These slow cooker chicken thighs are coated in an easy honey garlic sauce, then cooked in a crock pot until tender. Serve your chicken thighs over steamed rice for a complete meal that the whole family will love!
When I know I’m going to have a really busy day, I put dinner in the slow cooker in the morning to make life a little easier. Some of our favorite crock pot recipes include BBQ ribs, sweet and sour meatballs and these Asian style chicken thighs.
The slow cooker is one of my favorite kitchen devices – it’s just so easy and convenient to have dinner waiting for you when you come home after a long day! These slow cooker chicken thighs are tender, juicy and coated in the most delicious sauce.
How do you make slow cooker chicken thighs?
First, cook your chicken thighs in a pan with oil until golden to unlock the flavor. Whip up some honey garlic sauce which features garlic, honey and soy sauce. Place the thighs in the slow cooker slathered in the honey garlic sauce. After a few hours, you’ll want to add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Once the chicken is cooked, sprinkle sesame seeds on top and it is ready to serve.
Tips for slow cooker chicken thighs
- Instead of using boneless chicken thighs, you can use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts. Feel free to use whichever cut of chicken you prefer or have available.
- I like to brown the chicken thighs before placing them in the slow cooker to bring out the flavor of the chicken and to give the meat some texture. If you don’t have time to brown the chicken, you can skip that step and simply place the raw thighs in the crock pot with the sauce.
- The honey garlic sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- This chicken stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can enjoy these thighs as leftovers and they are a great candidate for meal prep.
Slow cooker chicken thigh variations
This honey garlic sauce is one of my personal favorites and it garners me a lot of compliments. You can add some other flavors to this great sauce for a little variety.
- Honey Ginger: Use 2 teaspoons of fresh minced ginger instead of the garlic.
- Honey Lime: Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice to the sauce.
- Sweet and Spicy: Add sriracha to the sauce to taste.
- Orange Chicken: Add 2 tablespoons of orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest to the sauce.
Can you put frozen chicken in a slow cooker?
I don’t recommend putting frozen chicken in a slow cooker. You should always thaw chicken before slow cooking it. Frozen chicken in the slow cooker can cause problems. The main problem is the risk of bacterial growth. Frozen chicken takes longer to heat up in a slow cooker than thawed chicken meaning the frozen chicken may allow bacteria to grow while it slowly heats. Another problem can occur with frozen chicken in a slow cooker if there is not enough liquid. The frozen chicken touching the cooker may get overcooked before the interior of the chicken has finished cooking because the frozen interior takes longer to cook. You will be safer and you may get better tasting food if you thaw your chicken before placing it in a slow cooker.
Can you overcook chicken in a slow cooker?
You can overcook chicken in a slow cooker. Overcooked chicken will be dry and may be tough. Take care to watch the time on your slow cooker chicken to make sure it stays tender and juicy. If you are worried about overcooking chicken, use a chicken thigh recipe (like this one) instead of a chicken breast recipe. The extra fat in chicken thighs helps protect them from drying out.
This slow cooker recipe uses one of my best sauces to make extraordinary chicken thighs. This sweet and tangy sauce over tender chicken dish will become one of your favorites.
More slow cooker recipes you’ll love
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
- Slow Cooker Chili
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin
- Ham and Bean Soup (Slow Cooker)
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and chopped cilantro for garnish
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until deep golden brown.
- Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- NOTE: you can skip the browning process if you prefer and simply season the thighs with salt and pepper then add them to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the slow cooker.
- Cook for 1 more hour or until sauce has just thickened. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
My mouth is watering, can hardly wait to make dinner. One question: is there a substitute for the soy sauce?
You could try a little Worcestershire sauce instead!
This is a wonderful recipe! I doubled the sauce using half in the slow cooker and the other half as a glaze when serving. This is a keeper and repeater!!!
Everyone loved it. I used bone in skin on thighs. I added all the additional ingredients suggested and it was wonderful. I cooked for a little under 6 hours and browned the chicken first. I didn’t even add the cornstarch until I shut it off and it still thickened. Definitely making it again.
Amazing and easy!!! I highly recommend this recipe and can’t wait to try other recipes.
I made it in the oven and it’s a winner!! We have had some epic fails lately and the kids were scared this would be another one, but they were pleasantly surprised. Glad I doubled the recipe. Thank you.
This was absolutely delicious, though I did have to cook it on high for 3 1/2 hours for maximum tenderness. Thanks for recipe. I will definitely make it again.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch? (I don’t have cornstarch on hand)
You will need to cook the sauce for much longer to get rid of the raw flavor of the flour. You can also just omit the cornstarch, the sauce will be thinner but will still taste good.
Any vegetable recommend to this dish?
Are you looking to add vegetables to the slow cooker? If so I’d add broccoli and sliced carrots during the last 2 hours.
I didn’t add veggies to the chicken but served with roasted butternut squash
I can’t use ketchup. Can I leave it out? Is there an alternative?
I’d use canned tomato sauce instead! And add 2 more teaspoons of honey.
Is it ok to brown chicken the night before then slow roast the next morning?
I don’t recommend storing partially cooked chicken overnight, if you don’t have time to brown it in the morning I’d just skip the browning and put it directly in the crock pot with the sauce!
Thank you!
Love slow cooker meals when my kids go back to school! I will definitely be making this for dinner this week! Looks amazing!
We make this for dinner all the time and it makes my life so much easier! Thanks for sharing this easy recipe!
These are the best! So tender and flavorful
I love my slow cooker too! These chicken thighs were so tender and flavorful!
This is one of our family favorites! We make it at least once a week. So easy and delcious!
LOVE cooking chicken thighs in the instant pot! They always turn out perfect! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
I love using my slow cooker to save me time on busy weekdays. These look great and easy too!
Oh, this looks mouthwatering! I love how quick and easy this is – it’s just what my busy weekdays needed!
Ohhhh how scrumptious! We’re chicken thigh-crazed over here and the addition of this sauce takes it over the top! Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Love this dinner! So quick, easy and tasty!