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Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Honey garlic slow cooker chicken delivers fall-apart tender chicken thighs in a thick, fragrant honey-garlic sauce. The long low-and-slow cook time lets the sauce deeply flavor the meat, then you thicken it right in the Crockpot for a glossy finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 5 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs Use 4–6 thighs.
Honey garlic sauce
  • 0.3333333333 cup honey
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 6 garlic Minced (6 cloves).
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ginger Grated.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Thickener
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
To serve
  • 1 green onions and sesame seeds For serving, to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the honey garlic sauce
  1. Whisk honey, soy sauce, garlic, ketchup, vinegar, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth and combined, with the garlic fully distributed.
  2. Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over, ensuring most of the chicken is coated.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or High for 2–3 hours, until the chicken thighs are fall-apart tender when pulled with a fork.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate, then whisk cornstarch with water and stir it into the hot slow cooker sauce until no lumps remain.
  2. Turn the slow cooker to High and cook the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring once, until thickened and glossy.
  3. Return the chicken thighs to the sauce and simmer just to rewarm for 2–3 minutes, then serve garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

For extra tender chicken, keep the lid closed during the first cook window—opening it can slow the heating and extend the cook time. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze chicken and sauce in portions for up to 2 months and thaw overnight before reheating. For a low-sugar option, use a honey substitute or half the honey and add an extra splash of soy sauce for balance.