If you’re looking for a simple yet delicious meal that practically cooks itself, this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is the perfect choice. With tender, juicy chicken thighs simmered in a mouthwatering honey garlic sauce, this dish is both sweet and savory with a hint of warmth from fresh ginger and crushed red pepper flakes. Whether you’re cooking for a busy weeknight dinner or prepping meals for the week, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Serve it over rice with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds for a complete, flavorful meal that everyone will love. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless (or Chicken breasts)

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

For serving:

• chopped scallions
• sesame seeds
• rice

Equipment I Used

• Slow Cooker
• Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Cutting Board

How to Make It

Prepare the Chicken

Place 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts if you prefer) in an even layer at the bottom of your Crockpot. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly. (I only used 1 chicken breast because it was quite large and could easily feed two people)

Make the Sauce

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup ketchup, 6 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. This sauce adds a delicious sweet and savory flavor to the chicken.

Cook the Chicken

Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken in the Crockpot, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover the Crockpot with its lid and cook on high for 3.5 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Cooking on low will yield more tender chicken, while cooking on high is a quicker option.

Thicken the Sauce

About 15 minutes before the cooking time is up, prepare a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water, stirring until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Remove the lid from the Crockpot and pour the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker. Stir gently to incorporate the slurry into the sauce. Replace the lid and let the chicken cook for an additional 15 minutes on high. This allows the sauce to thicken as the cornstarch activates.

Shred and Serve

You can leave the chicken pieces whole or shred them using two forks. If shredding, do this directly in the Crockpot so the chicken absorbs more of the flavorful sauce.

Serve the honey garlic chicken over a bed of rice, and garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds if desired. For a perfect pairing, try it with my oven-baked rice for a complete and delicious meal.