Description
This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe features tender, juicy chicken breasts or thighs simmered in a flavorful honey garlic sauce made with soy sauce, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar. Perfectly cooked in a slow cooker for hassle-free meal prep, this dish is served over rice and garnished with fresh green onions or cilantro for a delicious, comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Thickening Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For Serving
- cooked white or brown rice
- chopped green onions or cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well mixed.
- Place chicken in slow cooker: Arrange the chicken breasts or thighs in the slow cooker and pour the prepared sauce evenly over them.
- Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is tender. If using chicken thighs, cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.
- Rest the chicken: Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes on a clean bowl or cutting board.
- Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir this into the slow cooker sauce, cover, and cook on high for 10-20 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Shred the chicken: Shred the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces and return it to the slow cooker, mixing it with the thickened sauce.
- Serve: Plate the chicken and sauce over cooked rice and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro for a fresh finish.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat chicken and sauce gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/6th of recipe without rice)
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
