Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal with just five ingredients. Full of flavor and easy to make with pantry ingredients and almost no prep!
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal that will be waiting for you when you get home and can be prepared even if you’re in a rush in the morning! You can also add the ingredients to a freezer bag and save it for later making this a perfect make ahead meal.
When I was pregnant with out first child I went through a crazy phase where I decided the entire deep freeze needed to be filled with enough meals to get us through the first six months of life with a baby. Enter slow cooker meals.
The slow cooker seemed like the perfect cooking tool to get us through the rough times. This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken became a staple in our house.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken made with just the small amount of each ingredient listed leaves you with just enough liquid so the tops of the chicken can brown instead of becoming soggy and grey and the liquid left over (once you skim the oil off the top that the chicken has rendered off) is the perfect amount to spoon on top of your chicken.
There is no need to pull out the cornstarch here, there’s no soupy water to thicken. Just a delicious meal you can make even fancier with the addition of some parsley or sesame seeds to give the chicken a bit of color.
For Making Ahead: If you plan to assemble and freeze the ingredients, you just add them to a freezer back and freeze flat for more even defrosting. When you are ready to cook, take the bag from the freezer and let it defrost for 24 hours in your fridge first. Then cook according to the directions in the recipe card.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken uses pantry ingredients you have in your cupboard at this very moment (except the chicken, but I mean…). Ketchup? Soy Sauce? Honey? Garlic?
It doesn’t even take very much to make the Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken delicious. I am a huge fan of cooking in your slow cooker with small amounts of liquid. Too often a recipe will call for significant amounts of added liquids and you end up with completely watery soup.
If you’re looking for more slow cooker meals that leave out all the excess liquid, here is a great list:
- Crispy and Juicy Slow Cooker Chicken
- Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin
- Crispy Cracklin’ Pork Shoulder
- Crispy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Crispy Slow Cooker Turkey Thighs
- Crispy Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Tools Used In This Recipe:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Lite Soy Sauce: I am an admitted lover of salt but I don’t even own non-lite soy sauce. This is the one you want in your kitchen and if you use regular soy sauce expect that your result will be saltier.
Freezer Bags: Other brands may be more popular, but I have never had a bag burst/leak with this brand. I have however with Ziploc.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 6 chicken thighs , bone in skin on
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in the slow cooker until well mixed.
- Lay the chicken skin side up in a single layer and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- If your chicken isn't browned on the top you can put it on a foil lined cookie sheet under a broiler for 2-3 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
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I always trust Sabrina’s recipes to the tastiest, easiest and always well received by my family. I have used this recipe many times without fail and just love it. One of our go to when stumped what to do with chicken! On a low sodium diet, so have to tweak recipes to fit my needs. But otherwise, Thanks Sabrina for all your recipes.
Aww Thanks Pat for your kind words.
Hubby cooked this for me, was really nice, fell off the bone but needed more sauce. However, as it cooled down it started to lose its taste. Maybe it was over cooked, but initially on first cook was very nice.
Will encourage hubby to cook again.
Thank you for thos recipe.
The honey mustard chicken was very nice but I missed out on some of the mustards that were required. Next time I will have all the mustards required.
Can I do this with frozen chicken thighs and just cook for a it longer?
Hi! No, using frozen meat in a slow cooker is not suggested. The meat will not cook evenly.
This recipe looks great and super easy. What size slow cooker is it for? I’m new to slow cooking and I’ve read that your slow cooker should be at least 2/3 full when cooking. As mine is large I need to make sure the recipe will be okay (or I can double it). Thanks.
I used a 6 qt slow cooker for the recipe.
I made the Honey Garlic Crock Pot Chicken yesterday for my son and his family. WOW WOW WOW !!! It was easy and when done believe me, I almost didn’t give it to my son. But, before giving away I had to take a bite. Talk about delicious. The sauce was perfect. After done I did place on foil lined cookie sheet under the broiler just for a minute just for a little crispiness. I’m making my own chicken today for my self. And I can’t wait !!!
Than this be made on the stove. I don’t have a crock pot or slow cooker.
I would bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or 375 for 25-30 minutes. It should come out delicious!
Could I do this with ginger instead of garlic I can’t have garlic right now and love this recipe….
I’ve not tested it so if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Hubby cooked the brown sugar garlic chicken for me, was really nice, fell off the bone but needed more sauce. However, as it cooled down it started to lose its taste. Maybe it was over cooked, but initially on first cook was very nice.
Will encourage hubby to cook again.
Thank you for thos recipe.
Hello I made this tonight. It smelled really good while cooking but I think the time was to long. The sauce taste burned and the chicken really had no flavor under the skin. It was blah. I used everything you said for the sauce. I used thighs with skin and bone. So I think the time was to long maybe 4 hours would have been better. I had it on low. And maybe some salt
Whenever I see an easy recipe I like, it usually one of yours. Keep them coming.
You got it!
Can I double this recipe with equally good results? Would I need to increase cooking time?
You don’t want to overcrowd the slow cooker. My suggestion is to use 2 slow cookers to ensure it all cooks correctly.
Anyone know what this correlates in WW points?
I’ve made this twice already and really wanted to make it for dinner tonight but all I have on hand is frozen chicken breast or tenderloins… what do you suggest I do when using these rather than thighs?
I love this recipe btw ??
I’m so glad you love the recipe. I would use chicken breast but you’ll want to make sure that it’s completely thawed before adding it into the slow cooker. Enjoy!
Delicious! I did not have lite soy sauce, unfortunately, so I added a bit more of the honey for sweetness to counterbalance the salt. Also had a packet of plum sauce left from a previous takeout dinner, so I threw that in there as well.
I’m thinking some thinly sliced/ribboned fresh scallions with sesame seeds on top as a garnish might be nice. I’ll try that next time. This recipe is so good in its original form, but you can experiment with a few things to take it up a notch. This recipe will be a mainstay in my menu rotation — I stock up on chicken thighs when they are on sale and am always looking for easy and delicious ways to prepare them.
Serve with rice and a salad or green vegetable. YUM
What’s the cooking time using breasts?
Made this last night. The house smelled so good!!
Delicious,easy and very tender chicken thighs. Definitely making this again and again!!
Happy to hear that! Glad you liked them!
Can this also work in a crock pot?
This recipe is made for a crockpot. 🙂 Enjoy!
Sabrina, I made this today with large boneless, skinless chicken breast. I made the sauce with the exact measurements from your recipe. It did not come out looking at all like the picture. The chicken was dried out, I probably should’ve cut it shorter time because it didn’t have skin. The sauce was very watered down. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can make it better next time?
The chicken skin of the thighs helps to protect the moisture of the meat. The dark meat itself also performs better in the slow cooker, so using boneless skinless breast meat was the biggest problem. Was your chicken breast frozen when it went in? If not the watery part of this confuses me a little as I only add 6T of sauce ingredients to the recipe. There will be a small amount of liquid (which the chicken releases, but it’s really just enough to spoon over the chicken meat when serving. I hope you give the recipe another chance, it’s one of our go-to recipes.
I accidentally bought boneless chicken thighs. Will the cooking time be less? Thanks!
Maybe a half an hour less. I would check it around 5 hours and watch it from there. I hope you enjoy it.
Um… it’s just 2 tablespoons of everything. The bottom of my cookers is just a thin film of honey, ketchup, and soy sauce. How do you have enough to cover the chicken??
The chicken will cook down and release liquid too. At the end you can spoon the liquid over the top and pop it under the broiler if you want a nice crisp on the tops. I hope you enjoy it!
I was wondering if you could give me the nutritional values for this recipe. This is soooo good and my kids love it which is surprising but makes it even more amazing!!
I’m in the process of updating all the recipes to show the nutritional info. Just completed this one for you. 🙂 So glad you all love it!
All I have is a crock pot, if I want to use this recipe with boneless pork chops, what would timing be and should I brown before putting in crock pot?
Are they lean pork chops or pork chops with a fattier cut of meat in it? It would depend on that and the thickness. I like to brown meat before adding it to the slow cooker first. If I were in your spot I’d wrap them in bacon if possible to keep them moist, if not I’d expect they’re going to end up a bit dry. Try the Oven Baked Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Chops on the site, those don’t take long at all have have a similar flavor.
Can I use boneless skinless thighs and do it on high for 3 hrs?
Yes 🙂 Enjoy!
just curious if this came out the same as it is described when directed to cook it on low for 5-6 hrs?
5 stars!!! Ibe made this now several times at least twice a month now for a few months!!! Its so easy and incredibly tender, moist, and delightfully delicious!!! Easy peasy and mine look just like the pictured ones!!! We have them served up over a bed of rice drizzled with a little sauce and broccoli! Has become a go to meal for us. I like that you can assemble everything ahead and freeze it for later use. Thank you will be making your whole chicke recipe next…have a really good feeling aboit it which I never would have had in the past!!!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this today. Very easy to make and was absolutely scrummy.
Definition will make again.
Made this twice now and was a big hit!!! The chicken is so tender, moist, and scrumptious it’s become a go to in our house at least twice a month!!! Quick, easy, and insanely delicious!!! Served over rice or riced cauliflower (that’s want I used) with a veggie it’s an easy peasy delightful meal!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!
You’re welcome, Debra! Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you’ve enjoyed it!
Excellent and easy. Kids loved it. Winner!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Can you brown the chicken before putting into slow cooker?
Sure
Made it, then browned in the broiler. This chicken is divine! I love your recipes, this is about the fifth one I’ve tried.
How do I cook this in the oven?
I would bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or 375 for 25-30 minutes. It should come out delicious!
This chicken was easy to make, and it was tender and soooo delicious! Thanks.
Made this the other night for dinner, since I was recently gifted a slow cooker for my birthday! My boyfriend and I LOVED this recipe! It was perfect – I had to scroll down and find your edit about the amount of time to cook the chicken, since I was running short on time. I cooked it on high for 4.5 hours and the thighs turned out just right 🙂
Yay, so happy you enjoyed it! You’ll get a lot of use out of that slow cooker on this site alone!!
This is on the menu for tonight! I’ll get back to you and let you know how husband likes it!
I hope you all enjoy it!
Amazing. Sauce was excellent over rice. I was a little hesitant without much liquid but the chicken really did produce enough juice. Definitely going in my rotation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This was sooo good! Thanks!!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’m using skinless bonesless thighs. Can you recommend something I could do so it still comes out moist?
I usually suggest draping bacon over them because it really does help keep the breasts moist.
Can i add potatoes (baby red potatoes) and/or vegetables to slowcooker?
Adding potatoes or veggies will produce more liquid than the original recipe so the chicken will end up looking different.
The chicken was tasty and easy. It’s a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Would frozen chicken work for this? Thanks!
Frozen chicken has much more water content, this is going to make the dish less flavorful as it is going to dilute the cooking liquid.
Would this recipe work with a whole chicken?
You could definitely use a whole chicken though at the end you might want to take the sauce and add a bit of cornstarch to it and spoon it over the top since it’ll be further away from it while cooking. It’ll add more flavor to it. Enjoy!
How long would it take to with a whole chicken
You could follow the instructions in this post to help you with a whole chicken. https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-rotisserie-chicken/
Really good. Chicken had great flavor and super moist.
Thanks Lynnette!
Does this work with boneless chicken breasts?
boneless chicken breasts would really dry out in a slow cooker. But you could certainly coat this over chicken breasts and bake it in the oven!
Hello Sabrina!
Think I found a new blog to love!?
Making these today and very excited. Couldn’t live without my crock!
Thanks for the recipe?
Sorry for these (????)
They were smiley faces.
Love technology.lol
Haha, no worries! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how much you loved it!
Can you use a whole chicken instead of thighs
You can absolutely use a whole chicken. While it won’t crisp up, it will be still fantastic!
Any tips for doubling this recipe regarding cook time? Would love to make it for a larger family pot-luck gathering.
My only advice is to use multiple slow cookers to achieve the amount you want to make. You’ll want to make sure that all of the chicken is skin side up in a single layer so it’s crisps up 🙂 enjoy!!
Will chicken legs work for this recipe?
Sure, keep the side of the legs with more of the skin up to help keep them moist though. Sometimes chicken legs have skin only covering half the meat.
What can I use instead of soy sauce? Don’t currently have any in the house 🙁
Hey Sam, there really isn’t a good sub for soy in this recipe that isn’t even more of a random item. You could sub hoisin sauce I suppose? It would taste different but still delicious. Or teriyaki sauce.
I’m trying this recipe, it looks amazing. But what is that green herb, looks like garnish added after cooking, I see in the photos?
Sorry about that, I just added parsley as a garnish for a bit of color. It’s not necessary but just looks pretty 🙂
I read another article/blog that said if you make a few aluminum foil balls and place them in the bottom of the Crock Pot before putting the chicken & other ingredients on top of the foil (I was going to use some green onions for a little variation – but I know it’s not something most people keep on hand)… it helps to keep the chicken from getting soggy.
What do you think about this? Thanks!
My only concern using the foil with this recipe is that you really want the chicken to marinade with the other ingredients. I’d be afraid that the other ingredients would fall to the bottom away from the chicken. If there was some way to ensure that wouldn’t happen, you could definitely try it.
Doesn’t seem like enough sauce. Did what the recipe asked for. Hope it come out like yours.
The small amount of each ingredient listed leaves you with just enough liquid so the tops of the chicken can brown instead of becoming soggy and grey and the liquid left over (once you skim the oil off the top that the chicken has rendered off) is the perfect amount to spoon on top of your chicken.
Sounds so delicious. Going to try soon!
Awesome! Come back and let me know what you think after trying it!
I have made it once and will be making it again tomorrow! My son & I both loved it! I think I’m going to use regular salt this time. I think it will benefit with that extra salt. Chicken fell off the bone! Thanks for a go to recipe!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I purchased 10 thighs. So I put 5 in crockpot. It’s cooking now. I have the other 5 marinating till it’s closer till the time to eat. Going to put them in the oven. Do you think it’ll work marinating it like that? Kinda worried. At least half of them will be made right lol
You can definitely put the other half in the oven! I would bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or 375 for 25-30 minutes. It should come out delicious!
So the other 5 being marinated in the mixture and then cooked in the oven will be fine? Since in the recipe you place chicken on top of mixture. Does this make sense lol
Yes, rub the sauce into the chicken, place in a rectangular baking pan. Put additional sauce left over around the pieces and go ahead and bake. Should work just fine 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for the fast response lol. Just put it in the oven ? Smells delicious!!!
This looks great. Is there another ingredient I can use instead of ketchup? My family is not a fan and we never have it at the house.
Tomato puree with as much ketchup as you would like to taste to sweeten it. 🙂
This looks delicious but I have a 4 quart slow cooker. Can I half the ingredients? Would the ratios work? Thanks.
Yes, you’re just looking for an even layer all the way across.
Can this recipe be made with boneless skinless thighs or breast instead of bone-in skin-on?
No, the skin protects the chicken from getting dried out. Cooking without skin-on will make the exterior of the chicken very tough.
Will the results still be the same if I use bone out skinless thighs?
No the skin helps keep the chicken moist by basically basting it slowly as the fat renders. Skinless will get a bit tough on top.
If I use frozen chicken thighs can it cook longer? I leave for work at 7:45 am and not home until 6 pm. It looks delish!!!
You can but the extra liquid from the freezing will prevent the fat from rendering well and will make the sauce more watery. I’d probably recommend cooking then normal amount then switching to keep warm if your slow cooker allows for it.
I can recommend getting a timer that you plug the cooker into the wall with. I’ve found it great if I know I’m going to be out longer than I want to leave the cooker going for. Time it perfectly for when you get in.
This looks so good. Have you tried this on low setting for 8 hours? And left it in the crock pot on the warm setting? I’m usually gone 9 hours or so then need to make the sides.
Yes! I frequently am running behind and dishes end up on the keep warm setting with no ill effects 🙂
Can you add more than 6 pieces or chicken?
Only add enough so that it is still a single layer in your slow cooker, and if you scrunch them together the liquid will rise above the chicken since it is so packed in and it’ll be soggy. I have a pretty big slow cooker and the most I usually add is 5. 🙂
How long would this take if I cooked it on high?
So sorry this message got snagged in my spam filter! 4-5 hours would be plenty or if you’d like to make it in the oven 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes 🙂
Hi Sabrina!
I am a busy person and can never seem to find enough time to do anything, I tried your chili recipe and that had me looking like a pitmaster. I want to cook this Honey Garlic Chicken on high… is that possible? I didn’t see it listed on the recipe. If I am reading you reply to another user.. 4-5 hours on High in the slow cooker correct?
Thanks!
You’re so sweet!!
I prefer low and slow when it comes to using my slow cooker but if you only have 4-5 hours, high would be fine. Enjoy!
Why ketchup? Please tell me you cannot taste the ketchup.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! No I promise you cannot taste the ketchup 🙂
I’m planning to make these tomorrow. They look delicious!!
Can I use this recipe with boneless chicken/ chicken breast?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Skin on and bone in are pretty important and I almost never use white meat in the slow cooker unless I am only cooking it for a few hours. The skin helps keep the chicken moist instead of drying out because there is only a small amount of liquid in the recipe.
Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! I don’t recommend chicken breasts in the slow cooker as they will dry out. The extra fat in the chicken thighs helps keep the meat moist. You can cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes if you’d like to use chicken breasts instead (skin on-bone in).
Can I cook it on high? I only have four hours to cook tonight.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! How did it turn out? Sorry I didn’t get back to you in time… especially that it took two months for me to see all the comments that had been accidentally flagged.
This recipe is so awesome! I can be impatient with crock pots so I try to peek a lot, but it was so juicy and I even let it go 6 1/2 hours with only 4 thighs and still had great results!
That is one perfectly cooked chicken! wow! I need my crock pot chicken to look that good!
Sorry to ask . . . At what temperature (for the six hours) does this amount of chicken cook at? Thank you so much.
It’s in the slow cooker, so I just cook it on the “low” setting. In the slow cooker, this is probably around 190-210 degrees.
This is a chicken dinner that is making me want chicken tonight!
I just ordered some chicken thighs so that I can try this out. I also just bought a slow cooker so this is going to be my first recipe in it. Fingers crossed!
Good luck! And congratulations on your new cooking vessel! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be using it all the time once you get the hang of it!
Well this all looked like a great idea smells great BUT in my heart I knew there was NO WAY it was going to crisp… Followed all direction I am a excellent cook… Did you turn your slow cooker to HIGH?? to get the chicken that color or leave it in for 24hrs! lol ..Guess the broiler ha? … There is toooo much moisture in a slow cooker for any meat to crisp… very disappointed I have to work now to crisp this…
Yes, I mentioned in step 3 that if your chicken isn’t browned on the top you can put it on a foil lined cookie sheet under a broiler for 2-3 minutes. Hope this helps get the crisp you’re looking for!
This looks so delicious! I am definitely making it for dinner next week!
Chicken thighs RULE! These look incredible and I love how easy they are. No fuss dinners are always a winner.
I don’t use my slow cooker much, but I think this recipe will change that! I love that the chicken gets crispy and browned, and not soggy and grey like you mentioned. A lifesaver, indeed, on a busy night! YUM!
Yum! So simple, easy and flavorful – the perfect combination!
I’m with you on using small amounts of liquid in a slow cooker, otherwise everything turns into soup. The caramelization on this chicken looks stellar!
This honey garlic chicken looks sooo good and I LOVE that it’s made in the slow cooker. Honey and garlic is the best flavor combo. I’m definitely making this for dinner soon!