Description
A stress-free weeknight dinner featuring tender chicken thighs coated in a glossy, sticky glaze made from honey, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This slow cooker recipe delivers restaurant-quality Asian-inspired flavors with minimal active prep time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup (120ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup (120ml) honey
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
- 2–3 stalks green onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. If large, cut in half. Place chicken in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until honey is mostly dissolved.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, ensuring every piece is coated. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours, until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken from the slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the hot sauce in the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for another 15-20 minutes until the sauce bubbles and thickens into a glossy glaze.
- Return chicken to the pot and toss gently to coat in the thickened sauce.
- Sprinkle with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Notes
Use toasted sesame oil for best flavor. Do not skip the cornstarch step as it is crucial for achieving the sticky glaze texture. Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts; if using breasts, reduce cook time to 2 hours on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days but do not freeze well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece of chicken w
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker, honey garlic chicken, sesame glaze, weeknight dinner, easy chicken recipe, crockpot meals, sticky chicken, asian inspired