Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe • 4★

Published May 20, 2025

Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.

The seasoning of this rich garlic and herb braise is inspired by escargot butter, which famously makes everything delicious, and is easy to make with just a few impactful ingredients. A generous dollop of sour cream added before serving brings it all together and makes it feel a little fancy. Top bowls generously with croutons, which lend crunch and soak up the flavorful sauce, or serve with thick slices of crusty bread.

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1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

8 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper

½ cup sour cream

Homemade or store-bought croutons, for topping

Step 1Combine the chicken, beans, butter, garlic, parsley, shallot, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and several generous grinds of pepper in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and the flavors have mellowed, about 4 hours.

Combine the chicken, beans, butter, garlic, parsley, shallot, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and several generous grinds of pepper in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and the flavors have mellowed, about 4 hours.

Step 2Break the chicken into large pieces using two forks. Stir in the sour cream.

Break the chicken into large pieces using two forks. Stir in the sour cream.

Step 3Serve the stew topped with croutons and more parsley.

Serve the stew topped with croutons and more parsley.

@Joan I haven’t made this yet but have made several recipes in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker. This is how I would approach it. First brown the thighs in the butter it will add richness - then deglaze with liquids and add the rest of the ingredients. Oven at 325 - plan for 2 hours but check after 1 hr.

My kind of recipe.

Take a few ingredients. Include butter. Cook for a while. Do other stuff. Come back. Eat. :^)

@Semmelwürfel, try stirring a bag of baby spinach through before adding the sour cream, it was a great addition for texture, flavor and adding some healthy greens.

This is a lovely flavorful dish but I made the mistake of not serving it right away when the 4 hours were up. My guests were running late and I left the stew on low for an hour and it became mush. When I tasted the stew on the 4 hour mark it was lovely but I guess the slow burn for another hour didn't do it any good. Also the color was awful, pale off white and not very appetizing.

I made this tonight May 2026. Followed the recipe precisely. Not only was it bland, beans almost completely dissolved after 4 hours, but was nearly inedible. By far the worst recipe I have ever made from NY Times cooking (40 years of cooking their recipes). Hopefully adding some sriracha sauce will help with the leftovers. Hate to throw so much out.

It smelled delicious which cooking, but needed more liquid when done. Would not make this again.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026893-slow-cooker-garlic-butter-chicken