I don’t post a ton of slow cooker recipes here at Crunch Time, not because I don’t like using the slow cooker, but I just don’t spend a lot of time thinking about recipes for slow cookers. Normally, I just throw in what I have and cross my fingers. These honey chicken thighs though are worth posting.
I love the flavors in this recipe. It’s the perfect mix of savory, sweet, and spicy. I also love that the chicken can be a workhorse for your meal planning. You can serve it over right, stuff it in a sandwich, or even top a salad with it.
Very versatile and very easy!
Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs?
My family and I generally have similar food preferences but when it comes to chicken thighs or chicken breasts, we part ways. I’m almost always in the chicken thigh camp because they are cheaper and I prefer the flavor and texture. They disagree!
So, for this recipe, I prefer chicken thighs because they tend to stay juicier and, frankly, tend to be cheaper. But, if you don’t like the texture, chicken breasts will work just fine as well.
Ingredients for this honey chicken thigh recipe
I tried to keep the ingredient list for this recipe pretty reasonable so everything here does have a pretty specific purpose.
First, the aromatics are things I use a lot in slow cooker recipes: garlic and ginger. Always a big flavor boost and always best to use fresh instead of dried if you have them.
For the sauces, hoisin sauce and honey add lots of sweetness but also thickens the sauce. Soy sauce gives some umami and salty flavor and chili sauce gives it spice. It’s a great sauce combo and you should have all of them if your pantry is reasonably stocked.
Tips for making this recipe
There isn’t anything special for this recipe. You can pretty much toss in the ingredients and come back in 6-8 hours and you will be in good shape. Here are a few tips though to make it great.
- Once you shred the chicken after cooking, return it to the sauce for 15 minutes or so to soak up the sauce and let the flavors soak into the chicken.
- If the sauce is too thin, you can thicken it with cornstarch by removing 1/4 cup of the sauce, whisking in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and stirring it back in.
- Serve this chicken with crunchy vegetables like red onion, scallions, or fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil.
What to serve with this honey chicken thigh recipe
I serve this honey chicken thigh recipe for dinner with white rice, but you could also serve it with flatbread.
If you wanted to use this chicken as an ingredient, you could add the shredded chicken to a wrap or sandwich (it would be great on a grilled cheese). You could also add it to a salad for something on the healthier side.
Leftovers and storage
This slow cooker honey chicken thighs recipe makes great leftovers. It will keep fine in the fridge for five days and reheats perfectly in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Slow Cooker Honey Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large chicken thighs, Boneless skinless (2.5 pounds)
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Rice for serving
- Red onions, sliced thin
- Scallions, Garnish
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper and add to a slow cooker along with ginger, garlic, honey, hoisin, soy sauce, chicken stock, chili sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
- Cook chicken thighs on high heat for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Remove chicken thighs and shred. Return to slow cooker to combine with juices.
- Serve chicken thighs over rice or with flatbread and garnish with thin sliced red onion and scallions.
- OPTIONAL: If sauce seems too thin in the slow cooker, you can remove 1/4 cup of the sauce and whisk together with 1 tablespoon corn starch. Return to slow cooker and the sauce will thicken.
