Crockpot honey garlic chicken thighs slow cook in a sweet and savory sauce made of honey, soy, and garlic until they become irresistibly tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

These crockpot honey garlic chicken thighs are the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and garlicky flavor. The sauce slowly infuses into every bite as it cooks to fall-apart tenderness. Because it’s made with simple ingredients and hands-off slow cooking, it delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort. This recipe is proof that comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated.

I’ve tested and tweaked this recipe until I got just the right balance of textures and flavors. Unlike other versions that can turn out bland or dry, this one really clings to the chicken and delivers so much flavor. It’s foolproof, family-approved, and guaranteed to be a hit in any home.

Why You’ll love It

This recipe is a set it and forget it dream come true. It’s just about as low effort as you can get and produces fantastically delicious results. It’s a family friendly, crowd pleaser that everyone is sure to love. This is one of our favorites.

Can Chicken Breast Be Used Instead Of Thighs?

Yes, chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs here if you prefer. They do tend to dry out faster than thighs, so be sure to check the chicken after 4-5 hours to see if it’s done.

What To Serve This With

We love to serve this over a nice big bowl of white rice. It goes together perfectly with the salty and sweet chicken and sauce. Some roasted asparagus or broccoli would be a great addition, too.

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken Thighs- They stay so juicy while cooking low and slow.
Soy Sauce- Use low sodium if you’re watching your salt intake.
Honey- Adds lots of sweet flavor to the chicken.
Sesame Oil- Brings a toasted, nutty flavor to the dish. A little goes a long way so don’t overdo it.
Hoisin Sauce- Adds bold, rich flavor and also helps to thicken the sauce. It’s sold in most grocery stores but if you’re having trouble finding it- I have it on my Amazon Store HERE.
Garlic- Crushed, jarred or garlic paste would all be ok to use.
Ginger- Use either freshly grated ginger or powdered. Just keep in mind that freshly grated ginger is a little stronger in flavor so use less.
Black Pepper- A little pepper is all you need. The soy sauce has enough salt to carry the dish.
Water And Corn Starch- Mixing these together to make a slurry at the end of the cooking process will thicken the sauce to just the right consistency.

How To Make It

First, add the chicken thighs into the crockpot. In a medium size bowl, stir the honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and black pepper together. Pour into the crockpot over the chicken.

Now, wiggle the chicken down so that it’s all or mostly submerged in the sauce. Place the lid on top and set the crockpot on low for 6 hours.

Next, carefully remove the chicken, place it in a bowl and shred it into pieces using two forks. In a small bowl, stir together the water and corn starch until it’s fully dissolved and stir it into the crockpot. Add the shredded chicken back in and keep it on warm for about 15 minutes so the sauce can thicken.

Finally, serve over white rice and enjoy.

Storage

Let the chicken cool completely and place them into air tight storage containers. They will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.