Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Slow-Simmered Chicken with a Velvety Gravy
A hands-off slow-cooker supper that turns everyday chicken thighs into tender, saucy comfort with deep, savory flavor.
This Ember Pot favorite from Cam Torres is the kind of dinner you set in the morning and come home to: boneless skinless chicken thighs that cook low and slow until they practically fall apart, surrounded by a glossy, buttery gravy. The aroma of softened onions, carrots and celery mingled with garlic and thyme fills the house as the broth reduces, so even though the work is minimal the payoff is richly layered and homey.
For best results, trim excess fat and pat the thighs dry before seasoning both sides; if you have an extra 5 minutes, a quick sear in a hot skillet builds a lightly caramelized crust that makes the finished gravy taste deeper and more complex. Unsalted butter and flour in this recipe marry into a silky thickener while Worcestershire, bay leaf and dried thyme bring savory, slightly tangy backbone—vegetables melt into the sauce so every spoonful has body and comfort.
This is a practical weeknight champion: make it on the weekend and reheat for lunches, or freeze single portions for weeks when you need a no-fuss dinner. Serve it spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread to sop up the gravy; leftovers actually taste better after a day when the flavors have had time to settle.
Cam Torres’ slow-simmer approach is all about low-effort technique that yields deep, familiar flavor—simple ingredients transformed by time and heat. Trim, brown if you like, set the slow cooker to low, and let the pot do the work while you handle the rest of your day.
Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
- Trim any large pockets of fat from the thighs and pat them dry with paper towels; season both sides with half of the salt and the black pepper.
- If you want deeper flavor (optional but recommended), heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden; transfer browned thighs to the slow cooker.
- Thinly slice the onion, peel and cut carrots into 1/2-inch rounds, and slice the celery; spread the vegetables in an even layer in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and add the minced garlic, dried thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour the chicken broth and 1 cup water over the vegetables, nestle the seasoned (and browned, if used) thighs on top, dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and set the slow cooker to low.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours (or on high for 3–4 hours) until the thighs are tender and register 165°F in the thickest part and vegetables are soft.
- About 20–25 minutes before serving, whisk the all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup cold water until completely smooth to make a slurry; remove the bay leaf and use tongs to briefly lift the thighs from the cooker onto a cutting board.
- Stir the flour slurry into the slow cooker, then return the thighs (whole or shredded if you prefer) to the pot; increase cooker to high and cook uncovered 15–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the gravy thickens to your liking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining salt if needed, stir in the chopped fresh parsley, and serve the thighs with generous ladles of the gravy and vegetables over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim any large pockets of fat from the thighs and pat them dry with paper towels; season both sides with half of the salt and the black pepper.
- If you want deeper flavor (optional but recommended), heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden; transfer browned thighs to the slow cooker.
- Thinly slice the onion, peel and cut carrots into 1/2-inch rounds, and slice the celery; spread the vegetables in an even layer in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and add the minced garlic, dried thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour the chicken broth and 1 cup water over the vegetables, nestle the seasoned (and browned, if used) thighs on top, dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and set the slow cooker to low.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours (or on high for 3–4 hours) until the thighs are tender and register 165°F in the thickest part and vegetables are soft.
- About 20–25 minutes before serving, whisk the all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup cold water until completely smooth to make a slurry; remove the bay leaf and use tongs to briefly lift the thighs from the cooker onto a cutting board.
- Stir the flour slurry into the slow cooker, then return the thighs (whole or shredded if you prefer) to the pot; increase cooker to high and cook uncovered 15–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the gravy thickens to your liking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining salt if needed, stir in the chopped fresh parsley, and serve the thighs with generous ladles of the gravy and vegetables over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 14
- Saturated Fat
- 6
- Sodium
- 600
- Fiber
- 2.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 21
- Protein
- 44
- Fat
- 27
- Cholesterol
- 160
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 460
- Sugar
- 3.5