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This chicken is slow cooked in a honey garlic sauce that is infused with soy and hoisin sauce with fresh garlic and ginger covering the boneless chicken thighs for one amazing family dinner. Throw it all together and let the slow cooker do all the work!
Since honey garlic chicken is a fan favorite try this Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry, Foil Pack Honey Garlic Chicken or Glazed Lemon Honey Garlic Chicken.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This has to be up there with my most favorite slow cooker recipes! The flavor of this sauce is amazing. And the smell of it cooking in my house all day is the best! It is so easy to throw together. The whole family loves this recipe, even the picky eater. Honey garlic chicken is the perfect dump and go dinner. It all starts in the morning and becomes
Honey Garlic Chicken Ingredients:
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: I prefer chicken thighs over breasts but chicken breasts can be used in this recipe. Chicken thighs are a soft and tender meat with a little more fat on them making them juicy too.
- Honey: Choose the honey that you prefer but this will help sweeten chicken while it is slow cooking.
- Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce is just what you need to make this slow cooker chicken infused with.
- Hoisin Sauce: Thick and strong flavoring, this hoisin sauce will be the perfect amount of sauce to cover the chicken and marinate while it is slowly being cooked.
- Garlic: Crushed the best that you can or purchase the garlic crushed in a bag.
- Ginger Root: Fresh is best with the ginger.
- Sesame Oil: This has a nutty oil that adds just the right touch to combined the flavorings together.
- Cornstarch: Make a roux or thick sauce with the cornstarch and water mixture.
- Water: Luke warm water is perfect for creating a roux and adding it back into the sauce to cover the chicken at the end.
How to make Honey Garlic Chicken in the Slow Cooker:
- Prepare the slow cooker: In a 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken thighs. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook on low for 4-6 hours and high for 3-4 hours.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred.
- Make a thick sauce like a roux: Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and let cook for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken. Serve over rice and enjoy!
The Recipe Critic Pro Tip:
Boneless skinless chicken thighs work best in a slow cooker since dark meat can be more forgiving when cooking for a long period of time. Thighs also don’t dry out as easily. If you prefer chicken breasts make sure to check it towards the end to make sure it is not overcooked and dried out.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Make this honey garlic chicken a complete meal by adding in side dishes that work perfectly for this dinner. Your family will be craving it and loving all the variations that can accommodate this slow cooker chicken.
- Vegetables: Try stir frying vegetables, asparagus or mashing potatoes for a side dish. Even make it simple by using microwave vegetables or frozen vegetables to help complete the meal quicker.
- Rice: I love rice and the ease of using my rice cooker when preparing a meal. Fried rice, cauliflower rice or white rice is always a favorite in our family. The honey garlic sauce drizzled overtop the rice and chicken adds so much flavor and deliciousness to this meal.
- Salad: Since this is an asian meal I like to add in asian inspired salads such as broccoli ramen salad, asian edamame ramen salad or asian kale ginger peanut salad.
More Recipes to Enjoy your Slow Cooker with:
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
- Best Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
- Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-7 Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 3/4 cup Honey
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisen sauce
- 2 cloves garlic crushed I used 1 ½ T minced garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger root I used 1 T dry ginger
- 1 tsp seseame oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken thighs. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, hoisen sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Whisk togther the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and let cook for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken. Serve over rice ane enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serves: 6
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Hi there what can I substitute hoisin sauce with as I don’t have ??
I’d like to give this recipe a try tonight
Soy sauce or teriyaki sauce will always work instead.
Could you use leftover chicken that has already been cooked? I know it would take less time.
Yes, that is a great time saver. Cut back the time about 1 to 2 hours.
I cook this on low in my dutch oven on the the stove for 3 hrs. I don’t use hoisen sauce so I don’t have it. I researched hoisen to find a substitute and decided to use 1 tablespoon of peanut butter in place of it. I also used freeze dried ginger flake as well. This is fabulous! I am making it for the second time as I type this. I also add fresh cut up carrots. This is great over rice and I am sure it would be great over mashed potatoes as well! Yum!
How about at potatoes?
Can we make this in an instant pot or stir fry it? TY
Yes to both! I have not tried that but I will and let you know how it turns out.
Does the honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil mixture go in the crock pot with the chicken?
Yes it does.
The recipe doesn’t actually say to put the sauce in with the chicken so you may want to edit. Had to find a comment about it to make sure!
I love it! I’m going to try this recipe. Thank you!
Could i use this recipie in a instapot?
Yes, I have not tried it yet but adding it to my instant pot recipes to try.
I came here to ask the same question!
This looks delish and if there’s an instant pot version, I’m making it this week! ❤
I did it in the instant pot. I cooked my chicken for 15 mintues on high pressure because I had a few LARGE pieces. I let the pressure release naturally for 5 mintues. I took the chicken out and added the cornstarch slurry to the instant pot on saute. Its delish! I might use smaller chicken pieces next time because the outsides have really good flavor.
I have Everything except Chicken,Honey. I’m making this tonight. Will leave a review afterwards
Hi Alyssa,
What a wonderful pics of Honey Garlic Chicken you have here.
Perhaps you’re interested to submit your food photos on a food photography site that has tagline “Food Photography that will make you hungry” :) http://www.foodporn.net
It’s free to submit, free to join, and a lot of members can enjoy your creation!
Hi there. How about linking this in to Food on Friday: Slow Cooker? Cheers
rookie cook quesiton: are the chicken breasts uncooked when you put them in the crock pot? Sorry, I’m new. 🙂
You can do both! I usually throw them in frozen with all of my chicken crockpot recipes. Obviously takes a little longer to cook. When I cooked these this time, I used fresh and cut them into cubes. It cooked really fast… like in 3 hours! Whatever you choose, I would just check it after 3 hours! 🙂
Its best to start with raw chicken, yes. Nothing wrong with asking, you’re learning!
ok shut up- YOU are gorgeous! thanks for stopping by my blog and joining! i’m thrilled to have found you and your recipes. and thanks for this delicious recipe- tomorrow nights dinner!
yep, that is definitely pin-worthy. i wish i had all the ingredients at home right now to make it immediately. thanks very much!
Thank you for following and for the invite. This looks so yummy. It reminds me of a slow cooker recipe that I have for sweet and sour chicken.
I will definitely be trying this really soon. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! You have some awesome looking recipes here! Can’t wait to try some.
~Jess @ makingoverthemartins.blogspot.com
This looks delightful!! I found your recipe via Blessed With Grace Tasty Tuesdays. Looking forward to visiting again.
These look so yummy! I’m so happy you invited me over to check out your blog! I love finding new recipes, and cooking! My fam loves it too!
~Thyme
Oh My! I’m so excited that you left a comment so I could find your amazing blog. I can’t wait to try your recipes! You take wonderful pictures as well!! Have a great week!!!
I am trying to put your badge on my site, but it isnt working, any suggestions? http://www.mommyssweetconfessions.blogspot.com
This sounds great! Going to “Pin” it for sure!