus.
Jerk Chicken Spice
The herbs and onions in the marinade for this Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken is about as delicious and authentic as I’ve had. I de-seed and de-vein the jalapeno before using it but when I know I don’t have to share with a spice-wimp I double the jalapeno and leave the ribs in. 
The added heat makes it an even more authentic version with the extra spicy kick. Plus since you’re using the slow cooker all that delicious heat mellows out a bit and melts into the chicken thighs which are going to be super moist and perfect for enjoying over a bowl of steamed rice or fried plaintains and a delicious Red Stripe beer.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken recipes? They’re a favorite around here:
- Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- and there are many more slow cooker meals on the site…
Tools used in the making of this Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Recipe:
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. I browned the chicken in the cast aluminum insert before cooking the chicken on low, so I didn’t have a second pan to clean. 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.
AllSpice Spice Rack: I use this spice rack and fill up the bottles with freshly purchased spices. It’s basically one of the most beautiful things in my kitchen and when you’re working with a large quantity of spices, not having to hunt and peck through your cupboards makes everything go at warp speed.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs , bone and skin on
- 3 green onions , from tip to tail with root trimmed
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper , de-seeded and de-veined
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs to a large skillet and brown them on medium high heat on both sides for 3-5 minutes.
- In a food processor add the green onions, onion, jalapeno, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, thyme, cloves, nutmeg and allspice and puree until smooth.
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker skin side up and pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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I make this recipe using drumsticks, a whole habanero pepper with some seeds, and extra seasoning. Love it!
So glad you enjoyed the Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Ash, and thanks so much for the five star review.
Just making this today. I did brown the thighs as instructed but now the skin is all rubbery. I have 3 hours to go and the thighs are already falling apart. This is on low.
Crockpots vary in temp for low and high. The ideal temp for chicken thighs on low is in the range of 275 °F – 320 °F.
Isn’t the sauce suppose to be dark in color ?
Not sure how to answer your good question. Soy Sauce, brown sugar and spices do make a sauce darker. How did the recipe taste?
Made it twice. First time true to the recipe. One commenter mentioned quadrupling the spices, I concur. I used half the spices as a rub before browning…and really brown it, bordering on burnt. Triple the brown sugar. Definitely needed salt and pepper. Heat is subjective, but half a jalapeño isn’t even mild in my book. At a minimum use one scotch bonnet, and make sure it’s a scotch bonnet, it has a specific flavor. Thicken up the leftover juice and spoon it over the chicken when served…or play with it however you want. That’s the fun part of cooking. It was perfectly fine the first time too.
This slow cooker jerk chicken sounds great! Just wondering if this could be done in the instant pot and if I would need to add a little chicken stock and what the timing would be…..
Can this be made in the instant pot?
Is it necessary to brown the chicken first?
It’s not but it makes the chicken more palatable. Don’t skip it.
Does it work with chicken drumsticks?
I am going to try this tomorrow, I love the flavors of Jerk Chicken but I bought several cartons of chicken that I swear was not “frying hens”. Even the thigh and drumstick meat are so tough it’s like chewing tough beef, I truly believe these were old roosters that had run the barnyard for a few years!! LOL. So I am looking for flavor but primarily tenderness.
I’ve made this several times and it’s my favorite slow cooker recipe. Do you think there is any reason I couldn’t make the marinade in large batches to freeze for even easier weekday meals?
This looks fantastic. Can I use chicken legs instead and store brought Grace Jerk Marinade and add soy sauce and vinegar to it and then pour over chicken in slow cooker?
Don’t do it sunny. Sounds extra salty to me. If you use marinade you shouldn’t add soy or vinegar sauce. I prefer sticking to to recipe or using marinade only.
Do I use any liquid in the slow cooker or just the sauce
Just what comes out of the chicken and sauce. No need to add anything. 🙂
Would this be good with chicken breasts?
I’m sure it would be great!
This looks great and I’m really eager to give it a try but time is of essence with my 6 month old. Can I use this recipe on the air fryer ?
I haven’t tried it in an air fryer! sorry!
Made this recipe exactly as the directions say, and it was incredible! I only made 3 pieces of chicken since it’s just me, hoping for leftovers, but my 6yr old granddaughter stopped by and ate the rest. Thought it might be too spicy for her, but in her words it was AMAZING!
Super easy, cheap and yummy. Making it again tonight. Thank you so much for the recipes.
I’m confused how is it supposed to be in a slow cooker with no liquid to cook it ? How is the seasoning mixture supposed to cook the chicken ?
There is soy sauce and vinegar in the seasoning portion that is the liquid. Enjoy!
These were GREAT! Like I cant stop thinking about them. Is one serving one chicken thigh? Or 2?
1 chicken thigh is one serving. So glad you loved it!
If you don’t have a food processor, would a blender work?
Definitely!
I love this recipe but I actually do it as a marinade. I’ll put all the ingredients in a blender/processor (with some added garlic), then pour it in a ziplock with 2-3 tenderized chicken breasts. Let them sit in the fridge for a couple hours and then throw the breasts on the grill. If you want to be really fancy, you can keep the juice from the ziplock and throw it in a sauce pan with some chicken stock. Reduce it until it’s thicker, and put that on some white rice with chopped green onions. One of my favorite meals to make!