Melt-in-your-mouth chicken thighs prepared in the crock pot with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. An easy crock pot chicken thighs recipe!
CROCK POT CHICKEN THIGHS
You’ll love this easy melt-in-your-mouth Crockpot Chicken Thighs recipe. They are prepared with delicious artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes that results in a super simple recipe your whole family will love.
These chicken thighs are going to make you want to jump for joy. There’s so much texture and flavor going on in here; the chicken will literally melt in your mouth.
One thing you can never go wrong with is artichoke hearts because, they add so much flavor. 😋 And, not to mention the sun-dried tomatoes stirred in there for some extra excitement.
The great thing about this recipe is: it’s a meal that practically makes itself. Layer it all in the slow cooker and continue with your day. It’s so simple and tasty!
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
This recipe makes it simple to get family dinner on the table with only a few ingredients and without all the fuss. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs
- Seasonings
- Jarred Artichoke Hearts + liquid
- Julienne Cut Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Garlic
HOW TO MAKE THIS CROCK POT CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPE:
- Start by spraying a 6-quart crock pot/slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Next, season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Transfer chicken thighs to the slow cooker in one layer.
- Then, layer the artichoke hearts over the chicken and sprinkle with garlic. Take a 1/3-cup of the liquid from the jar with the artichoke hearts and pour it over the top.
- Next, cover; cook on HIGH for 4 to 4-1/2 hours, or on LOW for about 6 hours.
- Add in the sun-dried tomatoes 30 minutes before chicken is done cooking.
- Finally, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
I like to serve my Crock Pot Chicken Thighs with a side of rice, or with this awesome slow cooker basil pesto bread to soak up all that wonderful sauce from the chicken and artichokes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS INSTEAD?
- Yes, you can absolutely use chicken breasts, but keep in mind that chicken breasts will need less time cooking, so start checking around 5-hour mark if cooking on LOW, and around the 3-hour mark if cooking on HIGH.
CAN I USE BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS?
- Yes, using bone-in chicken thighs is fine. They might take a bit longer to cook; about 20 minutes longer in the crock pot.
CAN I DOUBLE THE RECIPE?
- I have always read not to use too many pieces of meat in a slow cooker. I think up to 6 is a good number, maybe even 8, depending on their size, but anything more than that might get a bit crowded. You want them all in one layer, slightly overlapping so to make room for the rest of the ingredients.
HOW TO STORE CROCK POT CHICKEN THIGHS
- Your crock pot chicken thighs should be cooled and refrigerated 2 hours after cooking.
- Keep them stored in your fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- You can also freeze them. Let the chicken thighs cool completely; transfer to a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Keep frozen for up to 3 months.
HOW TO REHEAT CHICKEN THIGHS
- Place chicken thighs on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350˚F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.
TIPS FOR USING YOUR CROCKPOT
- Use the right size crock pot.
- Coating the inside of the crock pot with a non-stick spray can prevent the need for scrubbing later.
- For most crock pots, the high setting is about 280˚F, and the low setting is around 170˚F.
- Cooking on HIGH for one hour is about equal to cooking on the low setting for two hours.
- Add fresh herbs at the end to keep flavors bright and fresh.
- Place hard vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker where they will have more moisture and cook thoroughly.
- Use cheaper cuts of meat. Inexpensive cuts of meat are often high in fat or connective tissue, both of which break down during long hour cooking methods.
- Add dairy at the end. Milk, cream, and other dairy products can break down and coagulate if overheated. Stir the dairy products into crock pot in the last 15-30 minutes, so it has just enough time to heat through.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CROCKPOT AND A SLOW COOKER?
- Crock Pot is the name of a brand that first came on the market in the 70s. It has a stoneware pot that is surrounded by a heating element.
- A slow cooker is typically a metal pot that sits on top of a heated surface. The term slow cooker is not a brand but rather refers to the type of appliance.
You’ll never be the same if you don’t try this easy, luscious, dreamy din din. It’s like your side dish and your main course all in one. Just get some really awesome bread to sop up the wonderful sauce that comes with it. 😍
ENJOY!
MORE CROCKPOT RECIPES:
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Crock Pot Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 jar (14.75-ounces) grilled artichoke hearts, drained, 1/3-cup liquid reserved
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup artichoke hearts liquid
- 1 bag (3.5-ounces) Julienne Cut Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Spray 6-quart crock pot/slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, paprika, and dried oregano; add to slow cooker in one layer.
- Add artichoke hearts over the chicken; sprinkle with garlic.
- Take 1/3-cup of the liquid from the jar with the artichoke hearts and pour it over the top.
- Cover; cook on HIGH for 4 to 4-1/2 hours, or on LOW for about 6 hours.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes 30 minutes before it's done cooking; cover and continue to cook.
- Remove cover at the end of the cooking time.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 5
NET CARBS: 10 grams
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I’ve made this 5+ times already and love it!
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
When it was first cooked and eaten warm, I actually felt there wasn’t a lot of flavor (even with extra spices, though it could have been something off on my end with ingredients) but I REALLY enjoyed some of the cold leftovers shredded and eaten over salad!
My family went crazy for this! The only changes I made were using chicken cutlets, instead of thighs (and I also browned them in a cast iron skillet prior to putting them in the crockpot), doubling the spice, adding capers and topping off with some feta cheese. This was honestly like heaven! So so much flavor. I’ve been striving to stick to a mediterranean diet and dishes like this one make it easy! Thanks for sharing.
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was delicious. I served it with Israeli cous cous.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Where do you find grilled artichokes?
Which Stores?
Hi!
I get them at Target, Walmart, local grocery store, etc… They sell them in jars, right next to the marinated artichokes, other jarred veggies, canned mushrooms, and so on.
I followed the recipe exactly. The pictures look great. My family and I didn’t care for it. However we enjoy all of the ingredients separately….not so much. No one ate the leftovers.
When adding the sun-dried tomatoes, I also add Kalamata olives. When plating I sprinkle with Feta cheese. Very yummy!
This sounds yummy! I do have a couple of questions, though.
When you say “jarred” artichoke hearts, do you mean the marinated ones? Or can I use the plain ones that come in a can? I don’t think I’ve ever seen plain ones come in an actual jar.
How would you adjust the recipe or cooking time in order to use veal instead of chicken?
Hi! Yes, marinated artichokes; those that are sold in liquid. The canned artichokes that I get do not have any liquid in them, but maybe there is some with liquid and I just don’t know about it. 😁 You’ll need 1/3 cup of that liquid to use in the recipe. You don’t have to – you can just use chicken broth, if you want.
I have never tried this recipe with veal, so I can’t say for certain, but I know that veal is thoroughly cooked at 145˚F. If you can, use an instant read thermometer and start checking for doneness at the 4 hour mark to see how much longer it may need to cook.
Love this recipe and make it at least once a month! I do substitute chicken broth for the liquid from the artichokes because otherwise it’s a bit oily for my taste. Question, has anyone ever tried freezing the leftovers, and if so how was it?
This has become one of my go-to recipes for a while now. Delicious over rice. You can get pretty flexible with it too! I didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes one time, so I threw in some chopped black olives and that was great. I bet green olives would be good. I usually use Italian Seasoning instead of Oregano. I always just use regular artichoke hearts. I also just use jarred chopped garlic because I am lazy! You definitely don’t need to spray the crock before putting everything in.
Two important things that I have found:
1. You need to add extra liquid, otherwise the exposed ingredients will burn. I pour in fat-free chicken broth until everything is covered. When I serve, I use a slotted spoon to strain everything out.
2. I only need 4 hours on low in the crock pot. I have the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget.
Great recipe! Like others I added the sun-dried tomato during the last 30 minutes of cooking. It was perfect. I also shredded the chicken in the crock and folded in fresh baby spinach until it was wilted. Strongly recommended. Tempted to serve over brown rice or with quinoa for an extra step. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe is so simple and tasty! It just Rocks! Since I found it I have made every week in my meal planning rotation! I use the bone in thighs and the meat falls off the bone.
Ooh I like the idea of adding spinach at the end!
So good! I have added carrots and/or potatoes for something extra. I also wait to add the sun-dried tomatoes when there’s only 30-45 minutes of cook time left, this keeps them from burning.
YUM! I’d never used artichoke hearts in a crockpot before, they definitely made this flavor amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Just put everything in the crock pot can’t wait to try it! Looks delicious
I’ve made this many times in the crockpot.and loved it! My question is: Could I make this recipe in an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and pressure cook instead of slow cook? If so would you ha Eva recommended time?
Question: I’d like to make this before heading out to work. I usually start with frozen chicken when I do this so that it doesn’t overcook. How long is it safe to cook the artichokes, though? Will that turn them to mush? Can I throw them in at the end?
Hi! Yep, just wait to throw them in toward the end of cooking.
This was a great recipe! I also added a small can of tomato paste and some concentrated low sodium chicken broth.
How would this be with black olives added?
Hi! I *think* if you add them near the end, they would be OK. Adding them in at the beginning might add a bitter taste to the entire dish.
Thank you. I’ll just skip them to be safe! It looks good as-is!
Hi, can I use bone-in chicken thighs?
Hi! Yep, bone-in is fine, but they might take a bit longer to cook. Maybe about 20 minutes longer in the crock pot.
Thank you for your creative recipe. We made this last evening using the stovetop to brown and the oven to roast it. We added more sundried tomatos because we love them. I did find the correct artichokes. I added more of the juice than you mentione but I don’t recommend that move. I didn’t have fresh parsley but I added a little dried after running it through the mortar/pestel. It was easy to create and tasty.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it just for my husband and I, and I’ve also made it for a small get together. It has been well received!
I can only find “smoked” sun dried tomatoes in a bag VS sun dried tomatoes in a jar. WhT donyou think I should go with?
Hi Iva!! GO with the smoked sun dried tomatoes… I bet that smoky taste will add that much more to the overall flavor. 🙂
Smelled so good! Made for my husband. He loved it. Stirred in half a block of cream cheese in sauce at end to make it creamy and served over rice. So easy!
Hi, This looks so delish, can I double the recipe? Would that require more time? Thank you 🙂
Hi Cheryl!! I have always read not to use too many pieces of meat in a slow cooker. I think up to 6 is a good number, maybe even 8, depending on their size, but anything more than that might get a bit crowded. You want them all in one layer, slightly overlapping so to make room for the rest of the ingredients. I hope that helps!
This was delicious!
I have everything to make this. Except my artichoke hearts are not grilled so I hope the taste is not altered much. I guess I could drain them and try to grill them. We are having a major snow storm here and it is impossible to get out. It seems like I want everything I see to eat and then don’t want it or can’t decide. This recipe looks great and it is going in my crock pot in the morning. That is if we still have electricity. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I like a lot of sauce with many of my recipes (I love sauce, and love having extras for a pasta side dish, etc.) Could I add some chicken broth or water (or something else you suggest) to make the sauce stretch? By the way, this looks YUMMY!!!
Can you substitute chicken breasts?
Hi Karen! Yes, you absolutely can use chicken breasts, but keep in mind that chicken breasts will need less time cooking, so start checking around 5-hour mark if cooking on LOW, and a little before the 4-hour mark if cooking on High.
I am in love with the photos in this post, Kate, which means I have to make this recipe ASAP! That’s how my brain works. 🙂 How lovely would it be throw everything in the slow cooker and come home from work to this?!
Hello,
Made this the other day, but didn’t see to use grilled artichoke’s. Does it make a difference in the way the dish tastes? Is there any thing i could use to flavor it up a bit more? thankyou
Hi! Yes, the grilled artichokes do add great flavor as well as the sun-dried tomatoes. Did you use the sun-dried tomatoes? Is it bland? You could add a bit more garlic, but sautee it first in some olive oil. Also, you can add dried oregano, dried thyme and/or rosemary. Let me know how it goes. Thank you!!
Hi Katerina, Yes, i did use sun-dried tomatoes,the addition of more garlic and oregano helped some, but next time i will see about getting grilled artichokes, thankyou C.M.
Making this today!!!
Wow, this chicken looks good! I’ve been totally loving my crock pot lately so I’ll have to try this out 🙂
Anytime there is sun dried tomatoes and artichokes involved, I am there! And its bittersweet that is fall but I can’t be more excited for crock pot meals!
Oh my goodness, I noticed it too! Summer is definitely coming to an end! And yes to this meal! I love how easy it is!
Love artichokes in my house the family will love this!
What a fabulous combination! I have 3 kids who love artichokes so much I can barely keep them in the house. If I buy them for a recipe, I have to hide them so they don’t eat them! I can’t wait to try this…it looks delicious!
oh hell yes. Thighs > other parts of the bird.
Is it really getting that dark for you? I’m feeling odd eating dinner while the sun is shining through…I need this tonight though. Fedex?
Well, I’m crying for the 9 o’clock sunset. 😀
Now it’s dark by 7 pm… but it will get worse, so I’ll *try* to enjoy it for now.
amazing!! I gotta try these.
My 4 year old is obsessed with artichoke hearts so this is a must-make for me! Looks like the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight!
These look amazing! And I LOVE crock pot meals!!
Girl, I love everything about this dish.
Working on my meal plan tonight, and I have all the ingredients for making this, YES!! Can’t wait to try it!
Quick question…your description says boneless chicken thighs but the ingredients say bone-in….which one do you use?
Hi Gilly! Thanks for catching that! It should be boneless chicken thighs. I’ll correct it right away. Again, thank you!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS!