Whole30 Savory Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

This Whole30 slow cooker chicken thighs recipe is super comforting. You’ll enjoy a warm, savory stew coupled with fall-apart juicy chicken. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Making dinner can feel like such a chore, but I’m pretty sure dinner doesn’t get simpler than this recipe for my savory slow cooker chicken thighs.

I simply threw all the ingredients for this Whole30-compliant recipe inside my slow cooker and cooked it for about four hours. My home had an incredible aroma that made me crave this cozy and savory dish by dinnertime.

This recipe might be one of the most simple recipes you ever make. You simple gather up the following ingredients and place them in your slow cooker:

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (ok to use bone-in chicken thighs too)
• 1 can of black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 32-38 ounce jar of mild or medium salsa (picante sauce)

Then you cook the chicken on low and slow (about 4 hours). After 4 hours, you can simply turn your slow cooker dial to warm until you’re ready to enjoy it.

This meal is Whole30-compliant as is and can be served over a sweet or baked potato. If you’re not worried about being Whole30 compliant, you can serve it over white or brown rice.

Why We Love this Recipe

There is so much to love about this slow cooker chicken thigh recipe:

It’s Easy. You simply place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let the slow cooker do its magic. No fuss and easy clean up.

The Chicken is Tender: The chicken thighs literally fall apart and soak up the savory sauce. If you use bone-in chicken thighs, the chicken will fall off the bone at the nudge of your fork.

It’s Savory: You’ll find that the sauce has a wonderful taste to it. It’s a bit spicy from the mild picante salsa, but it’s also a little sweet thanks to the raisins and black olives.

The Raisins Get Plump: When you cook raisins in the slow cooker, they soak up all the juices and taste incredible. I love how they plump up and become juicy. It’s the perfect compliment to this chicken.

It’s Good: Seriously, this recipe is so good and is hands down one of my favorite Whole30-compliant recipe concoctions.

Perfect for Meal Prepping: This meal is perfect for meal prepping. Portion the ingredients in glass containers with plenty of sauce. Refrigerate. Then simply heat up the meal when you’re ready to eat it. The chicken stays tender and juicy for 5-7 days.

FAQs and Substitutions

Can You Use Chicken Breast? I recommend using boneless and skinless chicken thighs, or bone-in thighs as an alternative if you don’t have boneless, skinless thighs. The dark meat holds up well when slow cooked. However, you could use chicken breasts, just note that the chicken won’t be as juice and tender.

What Salsa Do You Recommend? If you’re worried about being Whole30 compliant, be sure to use a sugar-free salsa like Pace Picante sauce. You can use mild or medium salsa. I personally use the Kirkland Medium Organic Salsa and don’t worry about being Whole30 compliant anymore.

Can You Use Golden Raisins? Yes, you can use black or golden raisins. Both will add sweetness and plump up in this recipe. Even if the raisins are a bit stale, they will work in this recipe since the raisins soak up all the juices from the sauce and chicken.