Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Whole or Shredded)

My slow cooker honey garlic chicken uses bone-in, skinless thighs that stay juicy through hours in a honey, soy, and garlic sauce. Serve them whole with the sauce spooned over, or shred the meat and toss it back in for easy honey garlic shredded chicken.

I make this slow cooker honey garlic chicken with bone-in, skinless thighs, which lets them cook for hours without drying out. The bone keeps the meat juicy, and with the skin off, the sauce seeps straight into the chicken instead of pooling under a layer of fat. Just three to four hours on high heat or five to six on low, and dinner will be ready to serve.

The sauce is honey, soy sauce, and garlic, with tomato paste and a teaspoon of molasses for depth and a darker color. A cornstarch slurry near the end turns the cooking juices glossy and thick enough to spoon over rice or mashed potatoes. I serve the thighs whole, or pull the meat from the bones and toss it with the sauce.

When I want crisp skin and a sticky glaze, I make my baked honey garlic chicken instead, where I dip the thighs in sauce and finish them under the broiler.

What to serve with crockpot honey garlic chicken

I love this recipe with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. There is a lot of sauce, so you can pour some over the top and pretend it’s gravy. And a simple green salad with one of our favorite salad dressing recipes will round out the meal.

Another delicious option is our Roasted Winter Green Salad. It goes really well with this chicken.

If you’ve opted to shred the chicken, you can sandwich some between bread with a handful of arugula.

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Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Whole or Shredded)

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs slow-cooked in honey, soy sauce, garlic, tomato paste, and a touch of molasses, with a cornstarch slurry at the end for a glossy sauce. Serve whole over rice or mashed potatoes, or shred it for sandwiches and bowls.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 3 lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon molasses
• ▢ ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons EACH: cornstarch and cold water
• ▢ Sesame seeds and chives or green onions (to garnish)

Instructions 

• Place the chicken thighs in your slow cooker in a mostly single layer.
  3 lb bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
  
• In a small bowl, mix the honey, tomato paste, soy sauce, molasses, oregano, and garlic. (See notes.) Pour the sauce over the chicken. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. (See notes)
  ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon molasses, ½ teaspoon oregano, 4 cloves garlic
  
• Half an hour before you're ready to eat, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water, then pour it into the crockpot. Stir to thicken the sauce.
  2 tablespoons EACH: cornstarch and cold water
  
• Serving option 1: Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs, then sprinkle with chives (or green onion) and sesame seeds.
  Sesame seeds and chives or green onions
  
• Serving option 2: Shred the chicken with two forks, and then mix in ½ cup of the sauce.
  

Video

Notes

If you’re planning to eat the whole thighs rather than shred them, cook them for the shorter time listed: 3 hours on high heat or 5 hours on low heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 chicken thighs with ¼ of the sauce, Calories: 365kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 28g (9%), Protein: 40g (80%), Fat: 10g (15%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 194mg (65%), Sodium: 1167mg (51%), Potassium: 644mg (18%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 20g (22%), Vitamin A: 176IU (4%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 58mg (6%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

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