Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

The potatoes and carrots need a little more time than the chicken, which is why they go into the slow cooker first. Set the thighs on top in a single layer, pour over the honey-garlic sauce, and the vegetables cook in the savory juices while the chicken stays tender. That simple arrangement is what makes this slow cooker honey garlic chicken and veggies a dependable one-pot dinner.

I whisk the sauce before it goes into the cooker so the honey, soy sauce, broth, garlic, rice vinegar, and ginger are evenly mixed from the start. Then the slow cooker does the steady work; the only hands-on finish is simmering the cooking liquid with a cornstarch slurry until it turns glossy. Spoon that sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and you get tender thighs, soft potatoes, and carrots coated in a sweet-savory garlic sauce.

Why the Vegetables Belong Under the Chicken

Potatoes and carrots are dense, so they need consistent contact with the hot cooking liquid to become tender. Arranging them across the bottom of the slow cooker gives them that contact; the chicken thighs sit above them in a single layer instead of crowding the vegetables. The onion wedges nestle among the roots and soften into the sauce as everything cooks.

Cutting the carrots into 1-inch pieces and halving the baby potatoes also helps the vegetables finish at a similar pace. If the carrot pieces are much larger than the potatoes, they can still feel firm when the potatoes are ready. Keep the chicken in one layer, too: tightly stacked thighs won’t cook as evenly, and the sauce won’t reach all the surfaces as readily. With the vegetables below and the thighs above, the cooker has room to do its work without stirring or shifting anything halfway through.

How the Honey, Soy, and Garlic Make a Balanced Sauce

• Baby Yukon Gold potatoes — Their creamy centers and thin skins hold together well during a slow cook. Halve them so the cut surfaces can absorb some of the cooking liquid; standard baby Yukon Golds work just as well as a specialty brand.
• Carrots and yellow onion — Carrots bring earthy sweetness, and the onion wedges soften into the sauce rather than disappearing. Peel and cut the carrots into even 1-inch pieces so they cook at a similar rate; yellow onion is a mellow match for the honey and garlic.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs — Thighs stay moist through the long, gentle cooking time and are less prone to drying out than leaner chicken. Choose evenly sized pieces when you can so they finish together.
• Honey and low-sodium soy sauce — Honey gives the sauce sweetness and body, while soy sauce brings salty, savory depth. A mild honey keeps the garlic prominent; gluten-free tamari is a useful swap for the soy sauce, as described below.
• Chicken broth, rice vinegar, and ground ginger — Broth loosens the honey and soy into a pourable sauce, rice vinegar keeps the sweetness from tasting flat, and ground ginger adds gentle warmth. Rice vinegar is mild enough to complement rather than overpower the garlic.
• Fresh garlic — Minced garlic gives the sauce its defining savory edge. Fresh cloves taste brighter than jarred minced garlic, though jarred garlic works if that’s what you have.
• Cornstarch — This thickener turns the cooking liquid glossy without making it cloudy. It’s a better fit here than flour because the sauce only needs a light coating consistency.

Layering, Slow Cooking, and the Glossy Sauce Finish

Set Up the Vegetables and Sauce

Arrange the halved potatoes, peeled carrot pieces, and onion wedges across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Lay the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on top in a single layer. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, minced garlic, rice vinegar, and ground ginger until combined. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables so it runs down into the vegetables below.

Cook Until the Roots Are Tender

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. The carrots should be tender when pierced, and the potatoes should yield without breaking apart. Check the thickest chicken thigh with an instant-read thermometer; it needs to reach 165°F. Slow cookers vary, so use the tenderness and temperature cues along with the time range.

Simmer the Liquid Into a Light Sauce

Move the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter and tent them loosely with foil. Pour the cooking liquid into a 2-quart saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with cold water until smooth, then whisk that slurry into the simmering liquid. Keep whisking as it simmers for 1 to 2 minutes; the sauce should look glossy and lightly thickened, not stiff. Spoon it over the chicken and vegetables before serving.

Three Ways to Adjust the Honey-Garlic Sauce

Questions That Come Up With Slow Cooker Chicken and Veggies

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

Slow cooker honey garlic chicken and veggies cook with potatoes, carrots, and onion until tender, then get coated in a glossy honey garlic sauce. Choose LOW or HIGH cooking to fit your schedule, and thicken the cooking liquid just before serving.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs 2 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 550

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the chicken and vegetables

• 1.5 lb potatoes baby Yukon Gold, halved
• 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion medium, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless

For the honey garlic sauce

• 0.5 cup honey
• 0.33 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 0.25 cup chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp ground ginger

For thickening the sauce

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cold water

Equipment

• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

Assemble and slow cook

1. Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and onion in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Place the chicken thighs on top in a single layer.
3. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, rice vinegar, and ginger in a medium bowl.
4. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the thickest chicken thigh reaches 165°F.

Thicken and serve

1. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving platter.
2. Tent the chicken and vegetables loosely with foil.
3. Pour the cooking liquid into a 2-quart saucepan.
4. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl.
6. Whisk the mixture into the simmering liquid.
7. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking, until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.
8. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.

Notes

For the most tender vegetables, cut the carrots into evenly sized 1-inch pieces. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months; use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce if needed.