This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is a quick and easy, sweet and savory crockpot meal that’s the perfect weekday dinner option! It takes only 10 minutes to prep before the crockpot takes over!
Honey Garlic Chicken Is An Easy Crockpot Dinner
Busy weeknights don’t have to mean boring dinners, especially with this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe! You get a dinner full of flavor yet don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, making this a dinnertime win all the way around!
Tender, juicy chicken thigh fillets are slow-cooked to perfection in a homemade sauce made with soy sauce, honey, and hoisin sauce. After cooking, the sauce is thickened, and the chicken is shredded.
Serve this mouthwatering chicken over rice and pair it with a veggie for a meal your family will love!
Honey Garlic Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken thigh
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Hoisin sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cornstarch
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
I prefer making this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe with skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets. Since thighs are fattier than breasts, I find that it results in juicier, tender chicken. However, if you prefer, boneless skinless chicken breasts can be used instead!
As you prepare the sauce ingredients, one that may stick out to you is Hoisin Sauce. This store-bought ingredient has a sweet and salty flavor that’s slightly tangy.
When combined with the honey and soy sauce, it creates the best flavorful base for this chicken recipe! If you’ve never used Hoisin sauce before, start by checking the Asian food aisle of your local grocery store or Walmart.
If you’re unable to find it at a store, you can easily snag it off Amazon.
Substitutions and Variations
- Soy Sauce – You can choose a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content in this recipe.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – White wine vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar can replace rice wine vinegar if needed.
- Sesame Oil – This can be omitted altogether if preferred.
- Ginger -Freshly grated ginger is best, but it can be swapped out for 1 teaspoon of minced ginger from a jar.
- Garlic – I used fresh garlic in this recipe. However, you can use 4 teaspoons of minced garlic from a jar as well.
- Garnishes -The green onions and sesame seeds are both wonderful garnishes for this dish, but if preferred, they can be left out.
How To Make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Step 1: Stir the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic together in the bowl of a slow cooker.
Step 2: Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs to the slow cooker and stir again to coat the chicken.
Step 3: Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Step 4: Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the crock pot and set it aside.
Step 5: Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a cornstarch slurry. Pour the slurry into the slow cooker and stir to thoroughly combine with the sauce.
Step 6: Turn the crockpot to high and allow the sauce to simmer until it has thickened with the lid removed.
Step 7: Then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to combine the chicken with the thickened honey garlic sauce.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Storage
Store any leftover honey garlic chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftovers can then be enjoyed for up to 2 days.
Honey garlic chicken can then be reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop or microwave using a microwave-safe bowl.
You can also freeze leftovers or make this chicken recipe for a freezer meal to enjoy later! To do so, allow the chicken to cool a bit and then transfer it into an airtight container that’s freezer-safe.
You can also store it in a Ziploc bag with any excess air squeezed out of it. The honey garlic chicken can then be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy the chicken, just transfer it into the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating it in a saucepan or in the microwave.
How To Serve Honey Garlic Chicken
We love this shredded honey garlic chicken served over white rice with a side of steamed green veggies. However, there are many different ways to enjoy this chicken!
- Whole Chicken – You can serve the chicken whole as opposed to shredded if preferred.
- Rice – Instead of serving the chicken and sauce over white rice, you can serve it over brown rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or even mashed potatoes.
- Veggies – Carrots, corn on the cob, broccoli, or green beans would all go great with this chicken!
- Wraps – Feel free to try this chicken by serving it in a tortilla or lettuce wrap!
Honey Garlic Chicken FAQs
Typically, raw chicken will take about 4 hours on high and 6 hours on low to cook. However, the time can vary slightly depending on how large and thick the chicken is.
To be sure chicken is cooked to a safe temperature for eating, I’d recommend using a kitchen thermometer. Use the thermometer by inserting it into the thickest part of the chicken; once it reads 165 degrees F the chicken is safe for eating.,
If you have time, low and slow is the way to go for tender, juicy meat. Sometimes, cooking meat on high can dry it out and make it a bit tough and chewy to eat.
Yes, raw chicken can be cooked to safe eating temperatures in a slow cooker.
If your chicken turned out tough and chewy, then it’s likely that it was overcooked. To avoid overcooking chicken, be sure to check it frequently with a meat thermometer. Once it reaches 165 degrees F, the chicken has finished cooking.
I find that the easiest way to shred chicken is by either using two forks or using a mixer. To use the mixer method, transfer the hot chicken into a large bowl and use the paddle or whisk attachment to ‘mix’ the chicken.
The mixer method is quick, though you do need to be careful not to over-shred the chicken!
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
EQUIPMENT
- Slow cooker
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ pounds chicken thigh
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- â…“ cup honey
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, for garnishing (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds for garnishing (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic to the bowl of a slow cooker. Stir until well combined. Add the chicken thigh, stir to coat, then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker. Shred with 2 forks and set aside.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pour into the slow cooker and stir to combine with the sauce. Switch the slow cooker to high and allow the sauce to simmer, with the lid removed, until thickened. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir until the chicken is well combined with the sauce.
