The Best Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

Is there anything better than walking in the door after a long day at work, to the scent of a slow cooked dinner? This slow cooker honey garlic chicken just falls apart after a few hours in the crock pot. Even more succulent than our honey lemon garlic chicken, these bone-in, skinless chicken thighs are cooked in plenty of sauce, boasting crispy, charred, sticky edges! After sinking your teeth into this slow cooker honey garlic chicken, the recipe is bound to become a family staple!

SLOW COOKER HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN

After publishing our Pork Loin Roast with an irresistible honey garlic sauce, our readers have been asking non stop for this recipe — THE chicken of all slow cooked chickens. When you ask, we listen! Few slow cooker chicken recipes have a sauce as flavoursome as this one. Jam-packed with vibrant herbs and spices, this chicken will no doubt have you going back for seconds! If you’ve tried our honey garlic sriracha chicken, you’ll already know that we’re basically honey garlic connoisseurs. So you can share in our love of honey garlic, we’ve created a simple, no-fuss chicken slow cooker recipe that you can leave on the bench to cook. A simple ‘no-stress’ cooker recipe like our slow cooker whole chicken, is more than enough to feed the whole family. These skinless, bone-in chicken thighs beg for a rich, salty, sweet sauce to compliment those dark meat flavours. Cooking them in a Honey Garlic Butter Sauce is PERFECT and is the ideal sauce to serve them with.

HOW LONG TO COOK BONE IN CHICKEN THIGHS IN CROCK POT

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken thighs need a bit of love before cooking to give you an incredible tasting meal:

SEASON: Seasoned in a delicious rub with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar to help caramelise those edges and an optional pinch of cayenne pepper. Pat them dry with a paper towel first so that the seasoning sticks and absorbs better. OPTIONAL SEAR: While chicken usually goes into a slow cooker raw, searing thighs first in those seasonings for just 2 minutes each side helps lock in juices. It doesn’t necessarily speed up cook time when we’re searing for such a short amount of time, but it does create DEEPER flavours on your chicken AND in your sauce! However, this is optional. You don’t have to do this step if time doesn’t allow for it, or if you just don’t want to. Chicken still tastes INCREDIBLE without searing. COOK: If you’re committed to making the best slow cooker honey garlic chicken you’ve ever had, you’re going to flip your chicken thighs in the sauce half way through cooking time, basting them in all of that sweet, savoury sauce. Then cover and continue on cooking. I know the general rule is never to uncover your slow cooker in the middle of cooking, but this recipe is the exception! works perfectly! Just don’t take too long.

HOW LONG DOES CHICKEN NEED TO COOK IN THE CROCKPOT?

For our crock pot recipe, cook chicken thighs for the suggested times: LOW SETTING: 5-6 hours HIGH SETTING: 2-3 hours To check if they’re done, make sure they are fork-tender and register an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).

WHAT IS HONEY CHICKEN SAUCE MADE OF?

Honey, butter, soy sauce (make sure you use low sodium), rice vinegar (or cider vinegar), and a good kick of garlic is all you need. The cooker chicken will release juices while slow cooking, which mixes through the honey garlic sauce to create incredible flavours! While your slow cooker honey garlic chicken is resting: pour the juices from the slow cooker bowl into a pot. Bring to a simmer and whisk in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch water) to thicken it to a beautiful, velvety syrup.

CRISPY EDGES ON SLOW COOKED CHICKEN? YES!

If you want those charred, crispy edges, broil thighs for a couple of minutes each side! You’ll need a lined baking sheet; baste chicken with some of the thickened slow cooker honey garlic chicken sauce and broil until nicely charred. It doesn’t need long thanks to the brown sugar and honey.

HOW TO PREPARE COMPONENTS AHEAD OF TIME

Chicken and sauce can be prepared up to one day ahead:

Pour sauce over seared/browned chicken (store in your slow cooker bowl, baking pan or a large, shallow dish). Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Slow cook as per recipe.

Don’t have a slow cooker? No problem! Try our stove top/oven honey garlic chicken recipe here.

HOW DO YOU STORE SLOW COOKED CHICKEN?

Refrigerate with the sauce for up to three days, or freeze for three months. The sauce soaks through the chicken while stored and tastes even better the next day!