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Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken – a new go-to family dinner. Easy, slow-cooked chicken tossed in a spicy-sweet and tangy honey garlic sauce. Serve this dish with broccoli cooked up right alongside the chicken. It’s the easiest crockpot dinner. Add a side of rice for a main and lots of fresh herbs to finish. And if you’re short on time, you can bake this chicken too!
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My Nonnie was the queen of a sweet and tangy honey garlic chicken. She used to make this meal the day guests would arrive to visit them in South Florida. She knew that everyone always enjoyed the dish!
Nonnie’s sauce included some 1000 Island dressing and, I believe, an entire jar of orange marmalade, plus soy sauce. It may not sound that appealing when you say it out loud, but you can’t deny that the dish she made with delicious! She would serve the chicken and sauce with rice and roasted asparagus or broccoli.
I drew some inspiration from my Nonnie’s dish and made a variation in the crockpot. My sauce is much, much less sweet, with no dressing and a lot more garlic. Pretty different but very delish!
Since the weather has been so chilly and life is always busy, I wanted to make this in a crockpot. I slow-cooked the chicken in the sauce with the broccoli right on top.
This has to be one of my most effortless crockpot dinners. Nothing fancy to it! Which is often what we need most. While my Nonnie’s recipe inspired me, this also reminds me of a cozy Sunday night dinner my mom would serve. If you’re looking for a cozy dinner that’s still elegant enough to serve for Valentine’s Day, give this dish a try!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- Chicken breast or thighs – you can also use a mix, which is exactly what I do!
- Garlic – and lots of it!
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Ketchup – ideally, this is organic with no added sugars, or at least very little sugar. I love the Rao’s homemade ketchup. Primal Kitchens makes an unsweetened and one sweetened with honey. If you’re using Heinz ketchup, use the organic, it does not include any corn syrup.
- Honey
- Chili paste
- Rice vinegar
- Broccoli
- Fresh herbs – scallions and cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Steam or crispy rice – for serving
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a crockpot, or you can bake the chicken in a baking dish instead.
Steps
Step 1: the chicken
Arrange the chicken in the bowl of your crockpot. Sprinkle the garlic over the chicken.
Step 2: the sauce
I like to mix this in a glass jar first, but you can also add all the ingredients directly to the crockpot and then stir it up with the chicken.
The sauce is a mix of tamari (or use soy sauce), ketchup, honey, chili paste, and rice vinegar. I like to add black pepper too. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Step 3: add the the broccoli
You can add the broccoli now, like I do, or you can wait until the end and add the broccoli before serving. I love that the broccoli gets super saucy, but some prefer to cook the broccoli for less time. Choose whatever you will enjoy!
Slow cook for 3 to 4 hours on low, then remove the lid and cook on high to thicken up the sauce.
Step 4:
Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of crispy sesame rice. Steamed rice is great too! Then I love to add fresh scallions and cilantro for some freshness. It’s so yummy!
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup organic ketchup
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2-3 tablespoons chili paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- black pepper
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs scallions/cilantro
- toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- rice, for serving
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, add the chicken and garlic. 2. In a bowl, mix the tamari, ketchup, honey, chili paste, rice vinegar, and pepper. Pour the honey sauce over the chicken. Add the broccoli. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.3. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Remove the lid. Cook for 25 minutes to thicken the sauce. 4. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce over bowls of rice topped with herbs and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 2. In a rectangular baking dish, add the chicken and garlic. 3. In a bowl, mix the tamari, ketchup, honey, chili paste, rice vinegar, and pepper. Pour the honey sauce over the chicken. Add the broccoli and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and coated in sauce.4. Serve the chicken, broccoli, and sauce over bowls of rice topped with herbs and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This came together so easily and was delicious!
Hey Roxanne,
Happy Monday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit!
My sauce was runny too. Although my skinless and boneless thighs were free of fat for the most part, I’m wondering if the fat that existed contributed to the sauce not thickening.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It’s possible that the fat from the chicken thighs can help the sauce thicken a bit, so using very lean, mostly fat-free thighs might make the sauce a little thinner. If you want a thicker sauce next time, you could try adding a small slurry of cornstarch and water toward the end of cooking to help it thicken up. Hopefully that helps for your next batch! xT
I turned this into an installer recipe tonight and it was delicious!
Hey Crystal! Thank you so so much for trying out this chicken! So glad you enjoyed! Have a great day! xT
I followed the directions exactly and the sauce never thickened and was watery. Looks nothing like the photos when done cooking.
Hey Caitlyn! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! Sometimes crockpots can cook differently, thanks for the input! xT
Sadly did not turn out, way too intense of a sauce that took over the whole dish. Almost was like beef and broccoli but with chicken however the chicken was not good. Had to throw out the rest of it.
Hey Leah! Oh no I am so sorry to hear this! Thank you so much for the input, I always want to make sure these recipes are to the HBH community’s liking! Is there anything else you’d change about it? xT
Another failed promise of a crockpot recipe. Followed recipe exactly. Sauce never thickened
Hi Bob,
Sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out for you, thanks for giving it a try!
Can I add in the chicken frozen?
Hi Jess,
You are going to want to thaw the chicken first:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Followed the recipe to a T, yet the sauce was watery and the only flavor I could taste was soy sauce. Neither my husband or I could finish a serving. Would not recommend.
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
I followed the recipe as stated and did 3 to 4 hours on low heat, and while the chicken did cook through, the broccoli that I put in at the start was still undercooked. And the sauce never really thickened even after the 25 minutes on high. Still a good flavor, but was a little difficult to try and get the sauce to thicken a bit more when I’d already been prepping the rice in anticipation of everything being done and I didn’t have cornstarch on hand.
Hi Lara,
Thanks for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you had issues with the broccoli cooking and the thickening of the sauce. xx
Second time is as good as the first! Great easy dish
Thanks a lot, Elizabeth! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well!🌼
Just whipped up this sauce, decided not to pour it on my chicken. Very thin and Reminds me of a dipping sauce for pot stickers or dumplings. I added fresh minced garlic and fresh minced scallions, bottled it, and put it in my fridge for dipping in the future. Yummy, but not what I was looking for.
Hey Katie,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this sauce recipe and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! x
I really liked this! I did not get the stickiness however I think it was my fault as it didn’t look like enough sauce so I doubled it… but then it ended up with ALOT of sauce. I think I would have got the stickiness if I’d left it (should’ve trusted I know)
I will say however I had to put my slow cooker on HIGH I think maybe for some people’s slow cookers they may not be as powerful and that could be why they didn’t get the stickiness. The high setting worked really well for me! Super easy to put together. I will try it again and see if I can get the stickiness by sticking to the recipe 😂
Another tip I’d say to anyone trying is do not skip the scallions and cilantro. This was a big part of the flavour balance. I also added avocado to top it and it was amazing
Hey Hannah! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I appreciate the feedback about the crockpot settings, sometimes slow cookers can cook differently! Thanks for the note about making sure to add the scallions and cilantro, they definitely add a nice touch! xT
Chicken came out dry and sauce was liquid as per other comments. Taste of sauce was good. But was looking forward to a glazed and juicy chicken.
So sorry to hear this. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback. Have a nice week!
Is it supposed to be like soupy when done?
Hi Rebecca,
No, it should not be soupy. If you need to thicken your sauce you can simmer on the stove or add a cornstarch slurry. I hope this helps! xx
Are the chicken thighs boneless and skinless?
Hi Amy,
Yes, I like to use boneless, skinless. Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love this dish!
If you were to make this in an instant pot (pressure cook) what setting would you recommend and cooking time?
Hi Tiffany,
So sorry, I have not tested using that method with this recipe. I would try high pressure for 15 minutes. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!