Description
A forgiving, flavorful slow cooker recipe featuring juicy chicken thighs coated in a sticky, sweet-and-savory honey garlic sesame glaze. Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal prep time.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours until chicken is fork-tender.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and set aside. Turn slow cooker to HIGH.
- Whisk cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Pour into the sauce in the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Return chicken to the slow cooker and spoon the thickened sauce over it.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Notes
[‘Searing the chicken adds significant flavor and texture; do not skip this step.’, ‘Chicken thighs are preferred over breasts as they stay juicy during slow cooking.’, ‘Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor; avoid jarred garlic.’, ‘If the sauce is too thin, cook longer on HIGH or add more cornstarch slurry.’, ‘This recipe can be made gluten-free by substituting soy sauce with tamari.’, ‘Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker chicken, honey garlic chicken, sticky sesame glaze, weeknight dinner, easy chicken recipe, Asian inspired, meal prep