• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
    • 📋About
    • ❓FAQs/Help
    • 🛒Shop
    • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home » Recipes » Chinese Recipes

    Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

    Mar 12, 2022 · Modified: Oct 26, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 135 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    3.81 from 593 votes

    Fire up the slow cooker, time for some take-out at home with this easy honey garlic chicken breast recipe. Healthy, great taste with a few pantry ingredients, and 10 minutes prep is all it takes. Everybody can use another easy crockpot chicken recipe.

    honey garlic chicken with rice on white plate

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Chinese Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Cooked in a thick Asian glaze, this honey garlic chicken breast recipe uses skinless boneless chicken breasts to make a healthy fall-apart tender, easy dinner full of flavor. But chicken thighs are an option.

    Honey chicken breasts are low fat and bursting with a wonderful taste. Make it a complete meal by adding some vegetables with rice. Just follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions for one of the best crock pot chicken recipes.

    Based on an Allrecipes Honey-Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, which was originally a much larger recipe and used chicken thighs.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Trim 1 to 1 ½ skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs. If large, cut into several serving-size pieces.
    2. Mix sauce. Only pantry ingredients are used.
    3. In a smaller crock pot (3-quart minimum), spray with cooking spray and line the bottom with the chicken.
    4. Pour sauce over the chicken and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Breasts should reach 165°, or thighs should be 175° minimum when done.
    5. The sauce can be thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
    6. Serve with rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

    🐓Ingredients

    The chicken

    Use skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Bone-in will work but may take longer to cook, so go by temperature and not time.

    Do not use chicken with skin since the texture of the asking does not do well in the crock pot.

    🥣The Sauce

    The sauce is very simple and has lots of taste. But you can modify it for your needs. You can use Tamari to replace the soy sauce if you need gluten-free. Most Tamari is gluten-free but check the label.

    A touch of rice vinegar (some may contain gluten) or red pepper flakes are good. I added red pepper as an option.

    Basil is in the model recipe, and many like it, but I generally leave it out, so it is optional. Some readers have replaced it with oregano.

    The sauce may be thickened by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water, then adding it near the end of cooking.

    A sodium note. The original recipe had a ½ cup of soy sauce. That was heavy on the salt. I receive complaints and now suggest only ¼ cup of low sodium soy sauce. There is still lots of flavor in the sauce.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use skin-on or bone-in chicken in this recipe?

    Yes. Any chicken will do as long as you monitor the final internal temperature. But the bone is clumsy to eat around, and the skin does not cook nicely in a crock pot.

    Can I use frozen chicken?

    No. There are two safety issues with adding frozen raw chicken to a crock pot to cook.

    First is the internal temperature of the chicken may not rise fast enough to safely cook.

    Second, there have been a few reports of ceramic crock pots breaking due to temperature differentials.

    How to serve honey garlic chicken.

    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.

    Oriental vegetables are an excellent side dish. I suggest you stir-fry separately, but some readers add them in the last hour of cooking. I feel there are a number of possible issues with cooking time so if you do this, please be sure to get both the chicken and vegetables fully cooked.

    How to store leftover honey garlic chicken.

    Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze in an airtight container for 3-4 months.

    📖Chinese Recipes

    Fried Rice in 10 Minute

    How to Cook Rice in the Ove

    Crock Pot Chinese Boneless Ribs

    Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

    Easy General Tso Chicken

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Chinese Recipes, Crock Pot Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw chicken breasts with honey garlic sauce ingredients

    Just pantry staples you already have.

    chicken breasts trimmed into chunks

    Start with 1 to 1 ½ pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 4-6 pieces. You may use chicken thighs if you wish.

    whisking sauce ingredient in a white bowl

    In a medium bowl ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred), ¼ cup honey, four cloves crushed garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), and ½ teaspoon basil (optional) whisk together.

    pouring sauce over raw chicken in crock pot

    Spread the chicken across the bottom of a 3-quarts or larger crock pot. Add the sauce and mix.

    mixing corn starch into a slurry

    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.

    cooked chicken with sauce on a ladle

    Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Breasts should reach 165°, or thighs should be 175° minimum when done.

    honey garlic chicken with rice on a white plate wide view

    Serve with rice and use the sauce as gravy. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

    graphic Subscribe to 101 Cooking for Two

    📝Recipe

    honey garlic chicken and rice on plate

    Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Breast

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Fire up the slow cooker, time for some take-out at home with this easy honey garlic chicken breast recipe. Healthy, great taste with a few pantry ingredients, and 10 minutes prep is all it takes. Everybody can use another easy crockpot chicken recipe.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    3.81 from 593 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - May use thighs.

    Honey Garlic Sauce

    • ½ cup ketchup
    • ¼ cup soy sauce - low sodium
    • ¼ cup honey
    • 2-4 cloves garlic - crushed
    • ½ teaspoon basil - optional
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional

    Optional thickening

    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 2 tablespoons water

    For serving

    • rice
    • toasted sesame seeds
    • sliced green onions
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start with 1 to 1 ½ pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 4-6 pieces. You may use chicken thighs if you wish.
      chicken breasts trimmed into chunks
    • In a medium bowl ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred), ¼ cup honey, four cloves crushed garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), and ½ teaspoon basil (optional) whisk together.
      whisking sauce ingredient in a white bowl
    • Spread the chicken across the bottom of a 3-quarts or larger crock pot. Add the sauce and mix.
      pouring sauce over raw chicken in crock pot
    • 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.
      mixing corn starch into a slurry
    • Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Breasts should reach 165°, or thighs should be 175° minimum when done.
      cooked chicken with sauce on a ladle
    • Serve with rice and use the sauce as gravy. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
      honey garlic chicken with rice on white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. Use low sodium soy sauce.
    2. It will fit nicely in a 3 qt or bigger crock pot. If you add vegetables, you will also need to increase the crock pot size.I
    3. 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 to 175°+.
    4. Thickening is optional and you may want to increase the amount of sauce for serving.
    5. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Good frozen for 3-4 months but cooked rice does not freeze well.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 300.3 Calories from Fat 41
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4.5g7%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Trans Fat 0.1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1.3g
    Cholesterol 108.9mg36%
    Sodium 1046.3mg44%
    Potassium 789.3mg23%
    Carbohydrates 27.1g9%
    Fiber 0.3g1%
    Sugar 23.9g27%
    Protein 38g76%
    Vitamin A 242.8IU5%
    Vitamin C 3.8mg5%
    Calcium 22.2mg2%
    Iron 1.1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Chinese

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published January 4, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    white dogs in snow

    More Chinese Recipes

    • Small Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
    • Easy General Tso Chicken in 30 Minutes
    • Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli
    • Crock Pot Chinese Boneless Ribs

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment (Policy Link in Footer) Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. geno

      March 14, 2022 at 11:18 am

      2 stars
      Never ever make this again. Weird concoction to say the least. Save the chicken for something good.

      Reply
    2. Menolly

      March 13, 2022 at 11:56 am

      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.

      Reply
    3. Barbara

      February 09, 2022 at 11:23 am

      Recipe looks and sounds great. Can I start with frozen chicken breasts?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 09, 2022 at 2:34 pm

        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

    4. Paul D.

      March 31, 2021 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    5. Sara

      November 25, 2020 at 5:01 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        November 25, 2020 at 6:12 pm

        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

    6. Jackie

      May 12, 2020 at 12:16 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan, and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Popular Recipes

    • Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Small Ribeye Roast
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
    • Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
    kitchen reference sheet graphic wide blue
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan and the Blog
    • Business Questions
    • Comment Policy

    Content

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Recipes Featured in the Videos
    • Guide To Cooking for Two
    • Saved Recipes Collections

    dogs by the pond

    Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2023 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME