The
Homegrown Kitchen Table
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
This slow cooker honey sesame chicken is everything a weeknight dinner should be: sticky-sweet, savory, garlicky, and actually flavorful — not watery. The chicken cooks gently until tender, then the sauce gets thickened right in the crockpot for that glossy, takeout-style finish. Serve it with rice and broccoli for a reliable family dinner, or portion it out for freezer meals that reheat beautifully.
Ingredients
🧺 INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
2–2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce:
⅓ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium if available)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
1–2 tablespoons ketchup (optional)
1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
To Thicken (choose one):
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
or
2 tablespoons arrowroot mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Finish:
1–2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2–3 green onions, sliced (optional)
Instructions
🥣 INSTRUCTIONS / DIRECTIONS
Place chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt and black pepper.
In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar,
sesame oil if using, ketchup if using, and brown sugar if using. Pour sauce over the chicken.
Cook on LOW for 4–5 hours for thighs or 3½–4½ hours for breasts, or on HIGH for 2–3 hours, until chicken is tender and reaches 165°F internally.
Shred or slice the chicken directly in the slow cooker.
Stir together the cornstarch or arrowroot slurry and add it to the slow cooker. Turn heat to HIGH and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and slightly sticky.
Finish by stirring well and topping with sesame seeds and green onions if using.
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE
Serve over steamed rice with broccoli. For quick broccoli, microwave steam for 3–4 minutes, then toss with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of sesame oil.
❄️ FREEZER + MEAL PREP
Freeze cooked: Cool completely, portion chicken with sauce into freezer bags, and freeze flat. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, simmering briefly if needed to tighten the sauce.
Optional freezer prep (uncooked): Combine raw chicken and sauce in a freezer bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook as directed, thickening the sauce at the end.
🧊 STORAGE
Refrigerator: up to 4 days
Freezer: up to 3 months
📝 RECIPE NOTES
Chicken thighs stay juiciest in the slow cooker, but breasts work if preferred.
If the sauce tastes flat, add 1 additional tablespoon soy sauce or 1 teaspoon vinegar.
For heat, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a small amount of sriracha.