Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
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This slow cooker honey sesame chicken is the best dump-and-go crockpot dinner with juicy, tender shredded chicken. Sweet, savory, and so easy!
This crockpot honey sesame chicken has saved me so many times. Even with the busiest of days, nights, and lazy weekends, this slow cooker recipe is always coming to the rescue, and has never failed me.
Why you’ll love this slow cooker honey sesame chicken
- Set and forget. This is one of those great slow cooker recipes that you can simply dump-and-go – there’s no searing, no cooking beforehand, no nothing. And you can come home from a long day to the coziest (and easiest), sauciest sesame chicken. The hardest part is shredding the chicken!
- Short ingredient list. Chicken, onion, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper – most are pantry staples. And I have definitely been guilty of skipping the onions and garnishes half the time (it still turns out oh-so-perfect).
- Flexible recipe. Use breasts or thighs and add in as little or as many vegetables as desired (perfect for those picky eaters). Serve over rice or your favorite grains with all the juices to sop up all the saucy goodness.
- Leftovers taste even better. Also, the leftovers make for great lettuce wraps, and the leftover chicken and juices can be frozen as needed for quick meal prep for the busy weeks ahead!
What is slow cooker honey sesame chicken?
This is an easy dump-and-go slow cooker dinner made by cooking chicken thighs or breasts low and slow in a sweet and savory sauce of soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, and ginger. This is typically served over warm white rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.
How to make slow cooker honey sesame chicken
- Prep the sauce. Combine the onion, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
- Season. Season the chicken thighs (or breasts) with salt and pepper.
- Combine. Place the chicken in the bottom of a 6-qt slow cooker, pouring the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and gently tossing to combine.
- Cook on low heat. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through (165°F).
- Shred and return. Remove the chicken and shred using two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and keep warm for 30 minutes to reabsorb the flavorful juices.
- Serve. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve warm over steamed rice (or your favorite grains).
what to serve with slow cooker honey sesame chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
You can serve this with white rice or my favorite no-fuss sheet pan fried rice!
Absolutely! Mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, or snow peas can be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The leftovers make for great lettuce wraps.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags (up to 3 months), thawing overnight and gently reheating on the stovetop until warmed through.
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine onion, soy sauce, honey, ketchup, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs into a 6-qt slow cooker. Add soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken thighs from the slow cooker and shred the chicken before returning to the pot with the juices. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Use dark or white meat. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs can be used interchangeably here but thighs are much fattier (and thus more flavorful).
- Add vegetables. Mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers or snow peas can be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for a more heartier meal.
- Serve with your favorite grains. White rice, brown rice, fried rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or farro are all excellent options.
- Freeze as needed. Once cooled completely, the leftovers can be stored in individual freezer bags, freezing up to 3 months.
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