These Crock Pot Asian Chicken Thighs feature juicy and rich meat covered in a brown sugar and soy sauce glaze. They are bursting with flavor and so easy to make!
For the longest time, I didn’t eat any kind of dark meat.
On top of the extra fat and calories, I assumed the flavor would be off and worse than traditional white meat.
Boy, was I wrong. About the flavor at least!
Dark meat is so juicy and delicious has a richer flavor that white meat does.
I’m so glad one of my best friends shared this recipe with my for Asian chicken thighs because it gave me an excuse to prepare some tasty dark meat.
My family loves this recipe and I know yours will too!
Step-by-Step Instructions
ARRANGE 2 pounds of chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker as flat as possible.
COMBINE 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and 3 cloves minced garlic in a small bowl.
POUR sauce over chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours.
AFTER two hours, turn chicken over and cook for 1 additional hour.
ONCE done, remove the chicken from the Crock Pot and pour any remaining sauce in a gravy boat or serving cup to use over the chicken.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
This recipe calls for 2 pounds of chicken thighs which is usually half of the package you can buy at the grocery store or between 5-6 thighs.
You can use either bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, just make sure the skin is removed and the meat is trimmed of fat.
These chicken thighs are delicious served over rice and topped with the remaining sauce from the Crockpot.
More Like This
Looking for more Crock Pot chicken recipes? You’ll love these!
FAQs
It’s always better to cook chicken on LOW in the Crockpot instead of high.
The high setting on a Crockpot is the equivalent of 300 degrees, so 3-4 hours at that temperature and you will have dry chicken.
YES! In fact, that’s what a slow cooker was made for.
However, you should always try to avoid putting frozen, raw chicken in a slow cooker. The USDA recommends against it and it can lead to longer cook times which can mean dry meat.
If you must use frozen chicken, be sure to use a food thermometer to ensure that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before removing it.
Contrary to popular belief, chicken only needs 3-4 hours in the Crockpot!
Larger recipes may take 4-6 hours, but that’s it! Most of the recipes on the internet call for chicken to cook way too long in the Crockpot which leads to dry meat.
That’s why I love this recipe. 3 hours is the perfect amount for tender, juicy thigh meat.
One way to keep chicken from drying out in the Crockpot is to use thighs instead of breast meat. Thighs have more fat on them which keeps them from drying out.
Another way to prevent dry chicken is to stick to a shorter cook time. As mentioned above, it should only take 3-4 hours on low for chicken to reach the safe internal temperature.
One last thing you can do, is make sure there’s enough liquid to keep the chicken moist while it is cooking.
If you follow this recipe you’ll have perfectly moist chicken every time!
I hope your family loves these tasty Crockpot Asian Chicken Thighs! If you make them, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
And if you’d like to get a 4-week meal plan featuring my recipes, just enter your email in the form above and you’ll get it straight to your inbox!
5 ingredient Crockpot Asian Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5-6 skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Cooked rice
Instructions
- Arrange chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker as flat as possible.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic.
- Pour sauce over chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Turn chicken over and cook for 1-2 additional hours until thighs are cooked through and tender.
- Once done, remove the chicken from the Crock Pot and pour any remaining sauce in a gravy or sauce boat to use over the chicken.
- Serve chicken and sauce over cooked rice.
Razi Franco
Thursday 20th of June 2024
This is possibly one of the easiest and best Asian inspired recipes I have made. I used LS soy sauce. I also thickened the sauce with a little corn starch and water mix. It was fantastic. Next go round, I’ll add some precooked vegetables to the sauce after the meat is done. I’ll also try it with beef or pork. I served it over crispy fried rice. 😋👍Great stuff.
Jessica Ashcroft
Thursday 27th of June 2024
I'm so glad to hear that Razi! Crispy fried rice sounds like a great addition!
Nichole
Friday 31st of March 2023
Hi! If I wanted to make this in the Instant Pot, what wouldnyou suggest for the cook time?
Jessica Ashcroft
Saturday 1st of April 2023
I would cook on high pressure for 12 minutes and then do a natural release for 5 minutes! Let me know how it works!
Anne
Sunday 11th of September 2022
Good with green beans roasted in the air fryer.
Jessica Ashcroft
Monday 12th of September 2022
Yum!! Thanks for the review Anne!
Laura
Wednesday 15th of June 2022
I made this this afternoon, however, I think there was a mistake in the time on the recipe …. We ended up eating later than planned and it was delicious!
Jessica Ashcroft
Thursday 16th of June 2022
Hi Laura! I'm sorry it wasn't cooked when you thought it would be! Every time I've made this, it's been done in 3 hours. I do have a large Crock Pot that cooks quickly though. I adjusted the recipe to add an extra hour just in case. I'm glad you liked it when it was cooked!
Laura
Wednesday 15th of June 2022
Okay, I still have 20 minutes to go, but the chicken is still raw!! My crockpot works just fine … I turned it to high after 2 hours because I could see that it was not cooking. Now, the crockpot is very hot, but the chicken is still raw!! I will give it the entire three hours, but I think I will be picking up dinner to take to our son-in-law and grandchildren!
Laura
Tuesday 28th of June 2022
@Laura, This is Laura responding to myself … Your recipe is absolutely fine … my reading comprehension - not so much. Just now saw that you cook in crock pot for 2 hours, then, turn the thighs over and cook an ADDITIONAL 2 hours. Sister Cassiana was right … I needed to slow down when I read and STILL DO!!!