Description
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Thighs is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender bone-in chicken thighs cooked low and slow with savory garlic, sundried tomatoes, and a rich creamy sauce finished with Parmesan cheese. Perfect for an easy, hands-off dinner served over pasta or alongside roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
Vegetables and Seasonings
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
Liquids and Dairy
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season the bone-in chicken thighs evenly on both sides with salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.
- Sear Chicken: Heat butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until skin is golden and crisp, then flip and cook for an additional minute.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Remove the seared chicken thighs from the skillet and place them in the slow cooker.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet with remaining oil and butter, sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Deglaze Skillet: Pour chicken stock into the skillet to deglaze, scraping the brown caramelized bits off the pan bottom to incorporate all flavors.
- Add to Slow Cooker: Pour the onion, garlic, and stock mixture into the slow cooker. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook Chicken: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- Finish Chicken Skin: Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and keep covered to retain warmth. For crispy skin, place chicken under a broiler preheated to 200 degrees Celsius for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Prepare Sauce: To the remaining liquid in the slow cooker, add heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese. Optionally, add fresh spinach at this point. Cover and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken and meld flavors into a creamy sauce.
- Combine and Serve: Return the chicken thighs to the slow cooker and pour the creamy sauce over them. Serve the creamy chicken thighs hot over pasta or with roasted potatoes and vegetables for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth for a lighter flavor.
- For a lower fat version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- Adding fresh spinach in the last step boosts nutrition and adds color.
- Broiling the chicken is optional but recommended for a crispier skin texture.
- Leftover sauce makes a great addition to mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
