Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken has tender shredded chicken in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce. This recipe is one of the easiest crock pot meals!
Slow cooker meals are some of my favorites for getting dinner on the table fast. This slow cooker honey garlic chicken recipe is one of my easiest crockpot chicken recipes! This saucy chicken is a little bit sweet, a little tangy, and all around delicious!
This recipe is a true dump and go slow cooker recipe. It takes just a few minutes to get the chicken and honey garlic sauce ingredients in the slow cooker. Then while you go about your day, dinner will practically cook itself.
My family loves honey garlic sauce, and if yours does too, you might also enjoy our Honey Garlic Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Instant Pot Pork Chops with honey garlic sauce, Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts and Honey Garlic Salmon.
Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- Honey: Honey brings sweetness and honey flavor to the sauce.
- Soy Sauce: For some savory, umami flavor. I recommend using low sodium soy sauce so that the finished dish won’t turn out too salty. Since even low sodium soy sauce contains a fair amount of salt, I don’t add additional salt to this recipe.
- Tomato Paste: The acidity balances out the sweetness of the honey. If you don’t have tomato paste on hand, you can substitute ketchup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Rounds out the flavors and brings a subtle tanginess to the sauce.
- Garlic: Plenty of fresh garlic makes this honey garlic chicken extra delicious!
- Black Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes: For a bit of heat. The red pepper flakes are optional if you want more spice in the dish.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook up tender and perfect for shredding. This recipe is also delicious made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and I’ve included cook times for both in the recipe card below.
- Cornstarch and Water: After the chicken has cooked, you’ll stir together cornstarch and water to make a cornstarch slurry. This helps to thicken the sauce.
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Combine the honey garlic sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to mix.
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Boneless chicken breasts will take 4-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Boneless chicken thighs will take 4-6 hours on low or 2-4 hours on high.
- Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board or bowl and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 10-20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker. How to shred chicken includes 3 easy ways for shredding chicken.
- Serve the chicken and sauce over rice.
You might also find my guide on How to Use a Slow Cooker helpful. It includes tips to help you get the most out of your slow cooker.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This slow cooker honey garlic chicken is such an easy meal that I like to keep the side dishes simple as well. Here are a few suggestions:
- Rice: Serve the chicken and sauce over white rice, Brown Rice, Instant Pot Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice. Then sprinkle on some fresh cilantro or chopped green onions, plus sesame seeds for garnish.
- Vegetables: Instant Pot Green Beans, Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Carrots or a Baked Sweet Potato are some of my favorite easy side dishes to go with this meal.
- Salad: Try a simple Green Salad or a Kale Avocado Salad.
Storage and Reheating Tips
If you have leftover honey garlic chicken, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It reheats well, making it perfect for meal prep. Reheat chicken and sauce in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, or reheat in the microwave.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot Sesame Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Crockpot Whole Chicken
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- â…“ cup honey
- â…“ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- cooked white or brown rice and chopped green onions or cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Whisk until well combined.
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through to at least 165° F and tender. If using boneless chicken thighs, cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken to a clean bowl or cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir this cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 10-20 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Shred the chicken and return it to the sauce in the slow cooker.
- Serve chicken and sauce over rice, garnished with chopped green onions or cilantro.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat chicken and sauce in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, or reheat in the microwave.
Could you leave the chicken whole instead of shredding once done? Not sure if there is a reason it needs to be shredded.
Yes, you can serve it however you like. đŸ™‚
Does this work with mashed potato instead of rice?
This would be delicious served with mashed potatoes. Just to clarify, the rice or potatoes need to be cooked separately, not in the Instant Pot with the chicken. Enjoy!
Would this work with a turkey breast? Any adjustment for ingredients?
If using a turkey breast you will have to increase the cook time to approximately 5-6 hours on low, or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the center of the turkey breast. I’d recommend slicing, rather than shredding the meat if using turkey breast.
Kristine, what size slow cooker? Guessing 5 quart?
I used a 5 quart, but if yours is a bit smaller or larger it should still work fine. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your quick response. Perfect timing. Getting all the ingredients together now. I’ll use my 5 quart cooker. Be back to let you know how it turns out. ?
I made this on Monday. Absolutely delicious. Even my husband enjoyed it and he has been known to be a picky when I make new things! I will definitely make it again, maybe with mashed potatoes next time.
Fantastic recipe! Always nice when a meal pleases my whole family! I should have kept notes… any basic idea re serving size for the nutrition you posted? Grams, maybe?? Thanks!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! The serving size would be 1/6 of the total recipe.
Hi Kristine, can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, it can. You may have to slightly increase the cook time since the slow cooker will be more full.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts?
For food safety reasons, you shouldn’t cook frozen meat in a slow cooker. Since a slow cooker heats up slowly, frozen meats may stay in a temperature range (40-140 degrees F) that allows bacteria to grow for too long. If you have an Instant Pot, you can safely cook frozen chicken in it. Here is my Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe.
Can you put the cornstarch in before while it’s cooking?
Thank you!
No, it’s best to add it near the end of the cook time, as directed in the recipe.
So delicious! Came out great!