Easy Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Once you take a bite of this easy and flavorful Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken, you'll put it on your meal plan week after week. The combination of soy sauce, sweet honey, garlic, and spicy chili paste is perfect and makes a thick, delicious sauce to coat your chicken.

Cooking chicken in the Crock-Pot is one of our favorite ways to make dinner. We are all in when the recipe is as easy as adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, setting it, and forgetting it! This simple recipe for Crock-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is one of those easy crockpot meals. 

All you need are a few simple pantry staples, and you have a delicious dinner prepped in less than 10 minutes!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic and Parmesan and Slow Cooker Chicken Soup are other slow-cooked recipes we highly recommend.

Jump to:

• Why We Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• Substitutions
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store
• Honey Garlic Chicken Freezer Meal
• More Easy Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• Printable Recipe

Why We Love This Recipe

• This crock pot chicken is super simple to make. It's a dump-and-go recipe that works any night of the week!
• It's so versatile. You can enjoy it as a main dish with a side of veggies or place it on top of a bed of rice for a complete meal everyone in the family will enjoy.
• Clean-up is a breeze since it's cooked in one pot.

Ingredient Notes

This simple crockpot chicken recipe is made with a few delicious ingredients that combine to create a savory dish.

The slow cooking time gives all those flavors a chance to develop, resulting in a rich sauce and flavorful chicken that pairs well with various sides.

You'll need the following:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs - we like to use thighs because they remain moist and delicious while slow cooking.
• Low-sodium Soy sauce - Soy sauce is packed with umami flavor (a savory/salty flavor), which works well in this dish.
• Honey - compliments the soy sauce and gives the chicken a hint of sweetness, so a great recipe for kids.
• Tomato paste - for a little acid to balance the sweet honey.
• Chili paste - don't be nervous about this dish being too spicy. When diluted with the other ingredients, the chili paste is not spicy at all.
• Garlic - since it simmers all day, the garlic infuses a nice nutty flavor into the sauce.
• Rice vinegar - gives the recipe a little acid and brings all the flavors together.
• Cornstarch - we use cornstarch to thicken the sauce after it simmers all day.

Please see the printable recipe card below for measurements and complete instructions.

Substitutions

We love this recipe just as it is, but it's so versatile that it's simple to make substitutions to these crock pot chicken thighs. Here are some easy alterations you can make to our recipe:

• Swap boneless, skinless chicken breasts for chicken thighs. If you prefer white-meat chicken, use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs in this recipe.
• Use crushed red pepper or hot sauce instead of chili paste. If you don't have chili paste on hand, consider substituting the same amount of crushed red pepper or hot sauce.
• Substitute apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar. If you don't have rice vinegar in your pantry, try using apple cider vinegar instead. The mild flavor of apple cider vinegar makes it a great alternative to rice vinegar in this recipe.

Step-By-Step Instructions

These honey garlic chicken thighs in the slow cooker are perfect for any occasion. They're great for a quick weeknight meal with the family or a main dish for a big Sunday supper.

Either way, you need to grab your ingredients, mix up your sauce, and toss everything in the crockpot to cook all day while you move on to more important tasks.

Step 1 - Add Chicken to Crock

Place the chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. 

Step 2 - Mix Sauce Ingredients

Before adding the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, mixing up the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl is a good idea. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, chili paste, garlic, and rice vinegar in a medium bowl until well combined. 

Step 3 - Add Sauce to Crock

Pour the mixture over the chicken until all the thighs are evenly coated.

Make sure to cover all the chicken with the sauce.

Step 4 - Cover + Cook

Cover and cook on low for four to five hours or high for two to three hours. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer. 

Tip: We prefer chicken cooked on low in the crockpot because it doesn't overcook.

Step 4 - Flip Chicken

To coat both sides of the chicken thighs with the delicious sauce, take a minute to flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time.

Step 5 - Shred Chicken and Add Cornstarch

Remove your honey garlic chicken to a plate and let it cool slightly.

While the chicken is cooling, whisk the cornstarch into the liquid remaining in the slow cooker.

Turn the crockpot to high, shred the chicken, and add it back into the crock.

Place the lid back on the crockpot and cook on high for around 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve over rice or vegetables. 

Serving Suggestions

If you're wondering what to serve with this delicious chicken dish, don't worry! Various delicious side dishes pair perfectly with our honey garlic chicken thighs, including vegetables or rice. 

• Perfectly cooked quinoa
• Brown Rice
• One-pot veggie mac and cheese
• Roasted asparagus with lemon
• Roasted brussels sprouts

How to Store

You can store this recipe in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat it in the microwave. 

Honey Garlic Chicken Freezer Meal

There are two ways to make this recipe and keep it in the freezer for later use. 

Option 1 for the Freezer

Place all your ingredients in an airtight container, and then freeze before cooking. Take the container out of the freezer the night before cooking it to defrost it. The next day, place the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook as instructed. 

Option 2 for the Freezer

Make and cook the recipe as instructed, then place it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. Following our tips for preventing freezer burn, you should be good to go. 

Make sure to label and date your container!

More Easy Crock Pot Chicken Recipes

• Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Crock Pot Curry Chicken
• Healthier Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

Readers also love our Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies!

Expert Tips

• We prefer chicken thighs in this recipe because they stay tender and juicy. However, you can use chicken breasts as well. 
• If you'd like to make this recipe gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free Tamari sauce for the soy sauce. 
• This recipe is made for a 6-quart crockpot. 

Recipe FAQs

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Printable Recipe