Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken thighs simmered in a honey-garlic glaze, finished with parsley and sesame.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Sauce

04 - 1/3 cup honey
05 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Slurry (for thickening, optional)

11 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# How-To:

01 - Season chicken thighs evenly with salt and pepper, then arrange them in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, ketchup, olive oil, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes until well combined. Pour the sauce evenly over the seasoned chicken.
03 - Cover and cook on the low setting for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
04 - For a richer, thicker sauce, whisk cornstarch and water together to form a slurry. Transfer the chicken to a plate, stir the slurry into the cooking liquid, then set the slow cooker to high for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Return the chicken to the sauce and turn to coat.
05 - Plate the chicken, spoon the sauce over each portion, and finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and sesame seeds. Serve alongside steamed rice and your favorite vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce does all the heavy lifting, so you barely touch a knife or a pan.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day after the chicken soaks up more of that sticky glaze.
02 -
  • Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking because each peek adds roughly thirty minutes to the total time as heat escapes.
  • If you use chicken breasts instead of thighs, check at the three hour mark since lean meat dries out much faster in the slow cooker.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry before seasoning so the salt and pepper actually stick to the surface rather than sliding off into the sauce.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the slurry because the flavor concentrates as it thickens and you cannot easily adjust salt afterward.

Return