This slow cooker honey garlic chicken recipe combines juicy boneless chicken steeped in rich, sweet-and-savory sauce with honey, fresh garlic, and smoky BBQ sauce. With only six ingredients and 10 minutes of prep, it’s the best way to enjoy a flavorful weeknight meal without turning on the oven!
Like my crack chicken and BBQ pulled chicken, this slow cooker honey garlic chicken is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. The honey garlic sauce is irresistibly sweet, salty, and savory, with honey, fresh garlic, and smoky BBQ sauce. You only need six ingredients, and it takes 10 minutes or less to combine the sauce with boneless chicken breasts in the crock pot. The result? Delicious, sticky chicken that’s ready to spoon over rice, noodles, or veggies for a quick, family-friendly weeknight meal.
About This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Bold, sweet-savory flavors. Umami-loaded soy sauce mixed with sweet honey, my favorite BBQ sauce, fresh garlic, and red pepper flakes makes the BEST honey garlic chicken marinade.
- Low effort. This honey garlic chicken recipe leaves all the effort to the slow cooker or crock pot, making it ideal for lazy weeknight meals and potlucks.
- Versatile. Serve it with a side of vegetables, or dish up the chicken and sauce over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. I’ll even shred the chicken and tuck it into homemade Hawaiian rolls on game day! This slow cooker chicken is super flexible and delicious any way you serve it.
You Need Only 6 Ingredients to Make Honey Garlic Chicken
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients in this slow cooker recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Chicken Breasts – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this slow cooker recipe, cut into smaller pieces. You can also make this honey garlic slow cooker chicken with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Soy Sauce – For a little umami flavor alongside the honey and garlic. You can use Worcestershire sauce if needed.
- BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce, or make homemade BBQ sauce!
- Honey – I love the sweetness that honey brings to the sauce. It balances all the savory, spicy, salty flavors into something extra delicious. If you don’t have honey, you can sweeten the sauce with maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Try to use whole cloves and finely mince them. If fresh garlic isn’t available, substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Crushed red pepper brings just the right amount of heat. You can omit this or substitute it with paprika if you’re sensitive to spice.
It’s Important to Thaw Frozen Chicken
If you have chicken in the freezer, the chicken absolutely must be thawed fully beforehand. Do not put frozen chicken directly into your slow cooker. It will stay in there at room temperature for longer periods as it slowly cooks, running the risk of bacterial contamination and foodborne illness. Definitely not worth the risk!
How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Even a food blogger craves a break from using the oven once in a while (yes, really!). This is why I am eternally grateful for my slow cooker and recipes like this. My honey garlic chicken takes minutes to prep, and the rest is hands-off. Here are the steps:
- Make the chicken marinade. Whisk together soy sauce, BBQ sauce, honey, garlic, and crushed red pepper.
- Combine. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker. Pour the honey garlic marinade over top. The more sauce, the merrier!
- Cook. Cook the honey garlic chicken on High for 2-3 hours, or on Low for 5.
How to Tell When Chicken Is Done
You want the chicken to be cooked through, but not so much that it shreds (if you’d like to shred your chicken, you can always cook it for a little longer). Check the breasts for doneness towards the end of the cooking time. This chicken is done when the juices run clear, and the internal temperature reads 165ºF at the thickest part of the breast. Overcooked chicken will be dry and tough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can make slow cooker honey garlic chicken thighs with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Thighs tend to take slightly longer to cook than chicken breasts.
These slow cooker honey garlic chicken breasts need to cook for about 3 hours on High, or 5 hours on Low. Cooking times may vary depending on the size and type of chicken you’re using and your slow cooker model.
Yes, while it’s harder to overcook chicken in the slow cooker due to the moisture that builds inside the pot, it’s not impossible. Check the chicken at the earliest suggested cooking time.
What to Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken
My favorite way to serve this saucy honey garlic chicken is warm from the slow cooker over a bed of white rice, fried rice, or risotto. It’s also great with ramen, egg noodles, or rice noodles. You can also serve it up with sesame zoodles for a lighter meal. If I’m avoiding the oven and stove at all costs, I’ll make a side of air fryer green beans or air fryer asparagus. Or, I’ll buy steam-in-the-bag veggies to stir into the sauce. Fluffy homemade biscuits are another easy side, perfect for soaking up the sweet-sticky sauce!
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Leftover honey garlic chicken, once it’s completely cooled, can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. I reheat this saucy chicken in a pan on the stove over low heat, with a spoonful of water to keep things moist. You can also do the same in the microwave.
- Freeze. This slow cooker chicken is great to make ahead as a freezer meal! Allow the chicken to cool and then store it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It will keep frozen for up to 3 months. Just leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Satisfying Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Slow cooker honey garlic chicken is an easy recipe with only 10 minutes of prep! Juicy boneless chicken is cooked in a sweet-sticky honey garlic marinade, perfect for serving over rice or pasta for a flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 4–6 ounce pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, BBQ sauce, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Place the chicken in your slow cooker. Pour the marinade on top. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
What a great idea cooking everything in the same pan! I made this for my lunch for the week and today I tried it for the first time. It was amazing! Thanks for the idea. Keep posting like this way.
This was great! Leftovers excellent as well. Thanks!
How many calories will a serving be pls ? it looks super tasty.
Simple and sweet! thank you for the tutorial