Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken features tender chicken breasts or thighs coated with sticky honey garlic sauce. It's easy to make with only 10 minutes of prep time. Let your slow cooker do the work for the perfect sweet, savory, and spicy weeknight dinner.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs
Honey garlic sauce—soy sauce, honey, garlic cloves, basil(optional), crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Corn starch—optional for thickening|
For serving—rice, toasted sesame seeds, green onions
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 👨🍳Make it right every time
- 🐓What chicken to use
- 🥣Honey garlic sauce—tips and variations
- ↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size" recipe
- 🍲Suggested crock pot sizes
- 🍽️Serving
- 🍚Chinese Recipes
- ❄️Storage of leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by Paul D.:
"Fantastic recipe! My family loves it. My wife thinks I'm a genius, lol."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everybody needs more easy chicken recipes. With a sticky honey sauce, this is one of my easiest and best crock pot chicken breast recipes.
It is super easy to make with the step-by-step photo instructions. You can use almost any size slow cooker, 1 or 2-quart mini crock pots, or larger. Use either chicken breasts or thighs. And make it a complete meal by adding stir-fried vegetables and rice.
This sticky honey chicken will become a family favorite with great Asian flavor and tender chicken breasts or thighs. And it fits most healthy diets like a low-calorie or low-fat diet. And it can be made to fit a gluten-free diet.
Serve with rice, like Egg Fried Rice or Baked Rice.
👨🍳How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken in a Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Trim and cut chicken breasts.
2. Mix the honey garlic sauce.
3. In a smaller crock pot, stir the chicken with the sauce until coated.
4. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, but check at 2 hours. Breasts are done at 165° and thighs at 180°-185°.
5. If you want a thicker sauce, add a cornstarch slurry for the last hour of cooking.
6. Serve with rice and use the sauce as gravy. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👨🍳Make it right every time
Cutting the chicken breasts into smaller pieces will help them cook more quickly and evenly, resulting in serving-sized portions and allowing more sauce to flavor the chicken.
Towards the end of cooking, you can shred the chicken and mix it back into the sauce.
Cook chicken breasts to 165° and thighs, although safe at 165°, are tenderer at 180°+. Bone-in chicken takes a bit longer to cook. Remove any skin before cooking.
If you want a thicker sauce, add a slurry of cornstarch mixed in cool water until smooth before adding slowly.
Many people want more sauce for rice; adjust to the amount you wish. I usually double it.
🐓What chicken to use
Skinless boneless chicken breasts are recommended. You may use skinless chicken thighs, which may be boneless or bone-in. The size of the thighs is thinner and smaller than the breasts, so they do not need to be cut into pieces.
🥣Honey garlic sauce—tips and variations
Soy sauce: Regular soy sauce has lots of salt, so I suggest using low-sodium soy sauce to decrease the sodium level.
Honey: The sweetness of the sauce is from the honey. You can adjust to your taste.
Garlic: I prefer fresh crushed or minced garlic. You could use garlic powder. Use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each clove of garlic.
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The basil is usually used in this recipe, but I no longer use it, so it is optional. Some will use oregano to replace the basil.
A touch of fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar (some may contain gluten), or crushed red pepper flakes are good. I added red pepper as my option.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size" recipe
This is a very easy recipe to cut in half or double. As written, it makes four servings of about 1 cup and can be made in a 2-quart or larger crock pot.
- Use the recipe card and change the number of servings.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
🍲Suggested crock pot sizes
A half recipe will fit in a 1 quart, but crock pots smaller than 2 quarts are notoriously inaccurate in cooking. So, you can use one at your own risk and watch the temperature.
For a full-size recipe, generally use a 2 to 4-quart crock pot, although bigger may be used. You can use a bigger slow cooker but watch the temperature closely. Cooking small recipes in large crock pots tends to overcook rapidly and may burn. Cook to an internal temperature and not by time.
For a double recipe—use a 3-quart or larger crock pot and watch the final temperature.
🍽️Serving
Serve with rice, like Egg Fried Rice or Baked Rice. Add some stir-fry vegetables or steamed broccoli for a complete meal.
The simplest serving method is with the honey garlic sauce over rice or cauliflower rice with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and some sliced green onions.
🍚Chinese Recipes
Check out these other easy Chinese take-out recipes: Chinese Boneless Ribs, Beef and Broccoli, General Tso Chicken, Cashew Chicken, and Chicken Stir Fry.
❄️Storage of leftovers
Store in the refrigerator for 4 days or freeze in an airtight container for 4 months.
Reheat in the microwave or a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a small amount of chicken broth or water to the sauce if needed.
❓FAQs
To make honey garlic chicken gluten-free, use Tamari to replace the soy sauce. Most Tamari is gluten-free but check the label.
No. There are two issues with adding frozen chicken to a cooking crock pot.
First, the internal temperature of the chicken may not reach the safe final internal temperature of 165°.
Second, there have been a few reports of ceramic crock pots breaking due to temperature differentials.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken - breasts or thights
Honey Garlic Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup soy sauce - low sodium preferred
- ¼ cup honey
- 2-4 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- ½ teaspoon basil - optional
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
Optional thickening
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
For serving
- rice
- toasted sesame seeds
- sliced green onions
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Trim about 1 ½ pounds of chicken. If using skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut them into serving-size pieces. You may use skinless chicken thighs if you wish.
- In a medium bowl, ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup of soy sauce (low sodium preferred), ¼ cup of honey, four cloves crushed garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), and ½ teaspoon basil (optional) whisk together.
- Spread the chicken across the bottom of a 2-quart or larger crock pot coated with PAM cooking spray. Add the sauce and mix.
- If you want a thicker sauce, in a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cool water until smooth. Add to the crock pot and mix well during the last hour of cooking.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Breasts should reach 165°, or thighs should be 180° minimum when done. Check the chicken temperature at about 2 hours since crock pots vary.
- Serve with rice and use the sauce as gravy. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use low-sodium soy sauce for lower sodium.
- It will fit nicely in a 2 qt or bigger crock pot. See the recipe post to discuss increasing or decreasing amounts and crock pot size options.
- If you add vegetables to the crock pot, you will also need to increase the crock pot size and increase the sauce.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 165° for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, you will be happier with the texture of the chicken if you cook it to 180°+.
- Thickening is optional, and you may want to increase the amount of sauce for serving.
- Good refrigerated for 4 days. Good frozen for 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published January 4, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Menolly says
It looks yummy. Can I make and oven bake this in a dutch oven? I don't have a crock pot.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Menolly,
Not a conversion I normally do or try but I did find this with an answer. https://learn.surlatable.com/slow-cooker-dutch-oven-conversion/#:~:text=The%20low%20setting%20of%20a,equivalent%20to%20375°F
Hope that helps.
Dan
Menolly says
Hi! I don't own a crockpot. But I have dutch ovens of every possible size. If I were to bring this to boil and cook in a 275F - 300F oven in a cast iron dutch oven, how much chicken stock should I add, and how long should I cook it? Thank you.
PS: are thawed but previously frozen chicken breasts acceptable? I wanted to use this on frozen chicken that I need to rotate out of the freezer. I typically thaw overnight in the fridge.
Barbara says
Recipe looks and sounds great. Can I start with frozen chicken breasts?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Barbara,
Welcome to the blog.
The two problems with frozen chicken in a crockpot is first, frozen chicken has been known to break ceramic crockpots during cooking, so a safety problem if the pot is ceramic. And second, a cooking time issue—be sure the chicken reaches 165°.
Dan
Paul D. says
Fantastic recipe! My family loves it. My wife thinks I'm a genius, lol. I added chopped red, yellow, and orange bell pepper to the sauce and it was fantastic. I see a lot of comments about the sauce being a bit watery. My suggestion would be to use a fresh, dark honey in the recipe. The viscosity of the dark honey holds up better in the slow cooker. Just a suggestion. I'm lucky enough to live in the country, so it's readily available. If people have access to a farmer's market, you can probably find it there. My family wants me to make it again, so great job!
Sara says
My sauce wasn't nearly as dark as the picture and I followed the directions to the T. Plenty of it and it was very flavorful, but looked more like a watered down blush colored sauce. Very wet and runny.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sara,
Welcome to the blog.
The color is determined by the ingredients, mainly the soy sauce and ketchup so perhaps one of those broke down some with cooking. Another possibility is the chicken releasing more fluid during cooking. This would happen if it had been previously frozen. At least the taste was good.
Dan
Jackie says
I use this for both chicken and pork. Right now I'm using it with cubed pork - just a couple of boneless chops go a long way So easy I feel like I'm cheating. I find the sauce comes out tangy - almost like sweet and sour, perhaps that is because of the vinegar in ketchup. My secret ingredient is to add sliced water chestnuts. If I have a green pepper on hand I'll throw that in. Love your recipes since I don't have to run around looking for things I don't normally have on hand. Who would have thought such a simple sauce would be so great and versatile!
Kerry Bianchi says
Can this recipe be made with thin chicken breasts? That's all I have in the house. Will cooking time be different?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kerry,
Welcome to the blog.
Go by the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be 165 degrees to be done and safe. The time will vary by the thickness of the chicken you have. It could be as little as 2 hours but go by the temperature.
Dan
Robin says
Quick and easy recipes. Next time I'll add less ketchup as it was a little too tomato for me. Delicious all the same.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Robin,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed response.
Glad you enjoyed the chicken.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Ji Hee Kim says
Thank you so much for this WONDERFUL RECIPE. This recipe is simple and very tasty. For the Maple Syrup, I've added sugar free maple syrup. When I get up very early in the morning like 3:00 a.m., I usually cook for my family or my 4 dogs. For the vegetables, I usually add whatever I can find in my Refrigerator. This morning I will probably add sesame seed at the end as someone has suggested. My four dogs go crazy smelling this food being cooked in the crock pot. Too bad that I cannot feed them this dish. Thank you again for sharing this recipe.
DrDan says
Hi Ji Hee,
Welcome to the blog.
This is a very flexible recipe to just use up what you have with easy results. I generally sprinkle some sesame seeds on at the end.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Katy says
Hi Dr. Dan, thank you for this recipe. I have made it a few times now, and love the simplicity of the ingredients and the incredible flavour. I omit the basil, but do the cornstarch/water mixture and shred the chicken after about two hours of cooking, add some shredded carrots and sliced green onion and cook for another hour or more. Served over rice it is DELICIOUS!
DrDan says
Hi Katy,
Welcome to the blog.
This is an interesting recipe. I found the taste very surprising. And it is so easy to modify as you found.
Thanks for the note. And Happy Holidays.
Dan
Jon says
I came across this recipe while I was in the army. I made it and planned on having leftovers for quite some time. My squad could smell it from my barracks door and everyone quickly ate it up. It was sooooo good. I now make it for every platoon function and it's always a hit.
DrDan says
Hi Jon,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it works well for you. It does make the house smell good for a while so I'm not surprised they found you out.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Beverly Barndt says
Wow, WE! Loved it all the way around. I can't believe the easiness of it all. I have tried so hard with so much that I had or didn't have and never got a GREAT FLAVOR or close to what I was trying to get. Again you are a ROCKSTAR! I feel like I have won the LOTTERY here! Thanks again so much for your time.
Elizabeth says
I came across this recipe line others, Google! I'm super excited to try this for me and my daughter this coming Sunday, looks line it'll be a winner!
Glenda says
My daughter served this recipe using thighs last summer, I had chicken breasts intending to BBQ, but we are having a thunderstorm so looked up crock pot chicken and found your recipe, and the crock pot is cooking ... had no basil so used some thyme and oregano, no fresh garlic, but had ground garlic, was a little short on Ketchup but added a little water, hopefully it will work out...