Made with simple kitchen staples, this shredded slow cooker hot honey chicken recipe comes together so easily! Perfect for a busy weeknight, you can easily dump everything into a crockpot before heading out and shred the meat right before serving! Enjoy this crockpot chicken recipe on its own, with a salad, between burger buns, in a rice bowl, and more.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Shredded chicken is such a versatile dish to have in your fridge. You can easily pack it for lunch or dinner with a variety of different sides, from coleslaw to a leafy salad to a grain bowl, in a sandwich or a wrap, and more! It easily pairs with whatever you have in your fridge.
- It's very easy to make this crockpot shredded chicken recipe. You just add everything to the slow cooker and let it work its magic! Then shred the chicken. Easy peasy.
- You can easily customize how this tastes. Add more honey if you want the shredded chicken to be sweeter, or add more red pepper flakes if you want the chicken to be spicier!
Ingredients You'll Need
hot honey — hot honey on its own can be a little expensive, so we are making it ourselves in this recipe for a fraction of the price! All you need is runny honey and red pepper flakes. However, if you have some hot honey in your pantry that you would like to use up, you can easily swap it in instead.
seasoning — to add some extra flavor, you'll also need smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
brown sugar — for a deeper, sweet flavor, I like to add a bit of brown sugar.
apple cider vinegar — a splash of ACV will help the shredded chicken become more tender, moist, and flavorful.
olive oil — just some oil to go on the bottom of the crockpot to help prevent the honey from sticking to the bottom.
chicken thighs — I'm using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this hot honey chicken recipe, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The cook time will remain the same. I just personally prefer the flavor and extra fat from the chicken thighs.
How To Make This Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
- In a bowl, whisk together honey, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Add the olive oil to the bottom of the slow cooker, ensuring it is evenly coated, and place the chicken thighs on top.
- Pour the hot honey mixture into the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts in the slow cooker with the liquid.
- Serve warm in a bun or on top of rice, in a pita, or with a salad!
Recipes Variations
- Swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts.
- Add more or less honey and red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Swap some of the red pepper flakes for a hot sauce of your choice, such as sriracha.
- Add freshly diced onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Double the chicken! Make sure to double the liquid as well. No need to change the cooking time.
Tips and Notes
- To easily measure honey, spray your measuring cup with oil or non-stick spray, and your honey will slide right out without having to scrape it out with a spatula or spoon!
- Avoid opening the slow cooker lid while the chicken cooks. It'll let out the steam that it worked so hard to build up and the chicken will take longer to cook.
- Make the shredded chicken crispy by transferring the shredded chicken to a sheet pan and broiling in the oven for 2-5 minutes on the middle rack, keeping an eye on it throughout. Be sure that the shredded chicken has sauce on it to prevent it from drying out.
- You can prepare this hot honey chicken as a freezer meal by adding everything but the olive oil to a large freezer-friendly ziptop bag. When ready to enjoy, thaw it overnight and add it to your slow cooker after coating the bottom with olive oil.
- I would not recommend cooking the chicken from frozen. Make sure the chicken thighs has thawed before adding them to the crockpot!
- This hot honey chicken pairs well with my garlic bread pizza recipe or air fryer garlic bread.
Storage Tips
- To store the leftover shredded hot honey chicken, allow the chicken to cool to room temperature and then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- To freeze the shredded chicken, allow it to cool to room temperature, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag, and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw fully before reheating.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or more if you’d like it hotter
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together honey, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust, if desired. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to the bottom of the slow cooker, ensuring it is evenly coated, and place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on top before pouring the hot honey mixture into the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts in the slow cooker with the liquid. Serve while still warm.
Nutrition
More Recipes You May Like
- Slow Cooker Gochujang Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Slow Cooker Shredded Pineapple Chicken
More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Pinterest.
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