Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is a dish you can whip up in a flash and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work. Most of the sauce ingredients are ingredients that are already found in a well-stocked pantry.

The other ingredients like Soy Sauce and Hoisin are also great pantry staples to keep in your pantry if you want to make awesome Asian dishes like this.
This recipe was updated on 10/25 with brand new pictures and recipe tips and tricks.
My old blogger self liked to post about the weather and it was -35 below the day I had made this recipe and posted it on my blog back in 2013. That’s super cold here and I’d say that still is true here but doesn’t happen that much anymore. Maybe once or twice a Winter. In the Midwest it can snow 6 months out of the year here and my Wardrobe is mostly layering pieces and cozy sweaters.
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Ingredients Needed for Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
- Chicken breasts - can sub chicken thighs or chicken tenders
- Honey - sub equal parts Agave in place of honey
- Soy sauce - sub fish sauce or Coconut Aminos
- Hoisin sauce - Sometimes called Chinese BBQ sauce is used in a lot of Asian dishes. Normal BBQ sauce is ok here but I like the flavor of this better in this recipe.
- For the ginger and garlic you can use garlic powder or ground ginger. I’d definitely try to get the fresher ingredients.
- Sesame oil - no substitute
How to Make Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken
Step 1 In a 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken breasts. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, hoisen sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Step 3 Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk it into the sauce in the slow cooker. If you find the sauce is already thick enough skip the cornstarch step.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish. (optional)
The cornstarch and water help to thicken the sauce.
Serve with rice or orzo pasta.
For a low carb meal, I'd serve with no rice and a side of cooked steamed broccoli.

Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and let cook for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
Other Recipes to Try
- Fresh Blueberry Pie
- No Stir Easy Parmesan Risotto
- Roasted Shrimp Salad
- Perfect Pie Crust
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
If you’ve tried this Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. Snap a picture and upload it to share on Pinterest or Instagram! Make sure to tag me in the photo.
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Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 3 to 4 hrs
- Total Time: 4 hr 10 min
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken is a dish you can whip up in a flash and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work. Most of the sauce ingredients are ingredients that are already found in a well-stocked pantry.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized chicken breasts
- ¼ cup Honey
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ tbsp fresh ginger root
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
- ⅛th cup water
- Chopped Scallions and Sesames for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. In a 5 quart slow cooker add the chicken breasts. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred. Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk it into the sauce in the slow cooker. If you find the sauce is already thick enough skip this step.
Return the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and let cook for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
Notes
my WW: blue 5; green 6; purple: 5
Serving Size: ½ cup
I have not tested this recipe in the Instant Pot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 131
- Sugar: 19g
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 9g
Chris says
I made this a couple of days ago, very easy and tasted great - I will definitely make it again. I might try in the Instant Pot and let you know how it goes :). Thanks for the recipe!