Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Tender, juicy chicken thighs slow-cooked in a sticky-sweet honey garlic sauce. This easy family dinner is perfect for busy nights and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5-6 hours (LOW) or 3-4 hours (HIGH)
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes (LOW) or 3 hours 10 minutes (HIGH)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
- 2 tablespoons water (for cornstarch slurry, optional)
- Green onions, sliced (for garnish, optional)
- Sesame seeds (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place them in the bottom of a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until chicken is tender and reaches 165°F internally.
- Halfway through cooking, turn the chicken to coat all sides. If excess liquid is present, leave the lid slightly ajar for the last hour to help thicken the sauce.
- Optional: For a thicker sauce, remove chicken when done and transfer sauce to a small saucepan. Whisk together cornstarch and water, stir into the sauce, and simmer on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until glossy and thickened.
- Arrange chicken thighs on a serving platter, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
For gluten-free, use Tamari or coconut aminos and gluten-free ketchup. If using chicken breasts, check for doneness at 3 hours. Sauce thickens as it cools; cornstarch or arrowroot can be used for extra stickiness. Double sauce ingredients for more sauce. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 13
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Protein: 22
Keywords: slow cooker, honey garlic chicken, chicken thighs, crockpot, family dinner, easy recipe, comfort food, gluten-free option