Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
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.
- Author: Emma
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Shred and coat chicken: Shred the rested chicken using two forks, then return it to the slow cooker to coat with the thickened sauce.
- 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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