This sticky honey garlic boneless chicken is easy to make and scale from two to a crowd in a crock pot. A simple 4-ingredient honey garlic sauce of soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and garlic clings to every bite of the boneless chicken breasts or thighs.
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Featured Comment by Paul D.:
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"Fantastic recipe! My family loves it. My wife thinks I'm a genius, lol."
🧾 TL;DR Recipe Summary
What: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs cooked in a sticky 4-ingredient honey garlic sauce.
Why: Easy prep, no browning, and scales from two to a crowd in any-size crock pot.
How: Mix the sauce, add the chicken, and cook on low for 3–4 hours. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch if desired.
🐓Ingredients
- Boneless Chicken – Skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Honey garlic sauce – Soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and fresh garlic. Optional: basil and crushed red pepper flakes; cornstarch for thickening.
- For serving – Cooked rice, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced green onions
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
1. Trim skinless boneless chicken (breasts or thighs) into serving-size pieces.
2. Whisk together the honey garlic sauce and combine with the chicken in the crock pot.
3. Cook on low for 3–4 hours. Breasts are done at 165°F; thighs are best at 180°–185°F. Start checking the temperature at 2 hours.
4. Spoon over rice with extra sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
👇For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
🧂 Honey Garlic Sauce & Flavor Options
The 4-ingredient honey garlic sauce is made with soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and fresh garlic.
- Soy sauce – Use low-sodium soy sauce; use tamari for gluten-free.
- Honey – Adjust to taste for more or less sweetness.
- Ketchup – Adds flavor, sweetness, and seasoning.
- Garlic – Fresh is best. Substitute ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder per clove.
- Optional flavors – Add basil, crushed red pepper flakes, or fresh ginger. A dash of sesame oil or rice vinegar also works well.
Extra sauce: Double the sauce ingredients if you want more for serving over rice or vegetables.
Thicker sauce: Thicken with cornstarch near the end of cooking.
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↕️ Adjusting the Recipe Size
This recipe scales easily for two or a crowd. The recipe card defaults to 4 servings; use the serving slider to adjust the ingredient amounts. The instructions do not adjust.
- 2 servings: 2- to 3-quart crock pot
- 4 servings: 3- to 4-quart crock pot
- 8 servings: 6-quart or larger crock pot
Keep the crock pot no more than about 75% full. Cooking time may vary with the amount and crock pot size. Cook to internal temperature, not by the clock.
🍽️ Serving Honey Garlic Chicken
Serve the chicken over rice with extra honey garlic sauce, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds. Steamed or roasted vegetables also work well.
For shredded chicken: Shred the chicken during the last 15–30 minutes and stir it back into the sauce.
❄️ Storage & Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheat: Warm gently in the microwave or covered on the stovetop with some of the sauce to prevent drying.
🍚 More Chinese-Inspired Recipes
❓FAQs
Yes. Use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce, and check the ketchup label to be sure it is gluten-free.
Yes. Boneless chicken thighs stay juicy and tolerate longer cooking. Boneless chicken breasts should be checked earlier and cooked to 165°F to prevent drying.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Sticky Honey Garlic Boneless Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds skinless chicken - breasts or thighs
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2–4 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- ½ teaspoon basil - optional
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- cooked rice
- toasted sesame seeds
- sliced green onions
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the chicken and sauce
- Trim about 1½ pounds of skinless chicken. If using boneless breasts, cut into serving-size pieces. Thighs may not need cutting
- In a medium bowl whisk together ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup of soy sauce (low sodium preferred), ¼ cup of honey, four cloves of crushed garlic, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), and ½ teaspoon basil (optional).
Combine in the crock pot
- Spread the chicken across the bottom of a crock pot coated with cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Optional: For a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to form a slurry, and stir it in during the last hour of cooking.
Cook
- Cook on low for 3–4 hours. Chicken breasts should reach a temperature of 165°F; thighs are best cooked to 180°F for better texture. Begin checking the temperature at 2 hours, as slow cookers can vary.
Serve
- Serve over rice with extra sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use low-sodium soy sauce. For gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari and check the ketchup label.
- For extra sauce to serve over rice or vegetables, double the sauce ingredients.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 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 editing to help with navigation.
Lindsay says
This recipe bursts with flavor! My entire family LOVED it! The only substitution that I made was Braggs liquid aminos vs soy sauce. Thank you!
anna says
I'm not very good with season I vs, but learning. If you don't have basil, what can be substituted instead?
DrDan says
With this recipe, I would just leave it out... there is lots of other flavor.
DrDan
Ashley says
Definitely use low sodium! I used regular soy sauce and it is terribly salty for my taste :/ i think im going to have to whip up something else for dinner tonight.
Ray says
Just bought my first ever crock pot and this was my first ever dish! So delicious and easy, I am hooked. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!
Mike says
Great and easy! I added broccoli after everything was cooked. Over rice or was great!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note
DrDan
Racquel says
Really amazing recipe! Easy to make, nutritious and easy to clean up. The flavor is wonderful - unique and robust. If I change anything next time, I will half the amount of soy sauce because it was a tad salty.
DrDan says
Hi Racquel
I do agree that the sodium was at the high end. I would do low sodium soy sauce in the future.
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Andrea says
Can I mix everything together and let it set in the fridge overnight before tossing it all in the crockpot?
Dawn says
I only have 8 and 10 low or 4 or 6 high. Was yours 4 low? If so guess, I will just do 8 n then check it at 4. Will rate when we try tonight. Thanks! Looks great. I use my crock pot often and am always looking for new stuff.
DrDan says
4 hours on low is enough. So start on 8 low and check at 4 hours and pull the plug.
DrDan
Skyla Ellis says
This was good but I think unused to much garlic & honey! It was too much taste and a little too sweet.
But I'm glad I tried. Thanks for the recipe!
Joe Ferriero says
Hi Dr Dan, just made it for 1st time . Its great but wish the sauce was thicker. Any suggestions?
DrDan says
Hi Joe, You can thicken it some with corn starch. Try 1 tablespoon corn starch in 2 tablespoons of cool water mix well then add to the liquid in the pot about 30 minutes before completing and turn up to high. When you mix it in either take the chicken out briefly to get all the liquid treated or move the chicken to the side and mix well. And don't forget to go to high for the last 30 minutes or so.
DrDan
Stephanie says
Yummy!! So good!
Stephanie says
I made this tonight! I put on slow for close to 8 hours and it was delicious! I only added a dash of lemon juice and a little less basil. So good!
Dandy Sandy says
This recipe is delicious! I substituted 2 planks of Tempeh for the chicken. I cut Tempeh in halves then sliced lengthwise to make patties. Soooo goooood! Will make again!
Theidahopotato says
This recipe has real potential, but I made it as is and my husband and I didn't love it. I think the real problem was the basil; it just added a very strange flavor. However, my two year old and ten month old loved it and chowed down. I'll make it again, omitting the basil and adding a splash of rice vinegar or a squeeze of lime. Then I'll top the adult portions with a bit of siracha!
Amy says
Googled "slow cooker chicken breast" for cook time and found this recipe. I didn't expect it to be good at all. But I ate the whole thing by myself at once. (3 chicken breasts.) Whoops!
DrDan says
Hi Amy,
I'm working some variations of this. I just hope they do as well.
Thanks for the note.... you ate all three????
DrDan
Michelle says
I googled same thing
Michelle says
I googled slow cooked chicken breast too. This was delicious. I added some Chinese and white wine as someone else suggested (in place of the basil). I needed to add cornflour to make it thicker and could have added more. Next time I'll probably remove the juice and reduce it on the stovetop. I didn't have low salt soy and noticed the saltiness but it wasn't bad. Definitely a great recipe.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. It is a good basic start. Like all recipes, they are just guidelines to get where you want to go.
DrDan
Alfin says
Great stuff