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The sauce with our Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken thighs is so tasty, you’ll want to drink it straight from the bowl!
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!
Table of Contents
- SLOW COOKER HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN
- HOW LONG TO COOK BONE IN CHICKEN THIGHS IN CROCK POT
- HOW LONG DOES CHICKEN NEED TO COOK IN THE CROCKPOT?
- WHAT IS HONEY CHICKEN SAUCE MADE OF?
- CRISPY EDGES ON SLOW COOKED CHICKEN? YES!
- HOW TO PREPARE COMPONENTS AHEAD OF TIME
- HOW DO YOU STORE SLOW COOKED CHICKEN?
- SERVING SUGGESTION
- MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
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!
This slow cooker honey garlic chicken recipe makes SO MUCH SAUCE which you can drizzle all over rice, noodles, veggies and potatoes.
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!
SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve over steamed or plain rice with buttery sautéed green beans or roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash or noodles!
MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- 6 large chicken thighs skinless and bone-in
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
RUB:
- 1 teaspoon paprika mild or smoked
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
HONEY GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
ADDITIONAL:
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
CHICKEN:
- Pat dry bone-in, skinless chicken thighs with paper towel. Combine 1/2 tablespoon of oil with rub ingredients. Season chicken, rubbing the mixture into the chicken.
- OPTIONAL SEAR: Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken for 2 minutes each side to get a nice sear. (Do not cook chicken all the way through, this step is purely for flavour.)Transfer chicken thighs to a 6-qt (litre) slow cooker bowl.
SAUCE:
- Melt butter in the same pan the chicken was in, scraping up any leftover browned bits in the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a rapid simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
SLOW COOK:
- Pour sauce over chicken in slow cooker bowl, flipping thighs in the sauce to evenly coat. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat setting for 2-3 hours, or LOW heat setting for 5-6 hours. Baste with sauce half way through cooking.
- Transfer chicken onto serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- While chicken is resting: pour juices from the slow cooker bowl into a pot large enough to fit the liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Whisk 1/4 cup water (or broth) with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch/cornflour into a lumpfree slurry. Whisk into sauce and let simmer for a good 2-3 minutes, or until thickend into a syrup-like consistency. (Please note: sauce will thicken as it cools). For a thicker sauce, repeat this step with 1 teaspoon extra cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Add into sauce and cook until thickened. Continue this step until reaching your desired consistency.
BROIL:
- Place slow cooked chicken thighs on a lined baking sheet. Baste chicken with some of the thickened sauce, about 2 tablespoons per thigh. Broil briefly for 1-2 minutes each side to char the edges.
- Slice chicken and serve drizzled with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love doing this recipe and chopping up some green onion as a garnish for this dish! That little bit of crunch just adds so much
Phenomenal. Just enough left over for tomorrow. I don’t do this often (I’m embarrassed to admit) but I followed to the recipe to a T (and thought all good of myself,) but totally forgot the brown sugar. 😉 It was sweet and warmly spicy without it. The chicken fell off the bone and that’s how the husbAnd like his chicken. Home run!!
This was insanely delicious and was a huge hit. I served it with stir fried vegetables and brown rice. I just pulled up the recipe to make it again for my family.
I am in the process of making this right now for dinner however it doesn’t say what to set the boiler at. Anyone know?
Thank you
I’m guessing high since it’s only a minute or two.
I am so glad I’ve come across this treasure trove of cooking inspiration. How does one pronounce “delites” btw?
‘delites’ are pronounced dee – light.
Dee-lights
The same way as “delights.”
Dee lights
It’s just an ‘alt’ way of spelling delights
Hi. I intend to try this recipe today. I will be starting to make it at 12pm PST, so if you could please respond, that would be of great help.
The recipe ingredient list says it’s preferable to use, skinless BONE IN chicken thighs. So that’s what I bought. However, I just seen that in the notes it says to use skinless, BONELESS chicken thighs. Which one is preferred?
Nevermind, I just seen that this question was answered in the comments. I can’t wait to try it!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was amazing! My alterations – I used boneless skinless thighs and I am not a fan of slow cookers so I did it in my oven Dutch oven pot. I have a large family so I tripled the recipe. My cooking method was 1 hour @400° then I rotated the chicken in the pot and returned to oven for another hour at 275°.
Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. They were so tender they fell apart, which made it no need to cut up for putting over rice.
I think this would also be a great recipe for pulled chicken sandwiches.
Yummy! Thanks
What size slow cooker did you use?
Do you have to flip the chicken halfway? I want to make this overnight — is that possible?
Thanks!
Morgan
Sounds amazing, but I have a question … All the description of the recipe says to use “boneless, skinless chicken thighs.” But the recipe itself says to use “preferably skinless and bone-in chicken thighs.” Should they be boneless or bone-in for the amount of time you say to cook them? I believe the cook time will be different for bone-in chicken thighs, but I want to be sure I understand correctly. Thank you for your clarification!
Hi Cheri, thank you for picking that up. Definitely use bone-in thighs for this recipe. The cooking time is perfect for them.