Listen, some nights you just can’t face turning on the oven or spending an hour stirring pots. We all have those moments! That’s why I live and breathe by my favorite set-it-and-forget-it meals, and nothing saves my sanity like this unbelievably easy Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken. Seriously, this slow cooker recipe is my weeknight lifeline. Throw everything in before work, and when you walk through the door, dinner is basically done.

It’s got that perfect sticky, savory glaze—sweet honey dancing with sharp garlic and salty soy sauce—that makes everyone think you spent hours slaving away. I probably make some variation of this exact dish once every two weeks when the dinner slump hits hard. It’s simple, requires almost zero clean-up, and the chicken comes out so tender, it practically melts. Trust me, if you need easy flavor in your life, this is it.

Why This Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe Works So Well

There are other weeknight chicken recipes out there, sure, but this one wins because it respects your schedule! I love that I can prepare the sauce and chicken in about ten minutes flat. It’s pure reliability, which is what you need when dinner looms. You’ll want to check out the skillet version sometime if you’re ever in a rush, the skillet honey garlic baked chicken thighs are amazing too, but the Crock Pot handles the heavy lifting here.

It’s practically foolproof since the slow cooker maintains that perfect, low-and-slow temperature. No rushing required!
The flavor is addictive—that perfect sweet-and-savory balance that kids and adults both devour.
Cleanup is a dream! Usually, it’s just one bowl for the sauce and the cooker insert itself.
The chicken becomes unbelievably tender. You can shred it easily with just a fork when it’s done cooking.

Ingredients Needed for Perfect Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Okay, gathering supplies for this one is so simple, it almost feels like cheating. You mostly just need pantry staples and chicken! I always grab skinless breasts or thighs; both work great, but if you want maximum tenderness, go with the thighs. Remember, when you’re mixing up that sauce, get descriptive with your ingredients so you don’t mess up Step Two!

I keep a bottle of simple syrup on hand for cocktails, but for this recipe, we stick to pure honey for that thick, luscious quality. If you were looking up how to make your own simple syrup, you can check out my guide to simple syrup, but here, we need the real deal ingredient!

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, trimmed nicely.
1/2 cup liquid soy sauce—use low sodium if that’s your preference!
1/2 cup honey—make sure it’s pourable!
1/4 cup ketchup, just for that bit of body and tang.
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar.
4 cloves of garlic, and you must finely mince them; don’t even think about swapping for powder here.
1 teaspoon ground ginger.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
For the thickening magic later: 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
And 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water for the slurry.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

This recipe is pure magic because you don’t even have to bother preheating the machine—just plug it in and go! The beauty of the slow cooker is consistent, gentle heat, which means less chance of things going wrong. We are basically just building layers of flavor here before letting the machine do the heavy lifting for hours. You need to pay close attention when we thicken the sauce at the end, though, because that’s where the glaze comes together perfectly. If you’re interested in other slow cooker magic, I often use the same low-and-slow principle for my slow cooker pot roast recipe, too!

If you ever make this on high heat, here is a little pro-tip: make sure you check it about halfway through the cooking time. Sometimes, the high setting on a slow cooker can cause minor scorching right near the bottom elements, so giving it a quick stir can prevent any burnt taste from creeping into your incredible Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken sauce.

Preparing the Chicken and Sauce Base for Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

First up, just grab your chicken—breasts or thighs—and pop them right into the basin of your slow cooker. No need to sear or do anything fancy! Next, in a separate bowl, we’re whisking up that glorious sauce. You want to combine the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, and pepper until it looks totally smooth. Then, pour that whole mixture evenly over the chicken. Cover it up and set it to low for four to six hours, or high for two to three. That’s it for the first phase of your Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken!

Thickening the Sauce and Finishing the Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Once your chicken is tender, carefully lift it out of the slow cooker and decide if you want to shred it or leave it whole. Now for the glaze! Take a little bowl and whisk together your cornstarch and cold water until you have a thin, milky-looking slurry. Pour that right into the remaining sauce still bubbling in the pot. Turn the heat up to high and stir constantly for about five to ten minutes. You’ll see it transform into a glossy, thick sauce. Once it’s perfectly thick, toss your chicken pieces right back in and give everything a big stir until every piece of Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is completely coated in that sticky glaze. Serve immediately!

Tips for Making the Best Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

I’ve made this recipe enough times to know the little tricks that take it from good to absolutely unforgettable. Slow cooking is forgiving, but these small changes really elevate the final product. Don’t be afraid to tweak my suggestions! I always encourage folks to experiment, much like you would when trying out a different method, like these crispy baked chicken recipes for variety.

First, if you have a choice, always lean toward using chicken thighs. They just have a bit more working fat, so even if you have to cook them an extra 30 minutes, they stay incredibly juicy. Breasts are fine, but they can dry out faster, especially if you cook on the HIGH setting.

Second tip: taste your sauce before you add the chicken for the long cook! The soy sauce brands really vary in saltiness. If it tastes a little flat, add a tiny splash more soy or a drop of vinegar. Conversely, if it tastes too harsh, drizzle in a teaspoon more honey to balance it out. You want that perfect savory-sweet harmony.

Finally, about that thickening step—if your sauce seems a little thinner than you ideally like after cooking on LOW, don’t panic and add more cornstarch! Sometimes, you can just remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking on HIGH, and the gentle evaporation will thicken that beautiful glaze naturally without messing with the ratio.

Variations on Your Favorite Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

I love that this recipe is so forgiving! Once you master the basic sauce, you can absolutely start riffing on it, which keeps dinner exciting even though you’re still using the slow cooker. If you’re feeling like things are getting a little too sweet, trust me, adding a little kick is the answer. A teaspoon of red pepper flakes thrown in with the initial sauce ingredients gives the Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken a lovely little warmth that cuts right through the richness.

Another easy thing to change up is incorporating fresh veggies! Don’t add them at the very beginning unless you want mush, though. Toss in a bag of frozen pepper strips or even about one cup of chopped onions during the last hour of cooking. They get tender softened but still hold their shape nicely against the sticky sauce.

If you are trying to swap out chicken thighs for breasts, just reduce your cooking time slightly on high setting, maybe an hour less, so they don’t get overly stringy. And if you’ve ever wanted something totally different, you can look into flavors inspired by other regions, like the bold spice profile in Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta—though that one definitely requires the oven or stovetop for that full flavor blast!

Serving Suggestions for Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

The absolute best part about this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is that gorgeous, sticky glaze it creates. Because the sauce is so rich and perfectly balanced between salty and sweet, you need something simple underneath to soak it all up! I almost always default to plain steamed white rice; it’s the perfect canvas for that sauce.

If you want something green, roasted broccoli tossed quickly with some salt and pepper is fantastic because the slightly smoky char pairs well with the honey. Honestly, if you’re looking for a great carb side that can handle the flavor, you should look up how to make good garlic butter pasta—I have a recipe for garlic butter pasta that is divine alongside this chicken glaze. Just make sure whatever you serve it with isn’t too strongly flavored itself!

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

One of the best things about using the slow cooker is that you almost always have leftovers, because this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken is just as good the next day! When you’re done eating, let any extra chicken cool down just a little bit, but don’t leave it sitting out for more than two hours—food safety first, always!

Pop the cooled chicken and whatever sauce is left into a really good airtight container. If you store it correctly, it stays fantastic in the fridge for three to four days. Seriously, that glaze holds up well!

For reheating, I almost always skip the microwave because it can sometimes make the chicken a little tough. If you have the time, reheat a serving in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add just a teaspoon of water or broth to the pan before you cover it for a couple of minutes. That steam really brings back the moisture and keeps the glaze nice and sticky. If you’re using the microwave, cover it with a damp paper towel while heating to trap some steam in there, too!

Frequently Asked Questions About Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Okay, you guys always send the best questions when a slow cooker recipe hits the blog! It means you’re really trying this out, and I love that. Whether you’re worried about time or wondering about the best cut of meat, I’ve tried to address the most common things people ask about this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken setup. If you ever get stuck wondering how to make something similar but different, say, my easy chicken enchiladas, I talk about that here!

Can I use frozen chicken for this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken recipe?

This is the number one question for any slow cooker recipe, honestly! Yes, you absolutely *can* start with frozen chicken breasts or thighs, but you have to adjust your cooking time, especially on the LOW setting. I wouldn’t recommend using frozen on HIGH unless you’re absolutely sure your cooker runs hot. Plan on adding at least an hour to the total cook time for frozen meat. Since this Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken relies on the sauce to tenderize, let the slow cooker do its job and don’t rush it!

What is the best type of chicken to use for Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken?

If you are following my advice, you should reach for the chicken thighs every single time for this dish. Thighs have more intramuscular fat, which keeps them unbelievably moist and shreddable even after 6 or 8 hours in the liquid. If you only have breasts, they work fine, but be careful not to overcook them. If you see the breasts starting to look pale white and stringy when you go to shred them, pull them out immediately and thicken the sauce so they don’t dry out while waiting for the rest to finish.

Nutritional Estimate for This Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Now, I’m not a nutritionist, so please take these numbers with a grain of salt! These estimates are super helpful for planning, but remember that the type of soy sauce or how much honey you drizzle in wildly changes the final count for your Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken.

Based on the standard recipe, one serving looks something like this:

Calories: About 450
Protein: 45g
Total Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Sugar: 35g (Yep, that honey adds up!)
Sodium: 850mg

It’s a lean meal overall, but definitely on the higher end for sugar because, well, it’s honey garlic!

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Author: cocktailmixguide.com
Total Time: 4 hours 10 min
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Low Fat

Print Recipe

Description

A simple recipe for tender chicken cooked in a slow cooker with a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Place chicken in the slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, and pepper.
Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours.
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred or keep whole.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry.
Stir the slurry into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Return the chicken to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the thickened sauce.
Serve hot.

Notes

Serve this dish over rice or with steamed vegetables.
For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch slightly.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 4 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 450
Sugar: 35
Sodium: 850
Fat: 10
Saturated Fat: 3
Unsaturated Fat: 7
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 38
Fiber: 1
Protein: 45
Cholesterol: 130

Keywords: Crock Pot, slow cooker, honey garlic chicken, easy chicken, weeknight meal