Slow cooker honey garlic chicken requires just 5 minutes of prep and combines tender, juicy chicken breasts in a sticky, sweet, salty, slightly spicy sauce.

This slow cooker honey garlic chicken is a cozy and comforting meal that the whole family will love. It’s made with simple pantry staples and is easy to prepare – just throw everything into the slow cooker. The chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sauce is sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, and umami-rich. Plus, it stores and freezes well.

See how to make this easy recipe

Instructions

Slow Cook the Chicken: First, place the chicken in the crockpot in a single layer. Then, add the minced garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, and water to the slow cooker – no need to stir. Top with the butter, cubed into several pieces. Finally, add the lid and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.

If you use other cuts of chicken, you’d need to adjust the cooking time as follows:

• Bone-in Chicken Breasts: 4-6 hours on LOW or 2.5-3.5 hours on HIGH.
• Bone-in Chicken Thighs: 4-6 hours on LOW or 2.5-3.5 hours on HIGH.
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: 4-5 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH.

The exact time depends on their size and your crock pot so monitor it the first time you make the recipe and test the meat for doneness.

Check for doneness: Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. It should read 165ºF/74ºC to be safe to consume. Alternatively, insert a fork into the thickest part of the chicken – the fork should go through the meat easily, and any running juices should be clear (no sign of pinkness).

For super juicy chicken, the internal temperature should be 160ºF/71ºC. The residual heat will finish cooking it while it rests.

Thicken the sauce: Towards the end of cooking, prepare the cornstarch slurry. Combine the starch and water in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Once ready, remove the chicken from the crockpot and set aside to rest for at least 5 minutes, loosely tented with foil. Then, pour all the liquid into a saucepan and add the cornstarch slurry. Mix well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir/whisk constantly until it thickens – just a couple of minutes.

Finally, serve the cooked slow cooker chicken breasts with the honey garlic sauce, optionally garnish with scallions (green onions) and sesame seeds, and enjoy!

How to serve

This crockpot honey garlic chicken is a fabulously juicy and tender protein ready to add to dozens of meals:

• Grains: Like white rice, brown rice, egg-fried rice, or even quinoa.
• Noodles: Like lo mein or a simple vegetable noodle stir-fry.
• Low carb: Like cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash.
• Potato: This chicken tastes delicious served over creamy mashed potatoes or sweet potato mash.
• Veggies: Like roasted, steamed, or sautéed broccoli, spinach, green beans, cauliflower, etc.
• Salad: like my Asian broccoli salad or crunchy Asian salad.

You can also enjoy it shredded on a bun with fresh Asian slaw and optionally sliced avocado or in lettuce wraps.

How to store

• Refrigerate: Allow the chicken to cool for no more than two hours. Then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
• Freeze: Store any leftovers in an airtight container or Ziplock bag with the sauce for up to 4 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight (for up to 24 hours) when needed.
• Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of broth or water (to keep it juicy). Alternatively, you could wrap the dish in foil to bake at 350ºF/175ºC until hot (about 10-15 minutes).

If you try this slow cooker chicken breast recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!