Some nights I need dinner to happen without me hovering, and this slow cooker cranberry chicken does exactly that. You add chicken thighs, cranberry sauce, and some BBQ sauce and spices into the slow cooker, set it, and walk away. Hours later, the chicken is coated in a sauce that’s sweet, tangy, and just sticky enough to cling to every bite.
Cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce might sound like a strange pair, but they cook down together into something rich and glossy. The cranberry brings a tart, fruity edge, while the barbecue sauce adds smoke and depth.
If you are worried this will be too sweet, don’t be. It’s savory first, with just enough sweetness to keep everyone at the table. Best of all, it’s cheap. Chicken thighs are one of the most budget-friendly cuts at the store, and the other two ingredients run you a few dollars total. Since it is hands-off, forgiving, and easy on your grocery budget, this is an easy weeknight win.
My husband and I love it so much I started keeping an extra can of cranberry sauce in the pantry so that I could throw this together on nights I didn’t feel like planning anything. It’s turned into one of our go-to slow cooker dinners from September through the new year.
Keep reading for the full step-by-step, plus the trick for turning the sauce into a glossy glaze right in the slow cooker instead of dirtying another pot. It’s an easy dinner that tastes like more work went into it than it actually took.
Looking for more easy slow cooker recipes? Try slow cooker London broil, slow cooker sausage and potatoes, or slow cooker chili colorado.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: This is one of the cheapest cuts of chicken you can buy, and the bone and skin keep it from drying out in the slow cooker.
- Seasoning: Smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme season the chicken and the sauce.
- Oil
- Whole berry cranberry sauce: The same canned cranberry sauce you’d put out for Thanksgiving. The whole berries give the sauce more texture than the jellied kind.
- Barbecue sauce
- Brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Cornstarch
- Parsley and cranberries for garnish
How to Make Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- In the skillet, sear the chicken thighs skin-side down for 4-5 minutes until deeply golden. Don’t move them around; let them sit and develop a golden-brown crust. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Put the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker, skin-side up. Arrange them in a single layer if possible.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, 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.
- When it is done, carefully transfer the chicken to a platter and loosely tent with foil. Use tongs and a spatula to support each piece as you lift it out, because the meat will be so tender it might try to slide off the bone.
- 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 and cranberries before serving if desired.
Serving Ideas
I’ve served this cranberry BBQ chicken a dozen different ways, and honestly, it never disappoints. The glaze is so good that you’ll want something on the plate to soak it all up.
My favorite is a big scoop of mashed potatoes right under the chicken. Let that glossy cranberry glaze drip down into the potatoes, and you’ve basically created a sweet gravy situation. Wild rice works just as well if you want something a little heartier, and buttered egg noodles are also perfect.
This recipe is also an excellent centerpiece for a fall dinner. Pair it with stuffing and roasted green beans, and suddenly you’ve got a holiday-worthy meal without the Thanksgiving-level stress.
How to Store
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, and add a splash of extra sauce or broth so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
You can freeze the chicken and sauce together for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- There have been days when I’ve looked at that skillet and thought about skipping the searing and just tossing the chicken straight into the slow cooker. But those 6-7 minutes of searing are worth the time. The golden-brown crust you get from searing adds a depth of flavor that raw chicken can’t achieve. So sear it if you can.
- Your barbecue sauce matters here. I lean toward barbecue sauces with real smoke flavor because they go well with the sweet-tart cranberry, but use what you like.
- If your glaze gets too thick, don’t panic. Stir in chicken broth a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. On the flip side, if it’s too thin after the full 20 minutes, mix up another small batch of cornstarch slurry and repeat.
- If you want to take things up a notch, put the glazed chicken under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes right before serving. It caramelizes the skin just enough to give you that little bit of crispy texture you lose during slow cooking. Just keep an eye on it, because broilers work fast.
Reader Questions
Yes. You’ll lose the crisp skin, but the sauce and cook time work the same way.
You can, but keep an eye on them since breasts dry out faster than thighs in a slow cooker. Still cook to 165°F but check them a little earlier.
It’s recommended for better flavor and skin that holds together, but you can skip it if you’re short on time. The slow cooker will still cook the chicken through either way.
Whole berry cranberry sauce has actual cranberry pieces throughout, giving you little bursts of texture in the glaze. Jellied cranberry sauce is smooth and uniform. Both work perfectly fine in this recipe, so use whatever you have on hand.
White vinegar or red wine vinegar will also work. Apple cider vinegar adds a subtle fruity note that pairs well with cranberry, but honestly, the difference is minimal. I’ve used plain white vinegar before when I ran out, and nobody noticed.
You can absolutely make this a day ahead. Cook it completely, let it cool, then store the chicken and sauce together in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven at 325°F until heated through. You might need to thin the sauce with a splash of chicken broth since it thickens as it cools.
Yes, you can. I have a baked version of this recipe here: Cranberry Chicken Thighs. It uses whole cranberries instead of cranberry sauce, so it isn’t quite as saucy as this one.
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Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce 14 ounces
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Parsley and cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon oil
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Then season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.6 chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 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, onion powder, and thyme until well combined. Pour the sauce around and over the chicken.1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 cup barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 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.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cold water
- 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 and cranberries before serving, if desired.Parsley and cranberries
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
