Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Chicken
This Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Chicken is sweet, smoky, and tangy with a rich cranberry barbecue glaze that's full of flavor. Bone-in chicken thighs are seasoned, seared until golden, then slow cooked until tender in a glossy sauce that perfectly balances smoky barbecue with tart cranberries.
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons These magnetic measuring spoons stick together, so they're easy to keep organized in my utensil drawer.
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 14 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cold water
- Parsley and cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken thighs skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker, skin-side up.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and thyme until well combined.
- Pour the sauce around and over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Carefully transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely tent with foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, leave the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and spoon the thickened glaze generously over each piece.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?Let me know how it was!