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Honey Garlic Chicken In The Crockpot

Honey garlic chicken in the crockpot with tender chicken thighs and a thick, glossy honey-garlic sauce. Slow-cooked low and finished by thickening the sauce with a quick cornstarch slurry.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs Use 4–6 thighs; choose the amount that fits your pack.
Honey garlic sauce
  • 0.3333333333 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 6 garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Thickener and serving
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 steamed rice For serving; amount as desired per bowl.
  • 1 green onions For garnish; slice for best results.
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish; toast if you want extra aroma.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Mix the honey-garlic sauce
  1. In a bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and red pepper flakes until combined and smooth.
  2. Visually check the mixture is uniform—no garlic clumps of dry ketchup should remain.
Slow-cook the chicken
  1. Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker, then pour the sauce over the top so the meat is mostly covered.
  2. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours (or High for 2-2.5 hours) until the chicken is very tender.
Thicken the sauce
  1. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred it, or keep it whole if you prefer.
  2. Whisk cornstarch and water, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker sauce to prevent lumps.
  3. Turn the slow cooker to High and cook 15-20 minutes, until the sauce thickens and looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the thickened sauce and stir gently to coat.
  2. Serve over steamed rice with green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Notes

For extra clinging sauce, shred the chicken and let it sit in the thickened sauce for 5 minutes on Warm before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes from the cornstarch. For a gluten-aware option, use gluten-free soy sauce without changing the method.