Slow Cooked Honey Ginger Chicken

After a busy day, it’s comforting to know your slow cooker has been hard at work, preparing a delicious dinner for you and your family.

My recipe for Lacquered Honey Ginger Chicken is the result of careful slow cooker research. Searing the bone-in chicken thighs gives them a golden-brown exterior—just be sure not to crowd the pan, or the chicken will steam instead of sear. Once browned, the chicken is added to the slow cooker with chopped red onion, garlic, fresh ginger, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

A rich sauce made with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sweet, smoky hoisin infuses the chicken as it cooks, turning it a beautiful caramel color. The result is tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken that’s packed with flavor.

Visit the Honest Cooking Cookbook Shop

How to Make Slow Cooked Honey Ginger Chicken

1. Brown the Chicken

• Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
• Add half of the chicken thighs to the pan, ensuring not to crowd them.
• Brown the chicken for 4–5 minutes on one side, then flip and brown for another 3–4 minutes.
• Remove the browned chicken and place it in the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining thighs.

2. Prepare the Sauce

• In the same sauté pan, sauté the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
• Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker, pouring it over the browned chicken.

3. Make the Honey Ginger Sauce

• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ketchup, and hoisin sauce until fully combined.
• Pour this sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker.

4. Slow Cook

• Cover the slow cooker and set it to LOW for 4 hours. Allow the chicken to cook until tender and fully cooked through.

5. Thicken the Sauce

• Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the thighs from the slow cooker and set them on a large plate, covering with foil to keep warm.
• In a small bowl, whisk 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup water.
• Stir this slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker, set to HIGH, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.

6. Serve

• Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken thighs. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
• Serve the chicken alongside hot jasmine rice for a complete meal.

Recipe Notes

• Adjusting the sweetness: If you prefer a slightly less sweet dish, you can reduce the honey to 1/3 cup.
• Adding extra spice: For a spicier kick, feel free to double the red pepper flakes or add a sliced fresh chili.
• Substitute for hoisin sauce: If you don’t have hoisin, you can substitute it with a mixture of soy sauce and a bit of sugar or honey.

Yield

• Serves: 4-6 people
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Cuisine: Asian-inspired, Slow Cooker

Slow Cooked Honey Ginger Chicken

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 7 reviews

• Author: Amy Casey
• Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

After an action-packed day, it is comforting to know that your slow cooker was hard at work preparing a spectacular dinner for you and your family.

---

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skinless (about 3 – 3 1/2 pounds or 1.36 – 1.58 kg)

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1-inch piece of ginger root, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup (120 ml) honey

1/2 cup (120 ml) reduced sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil

2 tablespoons (30 g) ketchup

2 tablespoons (30 g) hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 g) cornstarch

Sesame seeds, for garnish

3 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Hot cooked jasmine rice (for serving)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Brown the Chicken

• Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
• Add half of the chicken thighs to the pan, ensuring not to crowd them.
• Brown the chicken for 4–5 minutes on one side, then flip and brown for another 3–4 minutes.
• Remove the browned chicken and place it in the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining thighs.

2. Prepare the Sauce

• In the same sauté pan, sauté the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
• Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker, pouring it over the browned chicken.

3. Make the Honey Ginger Sauce

• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ketchup, and hoisin sauce until fully combined.
• Pour this sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker.

4. Slow Cook

• Cover the slow cooker and set it to LOW for 4 hours. Allow the chicken to cook until tender and fully cooked through.

5. Thicken the Sauce

• Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the thighs from the slow cooker and set them on a large plate, covering with foil to keep warm.
• In a small bowl, whisk 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup water.
• Stir this slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker, set to HIGH, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.

6. Serve

• Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken thighs. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
• Serve the chicken alongside hot jasmine rice for a complete meal.

Notes

Adjusting the sweetness: If you prefer a slightly less sweet dish, you can reduce the honey to ? cup.

Adding extra spice: For a spicier kick, feel free to double the red pepper flakes or add a sliced fresh chili.

Substitute for hoisin sauce: If you don’t have hoisin, you can substitute it with a mixture of soy sauce and a bit of sugar or honey.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hours 15 mins
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: Asian Inspired

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 thigh with sauce
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 800mg
• Fat: 22g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 25g
• Cholesterol: 115mg