Easy Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs: Best 4-Ingredient Dinner
Tender, juicy chicken thighs cooked in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce with just four simple ingredients. This effortless slow cooker dinner is perfect for busy weeknights and requires only 5 minutes of prep.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup (170 grams) honey
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup honey, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, and 4 minced garlic cloves until smooth and amber-colored.
- Place 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker in a single layer.
- Pour the honey garlic mixture evenly over the chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender.
- Optional: For shredded chicken, use two forks to pull the thighs apart directly in the slow cooker. For whole thighs, leave them intact.
- Optional: To thicken the sauce, transfer the liquid to a small skillet and simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until reduced by half, or leave the slow cooker on high with the lid off for 15-20 minutes.
- Pour the thickened sauce back over the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired. Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or roasted vegetables.
Notes
Don’t open the slow cooker lid during the first 2 hours of cooking. Pat chicken thighs dry before adding to prevent thinning the sauce. For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce. For a spicier version, add 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or red pepper flakes. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Protein: 28
Keywords: slow cooker honey garlic chicken, 4-ingredient dinner, easy chicken thighs, honey garlic chicken, weeknight dinner