This Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken recipe makes delicious, tender chicken in a sweet and sticky soy glaze. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
When I made this, I told my husband to be warned that I was trying something new and it was the first try at developing the recipe, so he knew that it might now be as good as it could be.
I know you don’t often see slow cooker Chinese food when you can whip up a stir fry in no time, but cooking this dish in the slow cooker makes the chicken melt in your mouth tender.
Why This Recipe Works
- Slow cooking this dish ensures the flavors are locked in.
- The combination of honey and soy sauce gives a wonderful sweet/sour flavor profile.
- The sugar in the honey glazes the chicken in a delicious sticky sauce that can’t be beat.
The added benefit to this recipe is that you can throw it together in the morning and come home to a meal that requires almost no effort at all.
This was my first and only attempt at developing this recipe. It came out absolutely perfect and the whole family just loved it/ I hope you do too. Why not serve alongside some of my other amazing Chinese recipes, such as Perfect Chinese Noodles (Lo Mein) and Slow Cooked Chinese Duck with Plums, for the ultimate Asian feast! Loved glazed dishes? why not try my Glazed Salmon too?
How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken
- Coat the chicken in cornstarch.
- Fry the chicken until browned on both sides.
- Add onions and garlic and saute.
- Mix in the wet ingredients and season.
- Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for 4 to 6 hours.
- Serve with rice.
The sauce came out quite thick when I added it to the slow cooker and I worried it would burn. But my slow cooker builds up a lot of condensation that drips into the food as it cooks, thinning the sauce. If your slow cooker doesn’t do that, I would suggest saving the thickening until the end so it doesn’t burn around the sides.
Other Great Recipes
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Best Ever Fried Rice
- Chinese Mushroom Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooked Chinese Duck with Plums
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 green onions sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup light soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce true dark soy sauce should not be salty it’s more for color & some flavor
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Coat the chicken in the cornstarch.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Brown the chicken on all sides.
- If needed, add the rest of the oil to the pan. Quickly saute the onions and garlic together with the chicken for about a minute just to soften and release the flavors.
- Lower the heat and add the honey, dark & light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and black pepper. Mix until combined. Slowly add the water and stir to combine. Mix in the brown sugar stirring until dissolved. bring the mixture to a boil to thicken.
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Serve over rice.
Tips + Notes
- The sauce came out quite thick when I added it to the slow cooker and I worried it would burn. But my slow cooker builds up a lot of condensation that drips into the food as it cooks, thinning the sauce. If your slow cooker doesn’t do that, I would suggest saving the thickening until the end so it doesn’t burn around the sides.
Karen Isaacson says
Could beef be used instead. I love the list of ingredients and cooking in crockpot if possible.
Erren's Kitchen says
You absolutely can. Use a tender cut of beef suitable for slow cooking, such as beef stew meat, chuck roast, or brisket. Cut the beef into cubes similar in size to the chicken pieces in the original recipe. Beef may require a slightly longer cooking time in the slow cooker to become tender. You might need to cook it for 6-8 hours on low instead of 4-6 hours. I haven’t tried this recipe with beef, so definitely keep an eye on it. Please let us know how it turns out!
Rose says
Hi Erren,
I don’t have rice wine vinegar but I do have rice vinegar. Is it the same thing? If not, what is a good substitute? Thanks!!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Rose. Great question! While rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar are similar, they do have some differences in terms of flavor and acidity. Rice wine vinegar has a milder and slightly sweet flavor compared to rice vinegar, which is more acidic.
If you don’t have rice wine vinegar, you can substitute it with a combination of white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Use equal parts white wine vinegar and, if available, add a touch of sweetness to mimic the mild sweetness of rice wine vinegar.
You can also use apple cider vinegar as a substitute for rice wine vinegar. It has a slightly different flavor profile, but it can work well in many recipes.
Please let us know how it turns out!!
Alysha says
Amazing. I was time poor today. Cooked for 3 hours on high. Delicious and definitely a new signature meal for me!
Erren Hart says
It’s fantastic to hear that the recipe exceeded your expectations. Thank you for your enthusiastic feedback.
Sherry says
LOVED this recipe!
H says
I got a slow cooker for Christmas and I had a go at this recipe! I’m never looking back, just delicious
Erren's Kitchen says
That’s so good to hear, thank you for stopping by to let me know how much you liked it 🙂
Jim in Waukesha, WI says
Actually, it was your slow roasted duck recipe that was on HuffPo. I’ll find the link and send it to you. BTW- the chicken was awesome!
Erren says
Thanks so much Jim! I did know about the duck. I was hoping the chicken made it too! I’m so pleased you were happy with the recipe! 🙂
Jim in Waukesha, WI says
I saw this recipe link on HuffPo (congrats by the way!) and mozied over to your site to check it out. I just finished putting it together. So easy and the glaze/sauce is amazingly good. A few more hours before I can check out the finished product, but I’m sure it will be all that and more. Thank you!
Erren says
First, thank you! I hope it turned out ok! Second, Huffington post?? When?? Do you have a link? I had no idea! 🙂
Brandy @ BD Design says
This dish is DELICIOUS!!