Honey garlic chicken is a fan favorite on many restaurant menus, and now you can make this tasty dish at home! Combine chicken and water chestnuts with a quick homemade sauce in the slow cooker and let it simmer away. Serve on lettuce wraps or over a bowl of rice for a filling and delicious meal!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken served on romaine lettuce

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

Honey garlic chicken is a super easy but extra flavorful meal with minimal prep.
The homemade sweet and savory honey garlic sauce coats the chicken perfectly and includes just the right amount of mild spice.
You’ll love this recipe as a meal prep option. The leftover chicken reheats well, and you can portion out servings with rice for easy lunches.
The tasty chicken mixture can be served in multiple ways as a delicious, family-style meal. Make a pot of rice, prep some lettuce leaves for wraps, or serve a side of sautéed veggies.
The slow cooker chicken is kid-friendly, and it is easy to adjust the level of spice so it works for everyone.

Ingredients Needed

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Chopped into small pieces, chicken breasts will stay tender and juicy while holding their shape in the slow cooker. The meat is perfectly coated with sweet, sticky sauce at the end.
Water chestnuts – Water chestnuts add the signature crunch to this dish! These provide a great textural element in the mix.
Soy sauce – Soy sauce adds rich umami flavor to the chicken.
Honey – This is the best complement to savory soy sauce. In the slow cooker, it caramelizes perfectly to coat the chicken.
Seedless blackberry jam – This is a fun but also very convenient addition to add complexity and a glazed element to the sauce. Blackberry jam isn’t too sweet or tart, so you won’t notice an overwhelming fruity taste.
Cornstarch – Just a bit of cornstarch helps thicken the sauce, making it nice and smooth.
Minced garlic – You gotta’ have a garlic kick in this dish! Minced garlic is a convenient option, and it has a deep, earthy flavor.
Chili garlic sauce – This sauce is usually readily available at most grocery stores, and it adds just the right amount of heat.
Garlic powder – Add a final bit of garlic powder to bring all the flavors together!

Ingredients like 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts 8 ounces can water chestnuts 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons blackberry jam seedless 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder arranged in small dishes on counter ready to prepare recipe

How To Make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Using a nice sharp knife, cut the chicken into tiny pieces.
Drain and finely dice the water chestnuts.

Chicken breast being diced on cutting board

Water chestnuts some in strainer and some on a cutting board in process o of being diced

Place chicken and water chestnuts into the slow cooker.

Chicken and water chestnuts in slow cooker

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.

A small bowl next to whisk ready to mix together sauce ingredients

Pour over the chicken mixture in the slow cooker.

Diced chicken, honey, and onions in slow cooker

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken in slow cooker

Pro Tips:

To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. Check the labels to make sure your chili garlic sauce is also gluten-free.
No need to brown the chicken in this recipe!
If you need to thicken up the sauce, add a little cornstarch slurry (equal mix of cornstarch and water) near the end of cooking. Adjust the amount up or down depending on preference.
The sauce can be prepped in advance for quicker assembly when you are ready to cook.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

This recipe also works with boneless thighs or even bone-in chicken. However, if you choose bone-in, adjust the cooking time a bit longer, and chop the pieces after it is cooked.
Try a few twists on the sweet and savory sauce! Add red pepper flakes to add some extra spice, swap honey for maple syrup, or add sesame oil for extra depth.
Blackberry jam is not a typical ingredient in this type of dish, but it adds sweetness and flavor. It can be swapped out for other seedless flavors.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken served on large dish

Instant Pot

Make this recipe even faster in the Instant Pot! Follow these steps:

Don’t dice the chicken; instead, place the whole pieces in the Instant Pot.
Pour the honey garlic sauce over the chicken.
Close the lid and set the valve to seal it.
Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes (for boneless chicken breasts or thighs).
Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
Stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water).
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Shred the chicken and return it to the sauce.

What To Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken

I hope you’ll make plenty to save for leftovers because you’ll want to try honey garlic chicken several different ways! This dish is the best family-friendly meal option.

The chicken is traditionally served with a scoop of sticky white rice or brown rice. It’s also the perfect low-carb meal choice when you serve it with crispy romaine or butter lettuce leaves as wraps or over riced cauliflower.

The chicken also pairs well with steamed broccoli, stir-fried peppers, or a fresh salad. Add garnishes such as green onions, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, or extra garlic for more flavor.

*If you love the flavors of honey garlic chicken, also try Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken or Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken!

Close up of Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken served on romaine lettuce

Storing and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This will also freeze well in individually portioned containers for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to reheat, warm the chicken up in a skillet with a splash of broth or microwave in short intervals to prevent it from drying out.