Low Carb Keto Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Thighs are a perfect meal for a busy weeknight. You can make this in your slow cooker, Instant pot or you can bake them! Just 4 carbs per serving!
LOW CARB BALSAMIC CHICKEN
This amazing slow cooker balsamic chicken recipe has been a popular post since it was first published in 2012! It is simple enough for any weeknight meal and delicious enough for company.
With a few ingredients and 2-4 hours in your slow cooker, you have the most tender, mouthwatering, flavorful, chicken the whole family will love!
Pair it with any side dishes you like. The slow cooker does all the work and you will have an amazing dinner waiting for you when you get home from a long day.
HOW TO MAKE BALSAMIC CHICKEN
Ingredients
You will need some dry spices like garlic powder, dried basil or you could also use dried parsley, sea salt, black pepper, dried minced onion. You will also need minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and of course skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
Directions
Combine the first five dry spices in a small bowl and spread over chicken on both sides. Set aside.
Place the olive oil minced garlic and half of the balsamic vinegar into the slow cooker.
Lay your chicken thighs in the slow cooker, they can overlap.
Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours if you have a newer slow cooker and 3-4 if you have an older slow cooker.
HOW TO SERVE BALSAMIC CHICKEN THIGHS
I've got a bunch of delicious low-carb side dishes to serve this with;
- Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
- Loaded Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Rice salad
- Oven Fried Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
- Low Carb Cheesy Bacon Hasselback Zucchini
But of course if you don't feel like making anything too involved, a simple cauliflower rice is always good as is a mashed cauliflower.
Palmini rice is a new favorite of ours and we do still enjoy Shirataki rice too!
BONELESS VERSUS BONE-IN THIGHS
Using boneless chicken thighs is best for perfectly tender and juicy slow cooked chicken, but of course you could always use chicken breast if you're not a fan of dark meat. You could even try this recipe using pork tenderloin if you like.
Bone-in thighs will also work just fine, you may need to cook them a bit longer, possibly an hour more. Make sure to use an internal thermometer and insert near the bone. You want a reading of 165 degrees F.
My entire family loved this chicken and each child asked for seconds of it which rarely ever happens! Don't be worried about the balsamic flavor, it is subtle and not strong at all. The kids will only notice how moist and tasty the chicken is, I promise!
TOOLS TO MAKE BALSAMIC CHICKEN
Slow Cooker-I love using my crock pot weekly for that wonderful smell when you come home knowing you've got dinner ready to go for the family!
or Instant Pot- As much as I love using my crock pot, having an Instant Pot does save time when you need to get dinner ready in under an hour.
HOW TO BAKE BALSAMIC CHICKEN THIGHS
If you'd rather not use the slow cooker or instant pot. Simply follow the directions for seasoning your chicken.
Instead of placing the oil, garlic and balsamic into the slow cooker, add it to a bowl and toss and coat the chicken thighs. Place in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight is even better.
When you are ready to bake, place parchment paper on a large baking sheet pan and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Lay thighs evenly on pan without overlapping. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
CAN I SWAP CHICKEN THIGHS FOR BREASTS?
Check this Post if you prefer using chicken breasts for this recipe instead. This recipe has also been adapted to use with beef!
Check out my newest recipe, Crock Pot Balsamic Roast Beef!
Other crock pot recipes you might like:
- Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Breasts
- Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
- Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
- Crock Pot Shredded Mexican Style Chicken
- Crock Pot Sugar Free BBQ Pulled Chicken
KETO SLOW COOKER BALSAMIC CHICKEN THIGHS
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons dehydrated onion
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar divided
- 8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless (about 24 ounces)
- sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Combine the first five dry spices in a small bowl and spread over chicken on both sides.
- Set aside.
- Pour olive oil and garlic on the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in ¼ cup balsamic vinegar.
- Place chicken on top.
- Sprinkle remaining balsamic vinegar over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours if using boneless, if using bone in thighs, high for 2-3 hours. If you have an older slow cooker you may need to cook another hour.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley on top to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
David
I haven't seen boneless chicken thighs in the Markets here in Spain. Do you happen to know what adjustment to make if we use regular chicken thighs with bones and skin?
Thank you.
Brenda
I think you could easily make this with bone in thighs without any adjustments.
Liz Delaney
Hi Stella. I tried this recipe last night. My chicken thighs came out exactly the same as the picture ....no griller used.
Bobbie jo anderson
Just curious if add water
Brenda
No, the recipe is as I shared above.
Katie
I made this tonight with bone-in skinless chicken thighs. I subbed onion powder for minced onion because that's all I had. It turned out great! I cooked it on high for about 3 hours and low for 1.5-2 hours. My husband said it was "very good"... High praise from a picky eater like him 🙂
Brenda
Thanks for sharing!
Christina @ The Scrappy Housewife
I was wondering about bone-in thighs. Good to know it still works well!
Christina
How much onion did you use?
JE
I'm wondering how you got this down to 3 points? I was calculating the nutritional facts to try and increase the serving size and noticed the fat content of chicken thighs is much higher than 4g (often as high as 10g) - is there something I'm missing? Love the recipe though, delicious!
Brenda
I looked over my ingredients in nutritiondata.com as well as on weightwatchers etools and had the wrong amount for the chicken thighs. Thanks for questioning. I'm going to edit the recipe now.
Heidi
I made these the other day and they were delicious! I cooked it for longer than 4 hours though and they got a little dry. I think next time I'll cook them on low or for less time.
S
I use frozen chicken breast sometimes in the morning when I leave for work and cook on low all day. Think this recipe would work that way? I put in and turn on about 7:15am and then return home around 5:30pm. Looks delicious!
Brenda
I've never thought to do that but it sounds like a good plan, not sure if they would be dry or not. Please let me know if you try it!
Lori
I just made this tonight and it was really wonderful! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Shannon
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! My husband LOVED it. The thighs didn't over-cook for me but they also only needed 3 hours not 4. Can't wait to make this again.
Darlene
How did you get the browned crispness?
Brenda
I just followed the recipe as I shared, they came out of the crock pot like that.
Nikkinelson79@yahoo.com
I have 2 lbs of chicken thighs which is more than 8 thighs. Should I double the recipe ingredients? I'm making this for tonight and am excited!
Brenda
so sorry I missed this question! If you doubled the chicken , yes you should have doubled the rest of the ingredients. Hope they turned out for you.
Kimberly
Hello!
Can I cook these on low? If so would it be for 8 hours?
Thanks!
Brenda
You could although I haven't so I'm not sure if it would come out dry by 8 hours.
Shelby Cavazos
I did that yesterday and they were awful.....very dry. We ended up throwing them away. (Just came back on here to see if others had had this problem, and saw your post.) I will give the recipe another shot at a later time and just do the four hours!
Erin
Just made these last night, and they were terrific!, Meat was practically falling off the bone, and the flavor was incredible! Thanks for the recipe!
Brenda
That's wonderful! So happy you like it!
Paula
I am normally a white meat fan but I have found that I like thighs when done in the slow cooker. I have this cooking right now. Any weight watchers out there..,. it is only 3 pts per serving
Liz
If you use thighs the chicken should not taste dry. Thighs are perfect for long, slow cooking. I'm making this tonight. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Nikki
What about using a whole chicken? We get our meat from a local csa and each month we get a whole chicken...or 2!
Sandy Eyl
Oh that actually sounds really good. I bet you'd need a lot of balsamic tho'
Napua
Instead of the dried herbs and spices, can I use fresh? What would the equivalent be and how do you think it would turn out. I am new to the crockpot.
Brenda
You could. I like the dried here so that it absorbs into the meat with the dressing. I add fresh parsley once cooked. For the dried basil you might need about a 1/2 cup chopped really small and mixed with the vinegar, although I haven't tried it so not sure it the flavoring will be the same as using the dried.
Sandy Eyl
I haven't tried Chicken Thighs before and just bought some this week. Cooked them in a sautee pan instead of crock because I wasnt home to set the 4 hours on the crock pot... But I just wondered if you'd answer a question about prep. I usually buy boneless skinless chicken breast which is perfectly clean of all skin and fat. When I bought boneless skinless chicken thighs, the chicken pieces had lots of fat around the edges and between what I assume is thigh and rib meat. This translated to about 20 minutes of work with a kitchen shear trying to trim it all away. do you ever have this problem? Or did I just get a substandard batch of thighs?
Brenda
I've bought mine at Sam's club and didn't have to trim any fat and they were boneless and skinless, sorry you had that trouble, what a pain!
Tracy Stevenson
I've been making this for my family, BUT today I brought it to work for a potluck!! Wow expect lots of visits... they LOVED this chicken.
Brenda
I'm thrilled everyone loved it, thank you for sharing!
Jen
I made this tonight with chicken breasts and mine was too dry also. I did. 1.5 hours high and 1 hour low because mine was still partially frozen. Love the taste and want to try again. Help please!
Lynne
I made this with breasts. I cooked on hi for an hour, then turned it down to low for 2 hours. In that time (which was lots less than yours) the chicken got dry. Tasty, but dry. How do I adjust this recipe to keep the chicken moist?
Brenda
I will be making these with chicken breasts this week and will adjust in the recipe once I do. May need more liquid.
Megan L
Brenda could I cook this with thighs for 3 1/2 instead of 4? On high?
stella
The picture shows charred skin on the chicken, which did not come from a crock pot but from a grill.
Brenda
HI Stella, While I'm glad you found my blog, I am quite offended you are calling me a liar. I did not grill my chicken thighs. This is exactly how they came out from my crock pot.
Becca
I have made these before, & the chicken will look as though it has been grilled. It's an awesome coating from all of the ingredients. I did not have a thinck coating, as I put too much liquid on my chicken. This was a huge hit in my home, & I plan to make it again & again!
Brenda
Thank you for sharing!
Janet
I came across your recipe and made this tonight. I had 7 bone in chicken thighs. I didn't have minced onion so I cut up an onion which I put on the bottom with the oil and garlic. I didn't have basil so I used oregano. I cooked for 7.5 hrs on low simply because I had to go out last minute as I was only going to cook it for 6 hrs. It turned out lovely and they weren't dry likely because of the bone and skin. Served with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes. Delicious. I managed to salvage two pieces of chicken, three broccoli flowerets, and a couple of tablespoons of potatoes for my lunch at work Monday lol. A definite remake for sure!! I love easy recipes like this for the crockpot. Thank you, it's a keeper!!
Rachel
I made this last night and it was a huge hit and they do look exactly like they’ve been on the grill. But not! Haha. Loved these so much. Thanks for sharing.
Liz Daw
Hello,
It's been a long winter here in the mid-west and I felt so blessed to come upon this fresh and jaunty recipe to warm our home. However, I too, am quite offended by the comment about the alleged grill marks on the chicken thighs. Stella please keep it together. This is a wholesome community of like minded thinkers. Do not call Brenda a liar as she is our queen sugar free Mom. You have no idea what Brenda has been through in her life... the trials and tribulations she had to overcome to achieve the blog of her dreams. Be kind and keep you grill mark comments to yourself or else I will come grill you.
Brenda
Thank you for your wonderful support Liz!
Jeffrey
Damn Stella, I'm sure you are a blast at parties, lol. You're straight throwing mad shade on this amazing recipe. The dark color you see is just caramelization of the sugars on the thigh. How about you get off your high horse and not be a judgmental. Try cooking with your brain once in a while... Brenda, I'm sorry for people like this. You killed it with this recipe and I am so thankful to you for publishing it. The caramelization you get from prolonged applied heat to sugar is amazingly tasty!
Christina
I make this all the time. Is it safe to double the recipe? Should I adjust cooking time?
Brenda
If you can fit a double amount in your crock pot it should be fine to keep the same cooking time, you may need to stir them up half way throughout if you have quite a bit of chicken in there.
Cassandra
Chicken thighs do not dry out like chicken breasts do. I have not had a lot of success with chicken breasts in the crockpot. Chicken thighs are not as touchy, cheaper and still healthy...it is ok to have a little healthy fat 🙂 There is only one chicken breast recipe I have had success with in the crockpot. Time has to be shortened and more oil or fat of some sort needs to be added so they do not dry out...but even then they still do a little.
Bonnie
if using chicken thighs, could you cook on low for 8 hours? would you still add more liquid?
Brenda
I would not cook on low that long even with thighs, maybe 6 tops.
Donna Daulton
Cook on low ONLY. The secret to moist chicken is low & slow no matter how it is done.
Kristie Laas
I am making this for dinner tonight...spells yummy, hopefully it taste as good and goes over well with the kids!!! Cant wait to eat!!!!
Shanna
Making this tonight!
KimH
Oh my, that sounds wonderful... I'll def be trying that soon!
Jen
I have some chicken marinating in balsamic vinegar in the freezer. I will take it out and try this this week. I love the slow cooker! Thanks!
The Better Baker
Looks perfectly delicious! Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe.