Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
Some nights I want the sticky, garlicky comfort of takeout without the price tag or the delivery wait, and this crockpot honey garlic chicken is my answer.
Chicken thighs or breasts go into the slow cooker in an even layer, then a glossy sauce made with soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, cornstarch, sriracha, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and a full six cloves of garlic gets poured right on top.
A few hours later, the chicken is tender enough to fall apart under a fork and the sauce has turned thick, sticky, and deeply savory.
This recipe serves six, which makes it a smart choice for busy weeknights and meal prep Sundays alike. It is also one of those rare dinners that improves overnight. Leftovers taste even more garlicky and sweet the next day, and they make excellent wraps for lunch.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
This is a dump and go dinner in the truest sense. You layer the chicken, whisk one sauce, pour it over, cover the pot, and walk away.
Prep takes about five minutes, and the slow cooker handles the rest while you get on with your day. There is no searing, no browning, and no last minute pan sauce to worry about.
The sauce is the real star. It is thick, sticky, and glossy, and it clings to every shred of chicken instead of pooling at the bottom of the pot.
Honey brings the sweetness, soy sauce brings the savory depth, tomato paste adds richness without any tomato flavor, and sriracha gives the whole thing a warm little kick you can dial up or down.
- Almost no effort: five minutes of prep and one bowl for the sauce.
- Takeout flavor at home: sweet, savory, garlicky, and just a little spicy.
- Sauce that coats every bite: cornstarch thickens it so it grabs the chicken and the rice.
- Great for meal prep: it reheats beautifully and gets better after a night in the fridge.
- Feeds a crowd: six generous servings from one pot.
I have made this on a Tuesday night when the fridge was nearly empty and on a Sunday when I wanted lunches sorted for the week. Both times it delivered the same rich, saucy result with barely any attention from me.
What You’ll Need
Nothing here is hard to find. Most of it already lives in your pantry, and the only fresh item you truly need is garlic. Here is what each piece does for the finished dish.
- 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts. Thighs are my pick because they stay juicy and tender through a long cook. Breasts work well if you want a leaner plate, and they still soak up plenty of sauce.
- ½ cup soy sauce. This is the savory backbone. It brings the salty, umami depth that makes the sauce taste like something from a restaurant kitchen.
- ½ cup honey. Sweetness, yes, but also that sticky gloss that makes the chicken look lacquered.
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste. This is the quiet workhorse. It adds body and richness without making the sauce taste like tomatoes at all.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Cornstarch is what turns a thin liquid into a thick sauce that coats the chicken instead of running off it. Use the larger amount for a really clingy glaze.
- 1 tablespoon sriracha. Gentle heat with a touch of tang. Add more if you like things spicy, or cut it back for a milder pot.
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. A splash of brightness that keeps the honey from tasting flat.
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil. A small amount goes a long way. It brings that nutty, toasty note that reads as takeout.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced. Fresh garlic, not powder. This is the ingredient the whole recipe is named for, so be generous.
That sauce is enough to coat 2.5 lbs of chicken generously, which is exactly why the pot comes out so saucy instead of dry. The cornstarch is doing quiet work in the background, thickening everything into a glaze that holds onto the meat.
For toppings, keep it flexible. Chopped green onions, cilantro, or parsley add freshness and color, and a scatter of sesame seeds gives you that classic takeout look plus a little crunch. All of them are optional, and the dish is plenty good without them.
You will also want cooked rice for serving, since the sauce deserves something to soak into. Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card at the end of this post.
One quick note on the chicken. Thighs are forgiving, so if the pot runs a little longer than planned, they still come out tender. Breasts are leaner and a touch firmer, so shred them while they are warm and let them sit in the sauce for a few minutes before serving.
How To Make Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
Five steps, one pot, and no babysitting. Here is the whole process from start to spoon.
- Layer the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker in an even layer so every piece gets equal time in the sauce.
- Whisk the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, cornstarch, sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced garlic until smooth and well combined. A smooth sauce thickens evenly, so give it a good whisk.
- Pour and cook. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for about 2½ to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- Shred and coat. Once cooked, shred or slice the chicken and stir it back into the sauce so every piece gets coated.
- Finish and serve. Finish with green onions, cilantro, parsley, or sesame seeds if you would like, then serve it over rice with plenty of extra sauce spooned on top.
The pot will smell incredible about an hour in, and the sauce will look thin until the cornstarch does its work. Give it a good stir at the end and it turns glossy and thick right before your eyes. That first spoonful straight from the pot is my favorite part of the whole process.
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers are a gift here. Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The flavor deepens overnight, so day two is often even better than day one, and the chicken stays tender instead of drying out.
To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over medium heat until it is heated through and the sauce looks glossy again. If the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge, add a small splash of water or chicken broth to loosen it back to a spoonable consistency. Stir as it warms so the chicken heats evenly.
The sauce thickens as it sits. If your leftovers look too thick to spoon, a splash of water or broth brings it right back.
This is one of those containers I am genuinely happy to see in the fridge on a busy afternoon, because lunch takes about three minutes from there.
Serving Ideas
The classic move is rice, and any kind works. White rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice all do the same important job: they soak up that sweet, garlicky sauce so none of it goes to waste. Spoon extra sauce over the top and you have a bowl that tastes like a Friday night treat on a Wednesday.
Around the rice, keep the sides simple.
- Steamed broccoli for a fresh, clean contrast to the sticky sauce.
- Roasted green beans when you want a little char and sweetness.
- Snap peas for crunch and a bright green pop on the plate.
- Stir fried vegetables if you already have a pan going and want to use up what is in the crisper.
Noodles are just as welcome. Pile the chicken over chow mein or ramen style noodles and toss everything together so the sauce works its way through the strands. It is messy, saucy, and completely worth it.
Leftovers are where this recipe gets really useful. Shredded honey garlic chicken fills wraps and sandwiches beautifully. Toast a bun, add a generous spoonful of the chicken, and top it with crunchy slaw for a sandwich that beats anything from a drive through.
It also works as a filling for lettuce cups when you want something lighter, or scattered over a big green salad with the sauce loosened and drizzled on top.
For meal prep, portion the chicken with rice and vegetables into containers and you have grab and go lunches for the week. I like to keep a small jar of extra sauce separate so I can loosen things up later in the week.
If you are cooking for a mix of spice lovers and spice avoiders, leave the sriracha out of the sauce and set the bottle on the table instead. The sauce is still sweet, savory, and deeply garlicky, and everyone can heat up their own bowl to their own comfort level.
However you serve it, taste the sauce before it hits the table. If you want more heat, stir in extra sriracha. If you want it a touch brighter, a few drops of rice vinegar wake everything up. Then finish with sesame seeds and dig in.
FAQs
How do you make crockpot honey garlic chicken?
Place 2.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker in an even layer. In a bowl, whisk together ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon sriracha, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 6 minced garlic cloves until smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for about 2.5-3 hours until the chicken is tender. Shred or slice the chicken and stir it back into the sauce before serving over rice.
How long to cook honey garlic chicken in a slow cooker?
Cook the chicken on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for about 2.5 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F as measured by an instant-read thermometer. Avoid opening the lid during cooking to prevent heat loss and ensure even cooking.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs for honey garlic chicken?
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs for a leaner option. However, chicken breasts can dry out more easily, so check for doneness at the earlier end of the cooking range, around 2.5 hours on low. The higher fat content in thighs keeps them juicier during the long slow cook.
How to thicken honey garlic chicken sauce?
The recipe calls for whisking 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the cold sauce ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker, which prevents lumps. If the sauce is thinner than desired after cooking, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry, then stir it into the hot liquid and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Some nights I want the sticky, garlicky comfort of takeout without the price tag or the delivery wait, and this crockpot honey garlic chicken is my answer. Chicken thighs or breasts go into the slow cooker in an even layer, then a glossy sauce made with soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, cornstarch, sriracha, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and a full six cloves of garlic gets poured right on top.
- Total Time: 245 min
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1–2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped parsley or cilantro or green onions
Sesame seeds
Instructions
1-Add the chicken thighs to the slow: Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker in an even layer.
2-In a bowl, whisk together the soy: In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, cornstarch, sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic until smooth and well combined.
3-Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover,: Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for about 2½-3 hours, until the chicken is tender.
4-Once cooked, shred or slice the chicken: Once cooked, shred or slice the chicken and stir it back into the sauce so every piece gets coated.
5-Finish with green onions, cilantro, parsley, or: Finish with green onions, cilantro, parsley, or sesame seeds if you’d like, then serve it over rice with plenty of extra sauce spooned on top.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 240 min
- Method: stovetop
