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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

4.5 from 77 reviews

This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is a flavorful, tender dish made with a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. Perfect for busy days, it uses simple ingredients cooked low and slow, resulting in juicy chicken that pairs beautifully with rice and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

Scale

Sauce Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Thickening Mixture

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water

To Serve

  • Cooked white or brown rice
  • Chopped green onions or cilantro

Instructions

  1. Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, low sodium soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until fully combined.
  2. Add chicken to slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the slow cooker and pour the prepared honey garlic sauce evenly over the chicken.
  3. Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (or 4-6 hours if using thighs) or on high for 2-3 hours (or 2-4 hours for thighs), until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and is tender.
  4. Rest the chicken: Take the cooked chicken out of the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes on a clean surface or bowl.
  5. Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir this mixture into the sauce in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for another 10-20 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  6. Shred and coat chicken: Shred the rested chicken using two forks, then return it to the slow cooker to coat with the thickened sauce.
  7. Serve: Spoon the honey garlic chicken and sauce over cooked rice, and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro for a fresh finish.

Notes

  • Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat chicken and sauce gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave before serving.
  • For a spicier version, increase the amount of red pepper flakes according to your taste.
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs will yield a juicier and more tender result compared to chicken breasts.

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