Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Name: Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 245 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts; ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce; ½ cup honey; 4 teaspoons garlic ((minced)); 2 teaspoons sesame oil; ⅓ cup water; 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons dry ginger; 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pack big flavors into a simple meal with this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken! The blend of sweet and savory ingredients in a sticky sauce tastes better than takeout and requires less work than driving to a restaurant.

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken in a bowl over rice with broccoli and a crock pot in the background.

At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is cook dinner, but I’m also not usually in the mood for takeout. I’d rather have a low-effort home-cooked meal, like honey garlic chicken. This blend of savory soy sauce, sweet honey, and tangy garlic with tender chicken is the perfect meal to enjoy on a busy weeknight, and the whole family will love it!

If you like this honey garlic chicken recipe, you will love my Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin, Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Slow Cooker Teriyaki Meatballs!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Better Than Takeout: This sweet and savory slow cooker honey garlic chicken is full of the big flavors they serve at your favorite takeout place, but better! It’s fresh, customizable, and probably more affordable, too.
Perfect for the Whole Family: The whole family is going to love this dish at the end of a long day! Serve it over rice with a few vegetables, and you have a balanced weeknight meal.
Simple with Basic Ingredients: This crock pot honey garlic chicken comes together without any chopping, and you probably already have all of the ingredients in your pantry, especially if you cook Asian food at home often.

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts: This honey garlic chicken recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs.
Soy Sauce: Grab your favorite soy sauce out of the pantry for this dish. You can use a low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the saltiness of the dish.
Honey: Balance the saltiness of the soy sauce with sweet honey. This also helps the sauce stick to the chicken.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds a zesty, sharp flavor to the dish. You can also use jarred minced garlic, but don’t use powdered garlic. You want the tiny chunks of garlic in your sauce!
Sesame Oil: Add a nutty and toasted flavor to this dish with a bit of sesame oil. It gives it that distinct takeout Asian meal taste.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Balance the flavors of the meal and add a little acidity with a splash of vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar or try Asian rice vinegar.
Ginger: Powdered ginger adds an almost spicy zing of flavor to this honey garlic chicken. Its warm flavor pairs well with the honey, soy sauce, and garlic.
Cornstarch: This helps to thicken your sauce to a velvety texture and also gives it a more glossy appearance.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations

Make It Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce, like tamari, to make this dish gluten-free! Soy sauce substitutes like liquid aminos also don’t have gluten or soy, but have almost the same salty, savory flavor.
Add Some Spice: If you want to make this dish a little spicy, add a tablespoon or two of chili paste like sambal oelek or gochujang. These sauces contain red chilis, which will give your crock pot honey garlic chicken a real kick.
Don’t Forget Your Veggies: Balance this meal by adding some veggies to the sauce. Carrots, green beans, and broccoli go best with Asian dishes, but wait to add them until the last 30 minutes or so of cooking so they don’t get mushy. You can use frozen veggies as well!
Add Tomatoes: In some honey garlic chicken recipes, tomato paste or unsweetened ketchup adds more depth of flavor to the sauce. It also adds a bit more acidity to the dish.

Honey garlic chicken on a wooden spoon over a slow cooker.

How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

This easy honey garlic chicken breast recipe is perfect for those nights when you want takeout but don’t want to actually buy takeout. It comes together without much prep work, and there’s no chopping required!

Step 1: Mix the Sauce. Combine the soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and a bit of water in a bowl and stir them.
Step 2: Add to the Slow Cooker. Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot, then pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2½ - 3½ hours or on low for 4½ - 5½ hours.
Step 3: Remove and Shred the Chicken. After the chicken is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the crock pot. Shred the chicken by hand with forks or use a stand mixer to shred it.
Step 4: Thicken the Sauce. Whisk a bit of cornstarch into the sauce to thicken it. Continuously whisk the sauce rapidly to avoid any clumps as the cornstarch mixes into the sauce.
Step 5: Cook a Little Longer. Add the shredded chicken back into the sauce and stir to completely coat all of it with sauce. Then, let it cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve this dish hot over rice or cauliflower rice, and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Make a Cornstarch Slurry: Instead of adding cornstarch directly to the sauce and risking clumps, make a slurry instead. Combine the cornstarch with ⅓ cup of cold water in a small bowl and mix. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the bubbling sauce while stirring. It thickens the sauce and makes it appear shinier.
Don’t Overcook the Chicken: When preparing chicken in the crock pot, be sure not to overcook it. Cooking on low with a lot of liquid will help keep the chicken from becoming dry and tough.
Thin Out the Sauce: If your sauce becomes too thick, you can slowly stir in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken in a bowl over rice with broccoli.

Serving Suggestions

Skip the takeout and make an easy meal that the whole family will enjoy! This sweet and sticky honey garlic slow cooker chicken is stress-free to make but tastes like it came from your favorite Asian restaurant.

Mix things up and try serving slow cooker honey garlic chicken in different ways to keep dinner exciting, but without any extra stress!

We love this easy honey garlic chicken recipe served over a scoop of slow cooker white rice or brown rice, with a bit of chopped green onion and sesame seeds on top.
I love putting this saucy chicken on buns with a bit of coleslaw for fun Asian chicken sandwiches. You can also use it to make lettuce wraps!
Make dinner a fun takeout-inspired feast and serve this with copycat PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps, Crock Pot Korean Beef, or Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef.
Don’t forget dessert! Chocolate lava cake and chocolate peanut clusters pair so well with Asian-inspired dishes.

Storage Directions

Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this honey garlic crock pot chicken in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Reheating: Reheat honey garlic chicken in the microwave at 60-second intervals, stirring to ensure it heats evenly. You may need to add a little extra water or broth to keep it moist. Be sure to thaw frozen leftovers before you try to reheat them!

Recipe FAQs

How do I shred chicken in a stand mixer?

It’s so easy to shred chicken in a mixer! Place the fully cooked chicken breasts in your KitchenAid or stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and set it to low for 30 - 60 seconds, or until the shredded chicken reaches the desired consistency. Don’t over-shred, or it will have a mushy consistency!

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

If you need dinner in a hurry, make this honey garlic chicken recipe in the Instant Pot. Add the chicken and sauce to the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Then, let it naturally release for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, do a quick release to let off the rest of the pressure. Shred the chicken, thicken the sauce, and you have dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Two hands holding a bowl of slow cooker honey garlic chicken over rice.

More Easy Chicken Crock Pot Meals

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