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, Slow Cooker Asian Style Ribs, or my Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken!

shredded honey garlic chicken in crockpot
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“Tried this recipe tonight with my daughters absolutely delicious will be adding this to our menu on a regular basis.” – Steve

Ingredients Needed

ingredients for slow cooker honey garlic chicken on white countertop
  • 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 homemade hoisin sauce.
  • 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.

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.)
removing cooked honey garlic chicken from slow cooker
  1. 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.
shredding chicken on cutting board
  1. 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.
simmering honey garlic sauce in small saucepan
  1. Serve: Warm with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish if desired! I love serving this with my Easy Fried Rice Recipe!
honey garlic chicken topped with sesame seeds and green onions in white bowl
  1. Store: Leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  2. 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.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken FAQ

Can this honey garlic chicken be frozen?

Yes! This slow cooker chicken breast recipe 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.

Can I use frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

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.

Substitutes for hoisin sauce

If you don’t have hoisin at home or can’t find it in your grocery store you can either make it your own homemade hoisin sauce or substitute oyster sauce. Here are 10 other substitution ideas for hoisin sauce that are clever!

Slow Cooker Shredded Honey Garlic Chicken tossed in sauce

What to serve with this Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Crockpot Shredded Asian Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

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      Recipe

      Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

      4.54 from 111 votes
      Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken. Slow cooked chicken in a sweet and tangy Asian inspired sauce.
      Author: Kelley Simmons
      Prep Time: 10 minutes
      Cook Time: 3 hours
      Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
      Serves 4
      Rate Print

      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

      For boneless chicken thighs: Increase cook time to 3 hours on low.
      For bone in chicken thighs: Increase cook time to 6 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
       

      Nutrition Information

      Calories: 467kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 52gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 1719mgPotassium: 1026mgFiber: 1gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 131IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg

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