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Black slow cooker crock filled with honey garlic chicken.
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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

A dump-and-go slow cooker main course featuring a savory-sweet honey garlic sauce. This easy weeknight dinner recipe uses a cornstarch slurry for a professional glossy finish. No cook time required on the stove!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 348kcal
Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce crucial to prevent over-salting
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger optional, but recommended for depth
  • 1-2 tsp rice vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
  • 1.5 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs pat dry for better sauce adhesion
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch for the slurry
  • 2 tbsp cold water for the slurry
  • toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, cooked rice optional for serving

Instructions

  • Prep & Dry:
    Get your ingredients ready.
    Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
    Ingredients for slow cooker honey garlic chicken on a white marble surface.
  • Whisk the Sauce:
    In the slow cooker, combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
    ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup honey, ⅓ cup ketchup, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1-2 tsp rice vinegar
    Honey garlic sauce in slow cooker insert.
  • Assemble:
    Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken into the sauce, turning each piece over to ensure it is fully coated.
    1.5 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    Placing chicken in slow cooker with honey garlic sauce.
  • Slow Cook:
    Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
    Note: Cooking on Low yields the most tender results for chicken thighs.
    Slow cooked honey garlic chicken thighs.
  • The Thickening Slurry:
    Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker liquid.
    Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered for 5-15 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
    2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp cold water
    Cornstarch slurry in a glass bowl.
  • Shred:
    Shred the chicken into chunky pieces (avoid thin strings) and return to the sauce for 5 minutes to heat through.
    toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, cooked rice
    Shredding chicken on a wooden board.
  • Serve:
    Serve over rice with sesame seeds and green onions.
    Spoonful of honey garlic chicken.

Notes

  • The "Low Sodium" Rule: Always use low-sodium soy sauce. Because slow cookers concentrate flavors through evaporation-free cooking, regular soy sauce will make the dish inedible.
  • Texture Control: For a thicker "takeout style" glaze, let the sauce simmer on High with the lid off for the full 15 minutes after adding the slurry.
  • Freezer Friendly: You can freeze the raw chicken and sauce ingredients (except cornstarch) in a gallon bag for a "dump-start" meal later. Thaw before cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving (using 1.5lbs of chicken in the recipe) | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1483mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 144IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg