Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
Updated
Updated
This easy Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken recipe delivers tender pieces of chicken coated in a super flavorful sweet and savory, sticky sauce that is just so delicious. You only need a short list of items and 5 minutes of prep to make it!
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You know those crock pot meals that slow cook all day only to deliver the most bland results? This Honey Sesame Chicken is not one of them. This super easy chicken recipe has tons of great umami flavor.
Rich boneless chicken thighs cook for just a few hours in a mouth-watering sweet and savory sauce, and end up tender and juicy. There’s plenty of extra sauce, too, which is perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables or for hot cooked rice to soak up.
Bonus, there’s no pre-sautéing or marinating time – it’s truly dump and go for a crazy simple weeknight dinner.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Chicken thighs. I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs over chicken breasts for this dish, since dark meat is more moist and flavorful, but chicken breasts are fine. They won’t need as much time to cook, so start checking on them sooner.
- Don’t skip the honey or ketchup. The honey is makes the sauce sweet, while the ketchup provides wonderful tanginess.
- Soy sauce. For the salty, savory flavor that balances out the honey and ketchup. Make sure to use low-sodium, so the dish isn’t overly salty.
- Sesame Oil and Vegetable oil. These both help transfer fat-soluble flavors onto the chicken and prevent the other sharp flavors from dominating. Also helps the chicken retain moisture. The sesame oil also adds unmistakable depth of flavor.
- To thicken the sauce. You don’t have to thicken the sauce at the end, but if you want to, a simple combination of water and cornstarch works great.
- Don’t have a crockpot? Try using a roasting pan and cook in a 250 degree F oven for 3-4 hours, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Then thicken the sauce in a small pot on the stove.
Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons water
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- 3 scallions, diced
- cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
- Lightly season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper; transfer to a 6 quart crockpot coated with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, onion, and garlic until incorporated. Pour over chicken.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours (or until an internal temperature reaches 165F.) See note below about adding in vegetables.
- Remove chicken from the crockpot, but leave the sauce.
- Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into the crockpot. Stir to combine with the sauce.
- Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Leave chicken pieces whole or shred into bite size pieces. Then in individual bowls, place chicken pieces over cooked rice and spoon some sauce on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken Step By Step
- Season the chicken. Lightly season both sides of 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper; transfer a greased 6-quart crockpot.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together 1 cup honey, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 small sweet diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken.
- Cook. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until an internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove chicken from the crockpot (but leave the sauce.) Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- Thicken the sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into the crockpot. Stir to combine with the sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Serve. Leave chicken pieces whole or shred into bite size pieces. Then in individual bowls, place chicken pieces over cooked white rice and spoon some sauce on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Serving Suggestions
We like to serve honey sesame chicken thighs with cooked rice to soak up the sauce, a vegetable, and this simple side salad for a complete meal. This dish pairs perfectly with coconut rice, roasted carrots, or roasted broccoli.
Proper Storage
Allow any leftover chicken and sauce to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container (either together or separate.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the microwave.
More Easy Chicken CrockPot Recipes:
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Italian Lemon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
This recipe was a huge hit in my house, especially the fantastic sauce!! I covered 4 boneless thighs with the sauce, made exactly as Amy directed, and dinner was ready in 3 hours (on LOW).
I doubled the recipe and it turned out great. I received lots of compliments and requests for the recipe!
This recipe is super delicious and very easy to make. You won’t be disappointed!
Once again, Amy your recipe blows me away. So easy and delicious!
THANK YOU! I had No choice to keep the chicken thighs whole they were so tender they shredded them selves! Is there a way to make the sauce thicker for the Next Time?
I made this and it was a big hit with all my family. Love your recipes.
Very nice, I need to make this.
delicious easy dinner!
I’ve made this countless times now – definitely a family fav. I usually toss in some chopped carrots and/or pineapple chunks. Don’t skip the scallions or sesame seeds!
This recipe is awesome! I used chicken breasts and used just over half the reccomended amount of honey and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe:-)
make sure to print this, dottie
sounds good
I just made this for a pot luck dinner, with huge success. Since I don’t have a crock pot, I used a roasting pan and cooked in the oven at 250 deg. for 4 hrs. The sauce called for in the recipe was enough for the 5 lbs. of bone-in chicken thighs. I removed the bones after cooking and served over 1 1/2 cups of white rice. The plate was wiped clean!
Here is a great recipe to make on a weekend in a crockpot and then eat during the week reheated.
what if i don’t have a crock pot?
Made exactly as written, after cooking 3 hours on low, my chicken was done so definitely check it early. I added fresh pineapple pieces and cut back on the honey.
I agree with the vast number of people who loved it. this was a big winner with my family and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! My husband and two girls ate huge bowls of this dish! I used boneless thighs and boneless breast, and after I shred the chicken I placed it back into the slightly thickened sauce to stay warm until we were ready to eat. We spooned it over jasmine rice that we made in the rice cooker! It was wonderful!!!
We used chix tenders and it was easily done at 3 hours.
I added broccoli florets in the last 45 minutes of cooking for more of a complete meal. Always trying to get those veggies in! We loved this. Would absolutely make again.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! This was an excellent accommodation to our dinner meal. I too used chicken breast, and decided to add a few pineapples. Thanks a million!!!
I’ve made this twice now for my family of six, they all love it!! I used chicken breast, instead of the thighs, as that is what I always have on hand, but it still turns out great. I just cut the chicken up into strips and then added all of the sauce.
I used 3 medium chicken breasts instead of thighs. It was done at just under 4 hours. Definitely making it into the rotation frequently!
O M G. This recipe is definitely going into my rotation. I usually don’t finish my own homemade dinners because they just aren’t that tasty as when someone else cooks for me, lol. BUT THIS WAS AWESOME! AND SO EASY! There is no way this could not be enjoyed and devoured completely.
My family and I are enjoying this right now, and it is a HUGE hit! Sadly, I decided to skip the scallions and sesame seeds, which I will NOT do the next time. I actually used breasts and figured, what the heck, I’ll cook it all day. So mine cooked for about 8 hours. I can tell you that there will be NONE left. Thanks A TON for posting this!
I loved this recipe – already made it twice. Second time I added pineapple chunks to it. So good!
Great flavor and so easy!
I made this with frozen chicken quarters and it came out perfectly. I think that breast don’t have enough moisture in them for the long cooking time. A whole chicken would work too. I was initially worried about the bones, but the 79 cent price on the quarters convinced me to give it a try. Since I didn’t see my honey I used agave nectar in lieu, and I didn’t have crushed red pepper so I used a teaspoon of cayenne. Also I put it in for 5 hours. There was plenty of moisture when I came home at 4 hours, but I did swap the top and bottom quarters to make sure they all got some marinating. My thermometer made it to 180 on all of the chicken quarters.
Making this tonight!
Loved it! Added broccoli at the end…..will also add waterchestnuts at the end next time! Thanks!
I have now made this twice. My husband loves it and says “this is becoming one of my favorite meals”!
i made this dish tonight and it was a big hit with everyone! i served it over brown rice and roasted carrots.
I made this tonight, and we really enjoyed it. I don’t have a crock pot so I baked for four hours at 300 degrees in the oven. I couldn’t sleep, so I started preparing at 4 am. It was done by 8:30 and finished off the toppings just before serving. My husband doesn’t really like chicken but he had two servings of this!
Made this tonight for dinner-double recipe because my family are big eaters-and it turned out a unanimous 5 out of 5 (kids and adults alike)! I too didn’t add salt & added a squirt of Sriracha. The fresh chopped scallions and sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, IMHO, are a must. Definitely adding this to my permanent recipe file. Thanks so much!
Amy – I’ve now shared your recipe & website with my family, friends, & everyone at work. Looking forward to making it on a regular basis. Please, please create some more recipes for us followers! =0)
Made this for dinner tonight and as leftovers for tomorrow since it’s just me. Loved it!
My kids gobbled this up!
Yummy!
I tried making this and it came out wonderfully. Served over white rice with a side of roasted green beans.
Wow! This is so delicious! The only change I made was I didn’t add salt and pepper to the chicken. I thought the soy sauce added enough sodium. Next time I will double the recipe. Good! Good! Good!
This was AWESOME!!!!!! You know it’s good when my husband who was hung over all day cleared his bowl!!!! hehehe
Been wanting to make this for awhile…turned out great! Even I couldn’t ruin this dish…It’s a keeper. I used chicken thighs with the bones in–couldn’t find the boneless variety. Cooked easily in 3 hours and made the whole house smell terrific. I can almost pass as a cook now :)
I’m excited to give this a try this week! I just popped it onto my menu planner! Thanks for sharing!!
I was in a hurry, didn’t have boneless, skinless thighs, but had hind quarters. Pulled off the skin, threw it in the crock pot, bone-in. Only had 3 hours so I put it on high. When I got home, I deboned it and it came out wonderfully! This is one of my go-to recipes now.
This was absolute torture smelling this cook all afternoon long. The aroma was amazing. Of course a chef should always taste their food, I will admit to sneaking a bit of chicken while thickening the sauce. I served it in bowls over Jasmine rice. The flavor was sweet but it was not overbearing. Definitely has earned a position in my recipe rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Good recipe! I froze extra.
I’m curious about the cooking time. I’ve done other chicken recipes on low for 7-8 hours and they’ve been fine. If I’m using the same amount of chicken, could the cooking time be the same? Or does it depend on the sauce? I’m relatively new to slow cooker usage so please forgive me if this is a silly question! :-)
Not a silly question at all! I understand your concern. However, I couldn’t say because I don’t know what your other recipes entailed…chicken breasts instead of thighs? Other hard ingredients included like carrots and potatoes? This recipe is simply thighs, liquid, and spices, so that might make the difference in the short cooking time. I do know that I’ve made it several times now and it is always done at 4 hours…a few people have even commented theirs was done at 3! If you cook it too long, the chicken could become tough and dry.
Looks good!
This recipe was awesome even though I cooked mine in the oven.
I tried this tonight and it is one the BEST THINGS I’ve EVER made! I LOVE it!!! I cannot wait to make it again! So easy :) Thank you!
My uber picky husband had 3 pieces of this at dinner tonight! Thank you for posting! My recipe was ready at 3 hours, so I do suggest that you check it at that cook time. I have an older crockpot that was given to me as a wedding gift 20 years ago — finally decided to start trying recipes, after two failures this one was a huge hit.
I made this in a 5 quart crock pot.
This is going in the permanent recipe binder. My kids loved it!
Great recipe, thanks!
I don’t have a slow cooker so I made this in the oven at 250F. My kids loved it.