Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe

No need to get take out when you can make Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs at home quickly and easily. Lots of garlic and honey give this chicken the best flavor and will be a hit with your family.

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs:

We love to come home to this dish waiting in the crock pot. The aroma is heavenly and it tastes even better. Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Slow Cooker Recipe comes out so tender and flavorful. This from being slow cooked and the honey garlic sauce is delicious.

The sauce is so amazing that I could just eat this sauce by the spoonful. I think you could put this on anything and it would be amazing. The combination of honey, garlic and spices make this chicken so tasty.

Everything is even better from being in the crock pot all day. This is a great recipe, so tasty and frugal. That is my kind of recipe. Just simple ingredients and an easy process to make this amazing anytime of the week meal.

The Best Weeknight Meal:

Once you see how easy this is to make and how delicious it is, you will make this all the time. We have saved so much time and money by not grabbing take out as much.

It is hard during busy seasons of life but having such easy and tasty recipes to cook. It makes my life easy and save time. I love knowing that we can enjoy dinner when we get home.

In the past, it seemed like family dinner time could not happen during busy weeknights. Now, thanks to recipes like this, everyone can actually sit down and enjoy a nice meal.

Instead of rushing around, our family can eat and share about their day. Not only did I save money but I got to enjoy wonderful moments with my family.

Easy Slow Cooking Chicken Thighs:

We love to make meals that do not require a lot of ingredients. Just simple ingredients that you can easily find out the store. The great thing about this recipe is that I had most of the ingredients already in my pantry.

If you prefer you can follow these steps to do an optional sear on your chicken thighs.

• Season Thighs – You can put your chicken thighs straight in the crock pot and season. Or you can rub the seasoning all over the chicken thighs. Then place in the crock pot.
• Rubbing in the Seasoning – To help caramelize the chicken thighs, dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel. Then season them to give them extra flavor. This gives the chicken thighs the caramelize edges and absorbs better.
• Searing Chicken – If we have the time, we will sear the chicken. We normally would just toss the seasoned chicken thighs in the crock pot. But searing just about 2 minutes really locks in the flavor. You chicken thighs will taste amazing even if you don’t sear it.
• Flipping Chicken – For a deeper flavor of chicken, flip the chicken. This ensures both sides, get all the seasoning fill the chicken half way through cooking time.
• Close Crock Pot – This step is not necessary but we think it just enhances the flavors of the chicken thighs. Make sure you do not keep crock pot open to long. Flip and close the slow cooker up.

What does Honey Garlic Chicken Taste Like?

All the sauce ingredients combined really balances each other out. It has a sweet and savory taste that is amazing on the chicken thighs. We love that it makes extra sauce and when it thickens with the corn starch, it taste amazing over the vegetables.

If we have extra sauce we like to place in the refrigerator for leftovers.

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Ingredients:

• Chicken Thighs – You can use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe. Slow cooking chicken thighs do not dry them out and they come out so flavorful.
• Minced Garlic – We love using garlic in this recipe. But you can adjust to how much garlic you like.
• Honey – Honey is added to add a sweetness flavor. It is the perfect balance to the savory flavors.
• Ketchup – Add ketchup for sweetness and depth to the flavors. It doesn’t give a tomato base or taste to the recipe.
• Soy Sauce – Soy Sauce it great added – You can use the low sodium soy sauce option.
• Dried Oregano – Adding dried oregano gives this recipe so much flavor.
• Cold Water
• Corn Starch – Cornstarch and water is added to thicken the sauce.
• Sesame Seeds – We love added the sesame seeds or even green onions for topping.

Everything blends together to make such a delicious meal. The chicken thighs are so tender and amazing. Even my kids that typically do not care for dark meat love this recipe.

How to make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs:

• Add Chicken – Put the chicken thighs in the crock pot.
• Combine Ingredients to a mixing bowl – In a mixing bowl, combine everything else to make that delicious sauce.
• Pour Mixture over Chicken Thighs – Next, pour the sauce over the chicken thighs and let cook in the crock pot.

• Cook Chicken Thighs – Add the lid and cook on low for 5 hours or high 3 to 4 hours.
• To Thicken the Sauce – Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into the crock pot. Add the sauce for the last hour of the cooking time. If cooking on low or the last 30 minutes if cooking on high.
• Serve and Enjoy – The chicken will be so tender and delicious from being slow cooked. Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

How long does it take for Chicken to Cook in the Crock Pot:

We recommend the following length of time when making chicken in the crock pot. It may take a longer to cook the chicken if you are using frozen chicken.

• Low Setting – Cook Chicken thighs about 5 to 6 hours.
• High Setting – Cook Chicken thighs about 3 to 4 hours.

To ensure the chicken is done, use a meat thermometer. Make sure the internal temperature has a reading of 165 degrees.

The Best Honey Sauce:

This honey sauce that the chicken thighs cook in is absolutely amazing. It love that it makes a lot so that I can use it to serve over rice, potatoes, noodles or vegetables. Whatever we serve these chicken thighs with.

I love that the ingredients are simple. The honey, garlic, soy sauce and ketchup combined together to make an amazing sauce. Plus the added juices from the chicken really adds to the flavor.

Make sure to add the cornstarch while the chicken is resting to thicken the sauce. You can it add it to a sauce pan to thicken the sauce or straight into the slow cooker.

Can I Make Honey Garlic Chicken in the Instant Pot?

Yes, you can cook this recipe in the crock pot. This is a great option if you are short on time and need to cook this meal quick. If you have prepared this recipe and froze it, you can even place it in the instant pot frozen.

• Place Chicken Thighs and Sauce in the Instant Pot.
• Cover and Cook on high pressure for about 10 minutes.
• You can remove the chicken thighs and take off meat if you prefer.
• To thicken the sauce, you can add the corn starch and water to the sauce in the instant pot. Or remove ¼ cup of sauce and thicken with corn starch and place back in the instant pot with the chicken.
• Press the sauté feature on the instant pot and bring the sauce to boil.
• Then serve immediately over rice.

How to get Crispy Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs:

For an added touch to these slow cooker chicken thighs, you can make the edges crispy. All you have to do is remove the chicken from the crock pot. Then place on the baking sheet lined with foil.

Top the chicken thighs with some of the thickened honey sauce and place in the oven. Broil the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. The results are the best crispy slow cooker chicken thighs.

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs:

There are many different things to serve with Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs. These are some of our favorites:

• Easy Sauteed Green Beans – We love this easy side dish. It only takes a few ingredients and only requires a few minutes on the stove top.
• Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower – If you haven’t started using a air fryer, it has been a game changer for my family. This roasted cauliflower is the perfect side for these chicken thighs. The cauliflower is amazing with the sauce on top.
• Mashed Potatoes – Mixed together this easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe for an amazing side. Top the mashed potatoes with the thickened sauce.
• Rice – We love to serve this recipe with white rice or brown rice. For a low carb or gluten free option, make cauliflower rice.
• Sandwich – You can even shred the chicken and serve as a sandwich, in lettuce wraps or on a salad. It is amazing topped with coleslaw.

Can I Bake Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs?

Yes, you can definitely bake this recipe instead of placing in your crock pot. Thaw your chicken thighs and place in a baking dish. Combine the honey garlic sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken thighs.

Bake Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs in a preheated oven of 350 degrees. Bake Chicken until thoroughly cooked. It will take about 45 minutes to bake the chicken. Make sure to check internal temperature.

The chicken thighs should have a internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs Tips:

• Thicken the Sauce – I also thickened the sauce in this crock pot honey garlic chicken with a tablespoon of cornstarch. This is optional but a great idea if you like the sauce a little bit thicker.
• Change the Chicken – Use enough chicken to cover the bottom of the slow cooker. You can use bone-in chicken thigh or boneless chicken thighs. Try chicken thighs with the skin on or the skin off. This recipe would also be great with boneless chicken.
• Cooking Time Varies – Cooking time varies when making these honey chicken thighs. It may only take 3 hours to make these recipe.
• Use a Meat Thermometer – Make sure to use a meat thermometer. This make sure you don’t overcook or under cook your chicken thighs. Your chicken thighs should have a internal temperature of 165 degrees if done.

Can I Make this a Freezer Meal?

This recipe is one that we have in our freezer all the time. Since it requires easy ingredients, we like to keep this one stocked. It is easy to prepare and my family loves it.

• In a separate bowl, combine the honey sauce ingredients.
• Place chicken thighs in the a zip lock freezer bag and pour ingredients over the chicken.
• Squeeze any air out of the zip lock bag and freeze.
• This meal will freeze up to 3 months.

Can I put Chicken and Vegetables together in the Crock Pot?

Yes, this recipe would be great with some added vegetables. We recommend adding in some potatoes and carrots for a complete meal. The sauce that is combined would taste amazing over the roasted potatoes and carrots.

Variation Ideas:

• Add in some spice – If you like a little extra kick with this recipe add in some different flavors. You can add a teaspoon or two of chili flakes, sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes.
• For Citrus Flavor – If you would like a little citrus flavor, squeeze a fresh lime. Squeezing the lime over top of the cooked chicken thighs gives it the perfect flavor.
• Chicken Breast – We have used chicken breast before and they turned out good. They do have less fat than chicken thighs, but with think the chicken thighs turned out much flavorful and juicier.
• Keep Chicken Thighs Intact – You can shred the chicken or serve it as intact.
• Stir Fried – For a leftover option, stir fry the honey garlic chicken in with rice and vegetables. This makes for an amazing cook once, eat twice option.
• Ginger – Occasionally we will mix in some fresh ginger. Ginger combined with the other ingredients gives it that deep flavoring.
• Maple Syrup – If you are out of honey, you can substitute for maple syrup. It will give the sauce more of a deep woodsy flavor but will still be delicious.

Can you Freeze Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs?

Yes, you can freeze this recipe. Store leftovers properly in a freezer safe container. The leftovers will last up to 3 months if stored properly.

To reheat, thaw ingredients overnight in the refrigerator. You can place in a sauce pan and reheat or microwave your leftovers.

How to Store Leftover Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs:

Leftover need to be placed in the refrigerator. They will last for about 3 to 5 days. Place in an air tight container for an amazing lunch the next day.

We love having this leftover because the honey garlic sauce will marinates in the chicken for an amazing second meal.

Can I use Pork Chops instead of Chicken Thighs?

Yes, this honey garlic sauce would taste amazing over pork chops.

• Honey Garlic Pork Chops – You can make in the Oven or in the Crock Pot.
• Honey Grilled Pork Chops – Place the Marinated Pork Chops on the Grill.
• We love using a Pork Tenderloin with the honey garlic marinate.

Slow Cooker Recommendation:

If you are in the market for something new, I really love Instant Pot Aura. The nice thing about this is you can brown the meat in the same slow cooker for recipes that call for that.

It is so handy to just have the one pan to clean. It has become one of my favorite kitchen appliances.

Another favorite is a programmable crock pot  for when I am am not at home all day. I love coming home to a nice meal ready and waiting.

I also like to use crock pot liners to make clean up a breeze. These plastic bags are worth every penny and save a ton of time.

Why we Love this Recipe:

The recipe starts with Homemade Honey Garlic Sauce. This sauce is made with simple pantry ingredients and offers a bold flavor to these chicken thighs. It also coats the chicken thighs perfect that makes these chicken thighs just melt in your mouth.

You can serve this recipe many different ways. These thighs are great over rice, noodles and even mashed potatoes. We love that this shredded chicken offers so many flavors.

This family friendly recipe is requested weekly in my house. I love it that it is a dump and go type of recipe. Start the recipe in the morning and when you come home you will have an amazing meal waiting for you. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

Print this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe below:

More Crock Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe:

• Baked Chicken Thigh Recipe
• Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thigh Recipe
• Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Thighs Recipe
• Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs Recipe
• Crockpot Sticky Chicken