Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken Thigh Recipe

This Mediterranean chicken thigh recipe is light, filling, and easy to make.

A few weeks ago, I desperately wanted to make my mom’s slow cooker mediterranean chicken thighs, but I couldn’t find the piece of paper I had written the recipe on. She wasn’t answering her phone, so I took to Pinterest. Surely someone out there had a recipe that was more or less the same, right?

Nope! I couldn’t find a recipe that was even remotely similar. Most of the recipes called for bone-in chicken leg quarters, and some of them didn’t even have any capers. I don’t have time to mess with bone-in chicken when I break out the crockpot. If I wanted to be super involved with my meal, I’d use the oven or the stove. Slow cookers are reserved for days when I don’t have much time to spare, but my boys need a quality meal. Who wants to fish through their dinner, collecting little bones as the meat falls off, when you could just… not.

I was honestly shocked. I always loved this recipe growing up, but I had no idea it was so unique. Well I’m here to change that. This mediterranean chicken thigh recipe deserves to be shared – straight from my mama’s kitchen to yours! It might even become a staple meal in your house, too. It’s juicy, tender and light, but still filling. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Plus, who doesn’t love a good slow cooker recipe? If I had enough counter space, I’d probably leave it out all the time. As a busy work-at-home mom, my crockpot is my saving grace.

The main ingredients you’ll need are chicken thighs, fresh lemon juice, white onion, kalamata olives, canned whole tomatoes, capers, and fresh garlic. You throw these ingredients in the slow cooker, along with some Mediterranean seasonings, and voila! Turn that sucker on high and you’ll have a delicious meal in 4 hours. If you forget about it for another hour or two after that, you’re only making it yummier.

Serve over basmati or my personal favorite, jasmine rice, and top with a little fresh parsley or cilantro. Mmm! You’re in for a treat.

 

 

STEP ONE – PREPARE THE CHICKEN

Cut the excess fat off of the chicken thighs and pat dry. Place them flat at the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s okay if they overlap a little bit.

STEP 2 – MIX THE SEASONINGS

In a small bowl, mix together oregano, basil, and marjoram. If you have any other seasonings you’d like to add, go ahead and throw them in the mix too.

STEP 3 – ADD HALF OF THE SEASONINGS TO THE CROCKPOT

Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon into the crockpot, then sprinkle half of your seasoning mix over the chicken. It’s okay that the seasoning is only on one side, because you’re going to shred the chicken halfway through, mixing everything together.

STEP FOUR – CHOP THE VEGGIES

Coarsely chop your onion, and finely chop the garlic cloves. Sometimes I’ll leave the garlic cloves whole, and it’s absolutely delicious. Most of the time, I’ll add both, and I’ll even throw in a little extra.

STEP 5 – ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS TO THE SLOW COOKER

Add coarsely chopped onion, drained can of tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, capers, and olives to the slow cooker. You want to make sure you drain the can of tomatoes, and give it a quick rinse.

STEP 6 – ADD THE REST OF THE SEASONING

Sprinkle the rest of your seasoning mix into the slow cooker and squeeze the juice from the other lemon half over the vegetables. If you’re like me, you might even throw a few extra capers and olives.

STEP 7 – WAIT FOR THE MEAL OF YOUR LIFE

Cook on high for 4 hours, shredding the chicken and breaking apart the tomatoes halfway through. The chicken should be in chunks of various sizes, and the tomatoes can be as large as you want them to be. Everything will be so tender that it won’t be difficult to break up. You don’t need to take the ingredients out of the pot to do this, simply take a couple of forks to the chunkier bits, and they’ll fall right apart.

Serve over jasmine or basmati rice, and top with fresh parsley or cilantro.

Delicious! I hope you enjoy my mom’s Mediterranean chicken thigh recipe as much as my family does. My husband talks about it all the time, and even on his pickiest days, my son gobbles it up. There’s really nothing better than a plate full of chicken and juicy, tender olives. I mean, come on. How often do you have an excuse to eat 7 olives with your dinner?

There’s so much you can do with this recipe. If you like a little kick, add some red pepper flakes. Bay leaves are a great addition to this mediterranean chicken thigh recipe as well. If you’re really into olives, you can even throw a few whole, pitted green olives in, like I do. My favorite addition by far, I have to say, is adding in a few canned artichoke hearts. Yum!

My family eats this meal year-round, but something about the Spring really makes me crave it. It’s just too easy to pass up. I start this meal, get some gardening and cleaning done in the time I saved, and bam! We have a flavorful, healthy meal to end the day. I love the fact that it’s mild enough for kids, but flavorful enough for adults. If you’re on a low-carb diet like my husband, this fits right in. Simply cut out the rice, and you’ve got yourself a Keto and Paleo friendly meal.

What modifications would you make to this recipe to fit your family’s palate? Let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.