Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

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By: Ashley Wilson | Published: October 10, 2025

Crockpot honey garlic chicken served over rice

Sticky, sweet, and fall-apart tender—this slow cooker favorite makes dinner deliciously easy.

What If Dinner Made Itself… and Tasted Amazing?

Imagine this: You toss a few ingredients into the slow cooker, walk away, and come back hours later to a house that smells like comfort—and a chicken dish so tender and flavorful, it practically melts onto your plate.

That’s exactly what this Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken delivers.

This dish is sweet, garlicky, and full of bold flavor. The sauce is sticky and rich, perfect over rice, noodles, or even in lettuce wraps. Whether you’re meal-prepping or feeding a hungry crew on a busy night, this recipe is always a hit.


🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients laid out for slow cooker honey garlic chicken
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken 9

For the chicken:

  • 2–2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup (adds tang and richness)
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (optional, for umami depth)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To thicken sauce (optional):

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water

For serving:

  • Cooked white or jasmine rice
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chopped green onions
  • Steamed broccoli or stir-fried veggies

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the chicken

Place chicken thighs or breasts in the slow cooker. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

2. Mix the sauce

In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, hoisin, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

3. Pour & cook

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.

4. Shred it

Remove chicken and shred using two forks. Return it to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce.

5. Optional: Thicken the sauce

If you want a thicker glaze, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir into the slow cooker. Let cook uncovered for another 15–20 minutes.

6. Serve

Scoop the honey garlic chicken over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.


✨ Why This Recipe Is a Game-Changer

This isn’t just an easy chicken dinner—it’s better than takeout, made with real ingredients, and built to please everyone at the table.

Whether you serve it in a bowl, meal prep it in containers, or load it into lettuce cups for a low-carb option, this chicken gives you maximum flavor with minimum effort.


📊 Sticky Chicken, Solid Wins – Benefits Table

🍯 Feature 🔥 Why It Matters
Hands-off cooking Just toss in ingredients and go about your day
Sticky honey garlic sauce Sweet, savory, and deeply satisfying
Fall-apart tender chicken So juicy it practically shreds itself
Perfect for meal prep Makes 4–6 servings with easy reheating
Versatile serving options Great over rice, noodles, or in wraps

🌀 Smart Tweaks & Swaps

  • No hoisin? Just skip it or use extra soy sauce
  • Make it spicy: Add chili garlic sauce or sriracha to the glaze
  • Prefer chicken breasts? Works fine—just keep an eye on cooking time
  • Add veggies: Stir in steamed broccoli or bell peppers at the end
  • Low carb version: Serve over cauliflower rice or in lettuce cups

💬 Reader Favorites

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Dumped it in before work, came home to magic. So flavorful!” – Sasha T.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “My kids licked the bowls. That sauce is gold.” – Brian H.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Meal prepped this on Sunday, and every lunch tasted better than the last.” – Rina P.


🍱 Serve It With…

Close-up of shredded honey garlic chicken in sticky glaze
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken 10

This recipe pairs great with:

  • Jasmine or brown rice
  • Steamed broccoli, snow peas, or bok choy
  • Sesame noodles or ramen
  • Cucumber salad with rice vinegar
  • Roasted carrots or snap peas

🧡 More Easy Favorites You’ll Love

Don’t stop with one slow cooker win. These easy, crowd-favorite meals also hit:

📌 Save your favorites now—your future self will thank you.


✉️ Want More Dinners Like This?

I share fast, flavorful dinners every week—designed for real life, real taste, and zero stress.


📌 Pin this now so you have it ready next busy night


Final Glaze 💥

This Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken is the set-it-and-forget-it dinner that delivers every time. It’s comforting, flavorful, sticky, sweet, and just messy enough to be fun.

So go ahead—let your slow cooker handle dinner tonight.

You’ve got this one in the pot.

Print
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Crockpot honey garlic chicken served over rice

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken


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  • Author: Ashley Wilson
  • Total Time: 6 hrs 10 mins
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x

Description

Sticky, sweet, and fall-apart tender—this Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken is the ultimate hands-off dinner. The sauce is bold, garlicky, and perfectly balanced. Serve it over rice, noodles, or in lettuce cups for a fast weeknight win.


Ingredients

Scale

**For the Chicken:**

22.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

½ cup honey

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup ketchup

2 tbsp hoisin sauce (optional)

1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp grated ginger (optional)

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper, to taste

**To Thicken Sauce (Optional):**

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp cold water

**For Serving:**

Cooked jasmine or white rice

Sesame seeds

Chopped green onions

Steamed broccoli or stir-fried veggies


Instructions

1. Place chicken in the Crockpot and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, hoisin, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

3. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.

4. Remove chicken, shred with two forks, and return it to the sauce.

5. Optional: To thicken, stir in cornstarch slurry and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes.

6. Serve over rice or noodles and top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Notes

Use chicken thighs for the most tender texture.

If using chicken breasts, reduce cook time slightly to prevent dryness.

Don’t skip the ginger or hoisin if you want extra depth.

Add sriracha or chili flakes for a spicy kick.

Leftovers keep well for up to 4 days and freeze beautifully.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 hrs
  • Category: Dinner, Chicken, Slow Cooker
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Asian-Inspired, American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 460
  • Sugar: 18g
  • Sodium: 780mg
  • Fat: 14g
  • Saturated Fat: 3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 30g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 40g
  • Cholesterol: 110mg

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