Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

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This recipe for sweet and sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs is sure to be a new family favorite. It’s super easy to make using a crock pot! Most of the work involved is adding your ingredients to your slow cooker and waiting for it to be ready. Serve this mouthwatering dinner over rice or any way you like.

honey garlic chicken thighs in white bowl with broccoli and white rice

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken

Many recipes for honey garlic chicken thighs are made on the stovetop. I love any chance I can get to use my slow cooker because it saves so much time. You prepare it earlier in the day and it’s ready to go by dinnertime. It’s perfect for busy weeknights – especially when you have kiddos. School and work are exhausting so why leave yourself more work to do when you get home?

honey garlic chicken thighs in white bowl with broccoli and white rice

This recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken and Potatoes is also an easy recipe and similar to this one as it is made with a sweet and tangy sauce. It is cooked and baked in the same pan, which takes minimal effort. However, it is perfectly normal to want to spend the least amount of time in the kitchen after a long day.

ingredients to make honey garlic chicken thighs in slow cooker

What You’ll Need to Make These Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

  • Chicken thighs – You can use boneless but you will have more tender chicken if you choose bone-in and skin-on.
  • Soy sauce – This gives the sauce a deep savory flavor.
  • Water
  • Ketchup – Sweet and acidic flavor that is key!
  • Garlic – Minced or grated is best.
  • Honey – This adds the sticky sweetness – make sure it’s liquid honey.
  • Ginger – This gives the meal a subtle kick.
  • Cornstarch and water – Added at the end to thicken the sauce.

How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

  • Prepare your Crockpot. Spray your pot with cooking spray or add a little bit of oil to prevent sticking.
  • Add Your Ingredients. Add chicken, soy sauce, water, ketchup, garlic, honey, and ginger to the slow cooker. 
  • Cook. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken. It must be at least 165 degrees F before you move on to the next step.
  • Remove the Thighs. Take out the fully cooked chicken thighs and set them aside.
  • Make a Slurry. Mix the cornstarch and water together and pour slowly into the slow cooker. Whisk until incorporated.
  • Keep Cooking. You want the cornstarch to cook down and thicken the sauce for an additional 10-15 minutes.
  • Add the Chicken Back. Return the chicken thighs to the crockpot and baste them with the sauce.
  • Serve and Enjoy. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds then serve.

What is a Slurry?

Slurries are made to thicken sauces and soups after they have been made. Unlike a roux, all you need is equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Mix them together until they form a paste. Whisk the paste into your sauce until fully incorporated and cook until it thickens. It’s really that simple!

chicken thighs in bowl with white rice and broccoli topped with sesame seeds and green onions

Serving Suggestions

Here are some of our favorite ways to serve honey garlic chicken thighs.

  • White rice. Traditionally, this dish is served over white rice. It’s the perfect side to enjoy with the sweet and savory sauce.
  • Veggies. Steamed broccoli, carrots, or green beans are great options for a veggie side dish.
chicken thighs in white bowl with gold fork, broccoli and white rice on the side

How to Store and Reheat any Leftovers from Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to store the chicken and honey garlic sauce separately from the sides. 

To reheat, you can use a microwave-safe bowl or container and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a tsp of water.

chicken thighs in bowl with broccoli and white rice with sesame seeds and green onions on top

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Looking for more ways to cook chicken in your slow cooker? Here are some of our best recipes!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Feature
5 from 2 votes

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Slow Cooker)

This recipe for sweet and sticky Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs is sure to be a new family favorite. It’s super easy to make!
Servings: 4 portions
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium-sized chicken thigh, skin and bone in you can use boneless too
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup ketchup can sub with passata or tomato sauce
  • 3 teaspoons garlic minced or grated, pressed
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoon water to make a slurry
  • Sesame seeds and green onion/scallions for serving

Instructions

  • Spray a 4 quart slow cooker/crock pot (you can use larger too) with cooking oil and place all the ingredients except cornstarch + water.
  • Cook for 2-3 hours on HIGH or LOW for 4-5 hours. Check the chicken for doneness, thermometer should register 165 F.
  • Remove the chicken thighs and leave the sauce in the cooker.
  • Make cornstarch slurry (3 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water). Slowly pour into cooker and whisk until incorporated into the sauce.
  • Let cook for 10-15 minutes on the HIGH setting until the sauce is thickened nicely.
  • Return the chicken and baste with the sauce. Serve with sesame seeds, green onions.

Last Step:

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Notes

Flavor: savory (lots of sodium comes from the soy sauce, you can make it less salty by using low sodium soy sauce or mixing low one with water 1:1) + sweetness from honey + pungent kick from garlicky ginger. Sweet and sour but sweeter I’d say.
In theory, you can sneak in one or two smaller chicken thighs as there should be enough sauce for these as well however the sauce will be quite thick on the next day and I usually like to have extra sauce to pour over chicken and rice when serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg

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