Description
This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe is a flavorful and easy-to-make meal perfect for busy days. Tender chicken breasts or thighs are slow-cooked in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce, then shredded and served over rice with fresh green onions or cilantro. The sauce is thickened with a cornstarch slurry for a perfect glaze, making this dish comforting and delicious with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Main Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
To Serve
- Cooked white or brown rice
- Chopped green onions or cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, low sodium soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until fully combined.
- Add chicken to slow cooker: Place the chicken breasts or thighs in the slow cooker and pour the prepared honey garlic sauce evenly over the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (or 4-6 hours if using thighs) or on high for 2-3 hours (or 2-4 hours for thighs), until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F and is tender.
- Remove and rest chicken: Take the cooked chicken out of the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes on a clean surface or bowl.
- Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir this mixture into the sauce in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for another 10-20 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Shred the chicken: Shred the rested chicken using two forks, then return it to the slow cooker to coat with the thickened sauce.
- Serve: Spoon the honey garlic chicken and sauce over cooked rice, and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro for a fresh finish.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat chicken and sauce gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave before serving.
- For a spicier version, increase the amount of red pepper flakes according to your taste.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs will yield a juicier and more tender result compared to chicken breasts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6th of recipe)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
