Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

The slow cooker is truly a kitchen hero, transforming simple ingredients into extraordinary meals with minimal effort. This honey garlic chicken recipe is a prime example of its power. As the chicken gently simmers, your kitchen will gradually fill with an intoxicating aroma that builds anticipation for dinner. The first time I prepared this dish, my family was utterly captivated by its rich flavor and the unbelievably tender texture of the chicken. Even my kids, who often shy away from saucy dishes, were asking for second helpings!

Beyond its delicious taste, there are several reasons why this recipe is destined to become a staple in your meal rotation:

• Effortless Preparation: This is a true “set it and forget it” meal. With just a few minutes of active prep, your slow cooker handles the rest, allowing you to focus on other tasks or simply relax.
• Unforgettable Flavor: The carefully balanced sweet, savory, and subtly spicy sauce penetrates every fiber of the chicken, creating a depth of flavor that’s both comforting and exciting.
• Incredibly Tender Chicken: Slow cooking breaks down the chicken fibers beautifully, resulting in incredibly moist and tender meat that easily pulls apart with a fork.
• Crowd-Pleasing: This dish has universal appeal. Its familiar yet elevated flavors make it a hit with both adults and children, perfect for family dinners or entertaining guests.
• Versatile Pairing: It pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides, making it easy to create a complete and satisfying meal.

I typically serve this delightful chicken with fluffy steamed rice and a side of vibrant, crunchy vegetables like steamed broccoli florets or stir-fried bok choy. The combination of the melt-in-your-mouth chicken, the luxurious, sticky sauce, and the crisp freshness of the vegetables creates a perfectly balanced and incredibly satisfying meal. And that sauce – oh, that sauce! It’s so addictive you’ll find yourself making extra rice just to ensure not a single drop goes to waste. Whether it’s a regular weeknight dinner or a special occasion with friends, this slow cooker honey garlic chicken recipe is a guaranteed showstopper that tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen, but without the actual fuss. A final sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion adds a professional touch that truly elevates the presentation.

What Do You Need? Essential Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken

Creating this irresistible slow cooker honey garlic chicken requires a blend of pantry staples and a few key flavor boosters. Each ingredient plays an important role in building the signature sweet, savory, and aromatic profile of the dish. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:

The Stars of the Sauce: Honey, Garlic, and Ginger

• Honey: This is where the signature sweetness comes from, providing a lovely glaze and contributing to the sauce’s sticky texture. It also helps to tenderize the chicken.
• Garlic: Freshly pressed garlic cloves are essential for that pungent, aromatic depth that defines honey garlic chicken. Don’t skimp on the garlic!
• Fresh Ginger: Grated fresh ginger adds a warm, spicy, and zesty counterpoint to the sweetness of the honey. It brightens the whole dish and complements the garlic beautifully.

Umami and Balance: Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and Sesame Oil

• Japanese Soy Sauce: Provides the crucial savory, umami base. A good quality Japanese soy sauce offers a balanced saltiness and rich flavor. You can use regular or low-sodium depending on your preference.
• Rice Vinegar: A touch of rice vinegar introduces a subtle tang that cuts through the richness and balances the sweetness, adding complexity to the sauce.
• Sesame Oil: Just a tablespoon of sesame oil imparts a wonderful nutty aroma and a delicate, earthy flavor that rounds out the sauce.

Spice It Up: Which Sambal Do You Use?

For that gentle kick, sambal is our secret ingredient. You have a couple of excellent options:

• Sambal Oelek: This is a raw chili paste with a vibrant, clean heat. It adds a bit more spice but is generally not overpoweringly sharp, making it suitable for most palates.
• Sambal Badjak: This variety is typically milder and often contains more herbs and spices, sometimes with a roasted flavor. It offers a slightly different, more nuanced warmth.

Choose the sambal that best suits your preferred spice level; both varieties work wonderfully in this recipe. If sambal isn’t readily available, don’t worry! You can easily substitute it with another chili paste or even a dash of Sriracha sauce to achieve a similar spicy note.

The Main Event: Which Chicken Do You Use?

The beauty of this recipe is its adaptability to different cuts of chicken:

• Chicken Breast: If you prefer leaner meat, boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes works perfectly. It will absorb the flavors beautifully and become tender.
• Chicken Thighs: For a richer, even more succulent result, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are an excellent choice. They tend to stay juicier and are a bit more forgiving if cooked slightly longer.

Both options yield fantastic results, so feel free to choose based on your preference or what you have on hand. Just ensure the chicken is cut into roughly even-sized cubes for uniform cooking.

The Thickener: Cornstarch

A cornstarch slurry is used at the end to thicken the sauce to that perfect, glossy consistency that clings beautifully to the chicken. It’s an essential step for achieving that restaurant-quality finish.

How to Make It: Step-by-Step Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Preparing this dish is incredibly straightforward, making it perfect for novice cooks and seasoned pros alike. Follow these simple steps for a truly delicious meal:

1. Step 1: Prep Your Base. Start by adding the freshly pressed garlic cloves, grated fresh ginger, and your chosen sambal (or chili paste) directly into the bottom of your slow cooker. This forms the aromatic foundation of your sauce.

2. Step 2: Create the Sauce. Pour in the Japanese soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Give everything a good whisk or stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and you have a smooth, well-mixed sauce.

3. Step 3: Add Chicken and Cook. Place your cubed chicken breast or thighs into the slow cooker. Stir well, ensuring that every piece of chicken is generously coated with the flavorful sauce. Cover with the lid, set your slow cooker to the “low” setting, and let it cook undisturbed for 4 hours. This slow, gentle cooking process is key to achieving incredibly tender and juicy chicken.

4. Step 4: Thicken the Sauce. After 4 hours, your chicken should be perfectly cooked and tender. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until a smooth slurry forms. Pour this mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Stir everything gently to distribute the cornstarch, then increase the slow cooker setting to “high” and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken and become beautifully glossy.

Serve the delectable honey garlic chicken immediately with a generous helping of steamed white or brown rice and your choice of favorite vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, green beans, or snap peas. For an authentic finish and extra texture, garnish each serving with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onion. Enjoy your incredibly easy and flavorful homemade meal!

Serving Suggestions & Meal Ideas

This versatile slow cooker honey garlic chicken can be the star of many different meals. Here are some ideas to inspire your dinner:

• Classic with Rice: The most popular pairing is with a bowl of warm, fluffy white or brown rice, which perfectly soaks up the incredible sauce.
• Noodle Bowls: Serve over stir-fried noodles like lo mein or ramen for a heartier meal. You can also use rice vermicelli for a lighter option.
• Fresh Vegetables: Complement the rich flavors with steamed broccoli, roasted green beans, sautéed bok choy, or a fresh side salad.
• Lettuce Wraps: For a lighter, low-carb option, shred the chicken and serve it in crisp lettuce cups with some extra garnishes.
• Garnishes Galore: Always finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for crunch and thinly sliced green onions for freshness and color. A few fresh cilantro sprigs also add a lovely herbaceous note.

Pro Tips for the Best Honey Garlic Chicken

• Don’t Peek! Resist the urge to lift the lid of your slow cooker during the cooking process. Each time you open it, the temperature drops, and it takes longer for the cooker to return to the proper temperature, extending the cooking time.
• Even Chicken Pieces: Ensure your chicken is cut into roughly similar-sized cubes (about 1.5-2 inches) to ensure even cooking and tender results.
• Adjusting Spice: If you love heat, feel free to increase the amount of sambal or add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the other sauce ingredients. For a milder version, reduce the sambal or omit it entirely.
• Sweetness Balance: Taste the sauce before adding the chicken. If you prefer it less sweet, slightly reduce the honey. If you like it sweeter, you can add a touch more honey to taste at the end.
• Batch Cooking & Meal Prep: This recipe is fantastic for meal prepping. Cook a larger batch, then portion it out into containers with rice and vegetables for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week.

Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.

Need more inspiration?

• You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
• And don’t forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!

Simple Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe

Andréa

More Slow Cooker Favorites

If you loved the ease and flavor of this honey garlic chicken, you’ll be delighted by these other fantastic slow cooker recipes. They offer the same hands-off convenience and delicious results, perfect for making your meal times simpler and more enjoyable: