Sweet and salty, this Asian-inspired Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is loaded with the most amazing flavors. This dump slow cooker recipe is one delicious and hassle-free family dinner.
What’s in Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken?
This crockpot version of honey garlic chicken is one fuss-free dinner that doesn’t compromise on flavor. The sauce is perfectly sweet and salty and the chicken thighs are wonderfully juicy and flavorful.
- Chicken Thighs: This recipe uses bone-in chicken thighs. Boneless thighs or chicken breasts will require a slightly shorter cooking time.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a salty and umami flavor.
- Ketchup: Adds a rich, deep, tomatoey flavor.
- Honey: For a sweet and sticky sauce. You can also use agave nectar.
- Garlic: Adds a bit of earthy flavor.
- Cornstarch + Water: Combine to create a thick sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: Add a bit of crunch and nutty flavor.
- Green Onion: Adds a pop of freshness and color.
Pro Tip: Make sure to use cold water for the cornstarch slurry, as hot water will cause it to clump up.
Variations on Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
This honey garlic chicken is perfectly balanced as is, but you can make minor adjustments to better suit your personal tastes. Try mixing the honey-garlic sauce with some barbecue sauce to create a spicy, smokey, and slightly acidic dish. For a citrusy twist, try adding a few tablespoons of orange marmalade to the sauce. Yum!
How to Store and Reheat
These chicken thighs are best served as soon as they are cooked so that the meat is tender and juicy. If you do have leftovers, they will keep well, covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 360°F – add a couple of tablespoons of water to the baking dish and cover with foil so that they don’t fry out.
How to Freeze
Freeze honey garlic chicken in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This honey garlic chicken is great to serve up in a bed of rice, quinoa, or mashed potatoes. It’s delicious like that, or serve it up with a veggie side like sautéed carrots, spicy cheesy broccoli, or sautéed green beans.
5-Star Review
“Made this tonight with bonelss skinless thighs and cooked low for 4 hours and they were amazing and very easy. Served over white rice! This is now going to be in my weekly rotation! Thank you” – Stephanie
Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup honey
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 green onion sliced
Instructions
- Spray the crockpot insert with nonstick spray.
- Arrange the chicken in an even layer in the bottom of the crockpot.6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
- In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, ketchup, honey, and garlic together. Pour it over the chicken and toss to coat.½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup ketchup, ⅓ cup honey, 6 cloves garlic
- Cover and cook the chicken on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the cooked chicken and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together. Stir this into the sauce in the crockpot, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- Add the chicken back to the crockpot and toss it in the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and serve.1 green onion, ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
Becky’s Tips
- Make sure that the chicken is fully cooked through. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should register at 165°F.
- If you like you can add in some veggies to this dish like diced bell peppers or carrots, just add them in along with the other ingredients.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
More Honey Garlic Chicken Recipes We Love
I like using skinless, bone-in chicken thighs for this crockpot recipe. You can use boneless chicken thighs, but I find the bone does keep the chicken moist while it cooks. Instead of chicken thighs, chicken breasts are a great option!
Yes. If using frozen chicken thighs, thaw them in the refrigerator before using in this recipe.
Cook the chicken on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
This recipe is not gluten free. For a gluten free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and make sure the rest of the ingredients you use are gluten free.
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I cook the chicken frozen? My thighs are frozen but I want to start them.
We do not recommend thawing frozen meat in the crockpot!
Chicken turned out great but the sauce was 1000% too salty. Had to water it down and play with it so it wasn’t overpowering
Hi John, did you by chance use regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium? That makes a huge difference!
We really liked this but I’m going to add a little brown sugar when I make it again. Other than that it was great and my picky kid even likes it.
Made this today, and it is delicious! Added extra honey at the end and seasoned the chicken before the sauce so that brought good flavors out. I love fall apart chicken so I cooked it for 4.5hrs just my preference for sure. Overall pretty good
Can I substitute 1/3 cup agave nectar for the honey?
Yes, you can use agave in place of honey!
This was excellent. I did need to add more salt to sauce to bring out better flavor. Other than that, a great recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Lisa!
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate the measurements of the ingredients being listed in the instructions part of the recipes😭❤️
We’re so glad you found this feature helpful, Faith!
I cooked this on low for 3 1/2 hours and the chicken was falling apart. It’s good don’t get me wrong but the picture here looks like the chicken stayed together. What did I do wrong?
All crockpots are a little bit different in terms of time and temperature, so we recommend cooking your chicken for a bit less time! The longer it cooks, the more tender it will become.
Could I use tomato paste instead of ketchup?
Yes, but we would dilute it with some water first!
Made this tonight with bonelss skinless thighs and cooked low for 4 hours and they were amazing and very easy. Served over white rice! This is now going to be in my weekly rotation! Thank you