This Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is sweet, spicy, and easy to make! Serve it over rice or noodles for an easy weeknight meal.
Making crockpot honey sesame chicken is a hands-off way to prepare dinner for your family! To finish off the meal, add some instant or ready-made rice, cream cheese wontons, and a salad.
How To Make Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Step One: Chicken
For the chicken, I chose boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs. Cut the chicken into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them in a greased or lined slow cooker.
Step Two: Honey Sesame Chicken Sauce
In a small bowl, mix together honey, low-sodium soy sauce, barbecue sauce, olive oil, minced onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
Step Three: Crockpot
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours until it reaches 165˚F. Start checking the temperature of the chicken after 3 hours. Or you can cook it on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and start checking the temperature after 1 1/2 hours.
Step Four: Sauce
Remove the chicken from the crockpot and transfer the sauce to a saucepan. Combine cold water and cornstarch together before whisking it into the sauce. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. This only takes a couple of minutes.
Turn the heat down to low, add chicken to the sauce, and break any large pieces into smaller chunks. Stir to coat while simmering.
Tips For Making Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
- You can choose chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. I’ve tried both, and the chicken thighs are dark meat and have more fat. This will help keep the chicken moist if that has been an issue for you.
- Get to know your crockpot or slow cooker. Each brand and price point can vary significantly. Check the temperature of the chicken after 3 hours when cooking it on low or after 1 1/2 hours when cooking it on high.
- For extra sauce, increase the sauce ingredients before adding them to the slow cooker.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: To prep crockpot sesame chicken ahead of time, cube and season the chicken. Place it in an airtight storage bag in the fridge overnight. Whisk the sauce ingredients in an airtight container and store them in the fridge overnight. Then, prepare the recipe as directed.
- Storage: Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to four weeks.
More Crockpot Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
- Slow Cooker French Dip
- Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Meatballs
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed or chicken thighs
- 1 cup honey
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers more or less as desired
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Put the cubed chicken in a greased or lined slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together honey, low-sodium soy sauce, barbecue sauce, olive oil, minced onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, and crushed red peppers. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Start checking the temperature of the chicken after 3 hours and cook until the chicken reaches 165˚F. Or cook it on high for 1 1/2-2 hours and start temping the chicken after 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the crockpot and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Combine the cold water and cornstarch before stirring it into the sauce. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. This only takes a couple of minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low, add chicken to the sauce, and break any large pieces into smaller chunks. Stir to coat while simmering.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice or noodles.
Cindy says
I posted before I had the chance to give you your stars. LOL
Maddy says
I made this and it was delicious. I added tapioca (NOT large pearls) and cut out the added cornstarch thickening process. Made it simpler for me. BTW I used standard 1-1/2 tsp tapioca per 1 cup liquid ratio. Thank you for an interesting and very tasty dinner choice.
Tonia says
Interesting! I’ve never used tapioca, I will have to try it! ~Tonia
Julie says
We loved this! Made it today for my husband and I. I was out of barbecue sauce, so I added Thai Sweet chili sauce and a small can of pineapple tidbits. Cooked it for 2.5 hours. followed the rest of the instructions for making the sauce, added to the chicken and then added the pineapple. This one will be cooked again!
Michelle says
was just ok. Did not impress me but I didn’t hate it. Sauce does not thicken as much as I would like. Chicken was cooked for 3 hrs and was kinda dry tasting. I give 2 stars!
Terry says
Love this recipe. It’s even better served over black rice
Terry says
Love this recipe. It’s even better served over black rice
Terry says
Love this recipe. It’s even better served over black rice
Amanda says
Now this looks like a winner! It’s actually making my mouth water just looking at your pics. I must try this asap!
LynAnne says
Tried this recipe using pork chunks as a family member has allergies to chicken. The meat was an absolute fail (tough, grainy and tasteless). The sauce, was ok over rice. I’m wondering if the meat had been floured and quick fried first if it wouldn’t have been better. Any thoughts?
Tonia says
I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out using pork. I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with pork although I would love to learn to make tender, moist pork!
Shannon says
I am deathly allergic to chicken and turkey too!!!
I would cut the cooking time down to 2 hours and I bet that would make it better. Pork takes less time to cook.
gabby says
I made this using my Ninja 4 in 1, and it was amazing! We only had to cook it for about 2 hours, though I left it in for about 2.5 while the rice was cooking. It wasn’t dry at all and the flavor was amazing. The sauce didn’t thicken as much as I thought, but I’ve always been a sauce person. So, having the extra was perfect for me! Thanks for this recipe! 5/5
Summeya says
Hi. I loved the look of this recipe but unfortunately when I made it mine was very light in colour not a lovely brown like yours . Do you think it’s the honey or soy sauce I’m using?
Tonia says
I’m not sure. It could be any of the ingredients including the barbecue sauce. Cooking the sauce in the saucepan helped to thicken and further cook the sauce.
Laura Eakins says
So was mine, I added a little Kitchen Bouquet and it did the trick.
Angie P. says
Followed the recipe to the T. Mine turned out very dry and soupy with very little flavor. 🙁
joanna says
Can you use arrowroot powder to thicken instead of cornstarch?? Thoughts on how much to add? Same as cornstarch? Thanks!
Tonia says
Hi Joanna,
I’ve never used arrowroot powder so I’m not sure. Maybe another reader has some tips!
~Tonia
Allison says
This is probably a stupid question, but I’m assuming you’re supposed to throw the chicken into the crockpot raw?
Tonia says
Not at all! I’m so glad you asked. Yes, you put it into the crockpot raw.
Carol jacoby says
This was wonderful! Will go in the keep file.
Teri says
It was very dry and bitter. Don’t know what happen but it was horrible.
esph says
yup i tried it last night and the chicken was really dry and the sauce was pretty pungent. my thoughts for next time: use dark meat and definitely low-sodium (i used regular soy sauce, oops).
Tammy says
Made this tonight and it was a huge it. My chicken breast were butterfly cut so it cooked in 3 hours on low. I added broccoli and it was a perfect meal on this cold night!
Naomi says
Thanks for this recipe! We had a dinner party at the weekend and I made this, and everyone loved it. My sauce didn’t thicken at all and was really runny but the flavours were amazing.
Lindestorme McMahon says
The sauce will thicken as u cook it so maybe cook it longer with the cornstarch in it on the stove and that may fix the sauce problem.
Leila says
Really good meal! Not as thick as take-out sesame chicken, but still delicious. I added raw broccoli into my slow cooker about 20 minutes before serving to add some extra nutrients and flavors.
Tonia says
I will have to try adding broccoli next time! Sounds like a great addition. Thanks Leila!
Ericka says
I made this tonight and I didn’t something wrong. The sauce was way to thick and sugary. I was so disappointed
Carol says
Can you use regular soy sauce or does it work better with low sodium? What alterations to the recipe do you suggest if I use regular soy sauce?
Tonia says
Hi Carol,
I’ve never tried it with regular soy sauce, but I think it would work the same. I would suggest using 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup to keep the sodium content lower. Best of luck!
~Tonia
mandy says
I only have 4 sets on my crockpot 4 or 6 on HIGH and 8-10 on low. Unfortunately, I didn’t take this into consideration when preparing this dish. I set it on 4 hours and will check on it in about 2. This is literally the first dish I’m trying out with my new crockpot. Is the time still the same for the settings I named or will checking on it in 2 hours be okay? I don’t want to dry out the chicken.
Tonia says
Hi Mandy,
I’m sorry but I’ve never worked with those settings. Yes, it will probably be done cooking after 2 hours on high. If not, you can always put it back in the crockpot or finish cooking it in a skillet.
~Tonia