Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken. Slow cooked chicken breasts tossed in a sweet and tangy Asian inspired sauce. An easy weeknight meal the whole family will love!
Love Slow Cooker Dishes? Then try my Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken or my Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken!
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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This Honey Garlic Chicken takes only 10 minutes of prep time to throw everything together and is so delicious! Plus its way healthier than takeout! I love making Asian inspired recipes at home in order to control the saltiness. All you have to do is mix up the sauce ingredients, chop up your garlic, ginger and green onions and throw it all in the slow cooker along with the chicken.
The chicken turns out incredibly juicy and tender by cooking it on low for 2-3 hours.
I made lots of sauce to go over the chicken with extra to serve over rice. It is sweet from the honey and tangy from the soy sauce. It also is loaded with tons of garlic and has a little kick from some Sriracha. The sauce is made up of equal parts soy sauce and honey. I also add in sesame oil, hoisin sauce and rice wine vinegar. (These can all be found in the Asian or International section in your grocery store.)
After everything gets tossed into the slow cooker cook on low for 2-3 hours. I suggest checking it at 2 hours. (Mine took exactly 2 1/2 hours). It also depends on the size of chicken breast you are using. (Mine were pretty small)
Looking for more chicken recipes? Then give my Chicken Shawarma Recipe a try!
ingredients
- Chicken breasts: You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the chicken breasts. Both work great and produce tender and juicy chicken.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce. You can also substitute coconut aminos or gluten free tamari to make this recipe gluten free.
- Honey: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the sauce. Adjust honey to taste. You can also substitute brown sugar if you do not have honey on hand.
- Hoisin Sauce: Is a thick savory sauce that can be found in the international or asian section of your grocery store. If you don’t have any hoisin sauce you can make your own at home.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Can be found in the International or Asian section in the grocery store. I don’t like to substitute other vinegars in place of this one. I find that rice wine vinegar works the best. However if you are gluten free you can substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a nice nuttiness to the sauce. A little goes a long way!
- Ginger & Garlic: I love adding fresh ginger and garlic to the sauce. It makes all the difference! If you are short on time or out of fresh ginger and garlic powdered ginger and garlic can be substituted.
- Sriracha: Is used for a little kick. You can omit if you don’t care for too much spice. I typically double the amount or add to taste.
How to make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cook: Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker along with the sauce ingredients. Cook for 2-3 hours on low. (Cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken. My chicken breasts were pretty small and took 2 1/2 hours.)
- Shred chicken: Remove the chicken from the liquid and place on a plate or cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for a couple of minutes and then shred with two forks or slice it up with a knife.
- Thicken up sauce: Transfer the liquid from the slow cooker to a small saucepan. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce. Cook on high until bubbly and thickened, whisking constantly. Pour the sauce back in the slow cooker along with the shredded chicken and toss to coat.
- Serve: Warm with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish if desired!
- Store: Leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: To reheat the chicken simply place in a small saucepan with a splash of water or broth if needed. You can also reheat in the microwave until warm.
frequently asked questions
Can this be frozen?
Yes! This shredded honey garlic chicken makes a great freezer meal. Simply cook as directed and freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively you can place all of the sauce ingredients along with the chicken in a ziplock bag and freeze uncooked for up to 3 months as well. The chicken can go in the slow cooker frozen just make sure to add an extra hour or two! If you are short on time the chicken can also be cooked straight from the freezer in the Instant pot!
Can this be made in the Instant Pot?
Yes! Simply add the chicken and all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water to the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes and allow the steam to naturally release. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred. Meanwhile whisk 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE and cook until bubbly and thickened, whisking constantly (about 4-5 minutes). Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and toss to coat.
What to serve with this Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
- White or brown rice. For a low carb option try cauliflower rice or quinoa.
- Steamed vegetables
- Chow mein noodles
- Lo mein
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Asian Chicken Dumplings
Can I use frozen chicken?
For food safety reasons I never recommend cooking raw chicken in the slow cooker. It will stay at unsafe temperatures for too long in the slow cook and is not worth the risk. If you want to use frozen chicken I recommend making this in the Instant Pot instead where frozen chicken can be used.
What can I substitute for hoisin?
If you don’t have hoisin at home or can’t find it in your grocery store you can either make it yourself with this recipe or substitute hoisin sauce. Here are 10 other substitution ideas for hoisin sauce that are clever!
more Slow Cooker dinner ideas for tonight!
- Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Easy Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
- Super Easy Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
products i used
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 pounds
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, depending on how spicy you would like this
- 2 scallions, sliced thin, divided (white parts for cooking, green for serving)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, honey, hoisin, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sriracha and the white parts only of the scallions.
- Pour the sauce mixture ontop of the chicken and cook for 2-3 hours on low. (Cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken. My chicken breasts were pretty small and took 2 1/2 hours.)
- Remove the chicken from the liquid and place on a plate or cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for a couple of minutes and then shred with two forks or slice it up with a knife.
- Transfer the liquid from the slow cooker to a small saucepan.Whisk 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce.Cook on high until bubbly and thickened, whisking constantly. Pour the sauce back in the slow cooker along with the shredded chicken and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Amy
I followed this recipe almost exactly and it was delicious! I used chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breast. I also substituted a very liberal spoonful of gochujang (I love gochujang!) for the siracha since I was out of siracha.
Like a few others, I didn’t find that the cornstarch slurry was thickening up the sauce as much as I wanted in the slow cooker. I poured the sauce into a saucepan and got it boiling over med-high heat and it thickened up nicely after adding a second slurry mix.
My chicken thighs weren’t fully defrosted so I used the high setting for 4 hours instead of low for 2-3. If I had used boneless chicken breast I would definitely have stuck with using the low setting and checking at 2 hours as recommended in the recipe.
I threw fresh broccoli in the slow cooker about an hour into the cook and it was a nice addition. We served it all over sticky rice.
Thanks for a great recipe that is so quick and easy to prepare. It is a “do over” in our house!
Nathan
Hi Amy,
I love using chicken thighs instead of breasts, they definitely stay moist a lot longer and have more flavor. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for trying it and for commenting!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Gabriel
Salty af do not cool this
Karen
Excellent! Easy and tastes great. I double the sauce and use chicken thighs as well
Nathan
Hi Karen,
I’m so glad you liked it!
Thank you for trying it out! Thighs work great! Thanks for the comment!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Charlie
The sauce came out amazing. Next time I will add less honey and increase garlic to 6 cloves. Bought 2lbs of chicken breasts that came in 3 big pieces – needed 4.5 hrs to become tender on low heat. The sauce was runny, but I found that to be versatile. Pour a few tablespoons over the shredded chicken and toss- the chicken just soaks it up. Used 2 tablespoons of the sauce to make white rice, and it came out great (and brown). Not sure why anyone would want to thicken it, but that’s just me. Should you need to make it Viking worthy, face the raw chicken and yell ODIN!!..or MINNESOTA!! …. but that may get you banned from the kitchen. Stay healthy amigos.
Nathan
Hi Charlie,
All great tips! Especially the, “MINNESOTA!!” one. Thanks for the laughs and the comment!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Krysta
Loved it! I added broccoli and it was fantastic!
Nathan
Hi Krysta,
Thank you so much for trying it out and for commenting!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Alexandra
Is there a reason it should be eaten immediately? Or can it sit for about 1/2 – 1 hour? I’m making this for the hubby to have for his dinner when he gets home from work at 5 in the morning, but sometimes he can get home later than expected 🙁 anywho! So far the flavor of the sauce was delicious, and I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast? Should be ok, right?
Abi Brooks
I cook this ALL the time and it’s now a staple I love this dish and so does everyone I make it for. Does it freeze well? I am hosting on Wednesday and then again on Friday so was planning on making a big batch on Monday and freezing the ‘Friday’ portion. Has anyone tried this?
Nathan
Hi Abi,
Yes This will freeze nicely. I like to freeze it in gal. or qt. freezer zip lock bags, lay them out flat to freeze on a sheet pan. It makes it easy to thaw it by just slicing open the plastic and putting the whole block into a pot with a little bit of water in the bottom. Put a lid on and the steam will thaw it in no time. I hope you enjoy and thank you for commenting!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
martha
very good , great recipe!
Nathan
Hi Martha,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting!
Have a great day!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Barb
Made this to rave reviews yesterday. Used mix of about 1/3 cup water and 2 heaping Tablespoons of cornstarch stirred into hot sauce mix and it thickened nicely. Forgot the garnish but no one noticed.
Nathan
Hi Barb,
Thank you for trying the Honey Garlic Chicken! I’m so glad it turned out well!
Have a great day!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Shilpa
I made this today and it is sooooo yummy.
My husband usually makes chicken dishes but today I made this to surprise him. He was soooo happy.
Nathan
Hi Shilpa,
I’m so glad You and your husband enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for trying it out and for commenting!
Nathan
@chefsavvy