Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken (Printable)
Slow-cooked chicken in a sweet-salty honey garlic sauce, ready for easy weeknight meals or meal prep.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 lbs
→ Honey Garlic Sauce
02 - 1/2 cup honey
03 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 1/4 cup ketchup
05 - 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
08 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
→ To Finish
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons cold water
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or green onions, for garnish
14 - Cooked rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Place the chicken breasts in an even layer across the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, vinegar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until fully combined.
03 - Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, ensuring they are well coated.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board or plate. Shred using two forks, or leave the breasts whole according to preference.
06 - In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water to create a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry into the sauce remaining in the slow cooker and stir well.
07 - Return the shredded or whole chicken to the slow cooker, stirring to coat evenly in the sauce. Cover and cook on High for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
08 - Serve hot over cooked rice, quinoa, or steamed vegetables. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or green onions.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- The sauce practically makes itself while you do literally anything else, and it tastes like you spent hours hovering over a stove.
- It reheats beautifully, which means lunch the next day might actually be better than dinner the night before.
02 -
- Do not lift the lid during cooking to peek, because every time you do you lose roughly 30 minutes of heat and extend the cooking time.
- The cornstarch slurry will look too thin when you first stir it in, but trust the process and give it the full 15 minutes on High before judging.
03 -
- Pat the chicken dry before placing it in the slow cooker, because excess moisture dilutes the sauce and stretches the cooking time.
- If you want that caramelized edge, pop the shredded saucy chicken under the broiler for three minutes before serving, and it transforms into something almost restaurant quality.