Tender Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe Easy Sticky Glaze
A comforting and easy slow cooker recipe featuring tender chicken thighs coated in a sweet and savory sticky honey sesame glaze. Perfect for busy weeknights and cozy dinners.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 to 5 hours (low) or 2 to 3 hours (high)
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes (low) or 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes (high)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup honey (113 grams)
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (30 ml)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (15 ml)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16 grams)
- 2 tablespoons water (30 ml)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger until well combined and fragrant.
- Place chicken thighs in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken, coating each piece.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours until chicken is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
- About 20 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth to make a slurry.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker, leaving sauce behind. Stir cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Switch slow cooker to high and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes glossy and sticky. Alternatively, transfer sauce to a skillet and simmer while stirring to thicken.
- Return chicken to slow cooker and toss gently in the thickened glaze to coat thoroughly.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions just before serving.
Notes
Pat chicken dry before adding sauce to help glaze stick better. Use boneless skinless thighs for juiciness. If slow cooker doesn’t thicken sauce well, finish thickening in a skillet. Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for extra flavor. For extra caramelization, broil coated chicken 2-3 minutes watching carefully.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 6 o
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 28
Keywords: slow cooker chicken, honey sesame chicken, easy dinner, sticky glaze, comfort food, slow cooker recipe, chicken thighs