Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Recipe
This Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts or thighs slow-cooked in a sweet and savory sauce made from brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, ketchup, and sesame oil. The dish is finished with a thickened glaze and garnished with fresh green onions, making it an effortless and flavorful meal perfect for busy days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4–6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
Thickening Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Garnish
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, honey, ketchup, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes if using. This sweet and savory mixture will be the flavorful base for your chicken.
- Place Chicken in Slow Cooker: Arrange the chicken breasts or thighs evenly in the bottom of your slow cooker, ensuring they are spaced out to promote even cooking.
- Pour Sauce Over Chicken: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken, gently tucking it between the pieces so each piece is thoroughly coated.
- Cook the Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and shreds easily.
- Prepare Thickening Slurry: About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth to create a slurry.
- Thicken the Sauce: Stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker and continue cooking on high for 30 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Garnish and Serve: Once thickened, sprinkle chopped green onions on top as a fresh garnish before serving your delicious brown sugar garlic chicken.
Notes
- You can use chicken breasts or thighs according to your preference; thighs tend to be juicier.
- For extra heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add fresh chopped chili.
- Serve this dish over rice or steamed vegetables to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- To make the sauce thicker or thinner, adjust the amount of cornstarch slurry accordingly.
Keywords: slow cooker chicken, brown sugar chicken, garlic chicken, easy slow cooker recipes, sweet and savory chicken
