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Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Honey garlic slow cooker chicken thighs with a thick, glossy sauce—tender chicken cooked on Low for hours, then reduced with a quick cornstarch slurry. Minced garlic, honey, and soy sauce create a sweet-savory coating that's perfect over steamed rice.
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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 thighs
  • 5 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs Use 4-6 thighs; they can be bone-in for extra flavor or boneless for ease.
honey garlic sauce base
  • 0.33 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 6 garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp butter Unsalted or salted both work.
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
cornstarch slurry
  • 2 tsp cornstarch Measure as 2 tsp.
  • 2 tbsp water Combine with cornstarch for a slurry.
garnish
  • 2 green onions Sliced.
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Make the sauce and coat the chicken
  1. Combine honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, butter, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes in the slow cooker, stirring until the butter begins to melt and the mixture looks uniform.
  2. Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker and turn them to coat in the honey garlic sauce.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours (or High for 2-2.5 hours) until the chicken is very tender and easily breaks apart with a fork.
Thicken the sauce and finish
  1. Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and set them aside, then stir the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the sauce.
  2. Turn the slow cooker to High and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy, stirring once midway if possible.
  3. Return the chicken thighs to the thickened honey garlic sauce to recoat, then serve over steamed rice with green onions and sesame seeds as garnish.

Notes

For the best glossy sauce, make sure the cornstarch is fully mixed with water before adding, and cook on High long enough for the sauce to look shiny and cling to the chicken. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce texture may thin after thawing. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and taste the final sauce before serving.