# Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken

Tender, fall-apart chicken bathed in a rich garlic butter sauce — all built in the slow cooker with almost no hands-on effort.

_Dinner_

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 240 min · Total: 250 min · Yields: 4 servings

## Ingredients

- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lb total)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, for serving)

## Instructions

1. Pat the 4 chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels — surface moisture is the enemy of good browning.
2. Mix together the 1 tsp kosher salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 0.5 tsp onion powder in a small bowl, then rub the mixture all over the chicken thighs.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown, then flip and sear 2 minutes more. Transfer to the slow cooker insert.
4. Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add 2 tbsp of the unsalted butter. Once melted, add the 8 cloves minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 60–90 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
5. Pour in the 0.5 cup chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it bubble for 30 seconds, then pour the entire mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
6. Scatter the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter pieces and the 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves over the chicken.
7. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3–4 hours or LOW for 6–7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender enough to pull apart easily.
8. Stir the 1 tbsp lemon juice into the cooking liquid, then spoon the garlic butter sauce generously over the chicken.
9. Garnish with the 2 tbsp fresh parsley and serve immediately with the pan sauce spooned over the top.

## Tip

> Searing the chicken before it goes into the slow cooker is not optional if you want flavor — the Maillard crust on the skin also keeps the meat from turning grey and bland during the long cook.

Tags: slow-cook, comfort-food, one-pan, weeknight, gluten-free

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/slow-cooker-garlic-butter-chicken