Description
A comforting slow cooker recipe featuring juicy bone-in chicken thighs simmered in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect for busy days and cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (1.5–2 pounds / 700–900 grams)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pat dry chicken thighs with paper towels.
- Season both sides of chicken thighs generously with salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs skin-side down until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, melt butter. Add chopped onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture and stir continuously for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth while stirring to avoid lumps. Add thyme and let sauce thicken for about 2 minutes.
- Pour mushroom sauce over browned chicken in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours or on high for 2–3 hours until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in heavy cream and warm through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If sauce is too thin, thicken with cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water) and cook on high for a few minutes.
Notes
Brown chicken skin-side down first to render fat and crisp skin. Do not overcrowd slow cooker for even cooking. Use bone-in thighs for juiciness and flavor. Add cream at the end to prevent curdling. For gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with rice flour or cornstarch. For dairy-free, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4–6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 28
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 30
Keywords: slow cooker chicken thighs, creamy mushroom sauce, comfort food, easy dinner, slow cooker recipe, chicken thigh recipe