Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken
Published 8/24/2024
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All you need are five ingredients to make this delicious, clean-eating, slow cooker honey sriracha chicken and three of them are in the name! Grab some soy sauce and garlic and let’s go.
This sriracha chicken is a set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal. Who doesn’t love to walk into the house after a long day of work and smell the sweet scent of sriracha chicken? I love to keep things simple and serve it next to white rice with stir-fried veggies!
The Easiest Slow Cooker Recipe
Some people say slow cooker season is the fall and winter, but at Fit Foodie HQ it’s ALWAYS slow cooker season. I know the latest rage is the Instant Pot (I love my IP, too), but my slow cooker will always have my heart.
So this honey sriracha chicken — I’ve made it millions of times and so have lots of my friends and family. It is so simple to make and you only need 5 ingredients. BOOM SAUCE. Speaking of sauce, let’s talk about FFF’s signature honey sriracha sauce for a second. Here’s what you need:
I want to preface that THIS RECIPE IS SPICY. Like spicier than midwestern spicy. If you’re looking for something a bit milder. I suggest stepping back a little from the sriracha.
What You Need for Honey Sriracha Chicken
Bring down the spice: Right now the honey, sriracha, and tamari are 1:1:1. If you bring the sriracha down to 1/4 cup and it would do wonders for bringing down the spice. If you like spice, then this recipe is for you!
How long should I cook honey garlic chicken in the slow cooker?
This recipe is so simple! Add all of your ingredients to your slow cooker and cover. Cook on low for around 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Should I cook my chicken on low or high?
Oh, the burning question. What is a better setting on the slow cooker, low or high?
- Short answer – low and slow is always better when it comes to chicken in the slow cooker. It will leave your chicken tender and juicy and it’s much easier to shred.
- Long answer – you have to do what’s right for you. Maybe, you need dinner to be ready in 2 hours, well, then the high setting is for you. But, if you have the time to put this together 6-8 hours before serving, we always recommend the low setting!
How do I make this less spicy?
If you’re reading this because you followed the recipe and you think things are a little bit too spicy, the answer is to dilute the sauce with more salt and sugar, so, honey and soy sauce!
If you’re reading this and you haven’t made the sauce yet, start with a couple tablespoons of sriracha and go from there!
Instant Pot Instructions for Honey Sriracha Chicken
You can totally make this int he Instant Pot! Check out the directions in the recipe card below, or keep reading.
- Place all ingredients (minus the cornstarch) into your Instant Pot and close. Turn the vent to seal.
- Turn your Instant Pot to manual ‘high’ and set the timer for 10 minutes (if you have 2-3 large chicken breasts) or 13 minutes (if you have 1 extra-large chicken breast). It will take a few minutes for your Instant Pot to build pressure, but eventually, it will start to countdown.
- Once your Instant Pot beeps and is done, quick release your Instant Pot. Open Instant Pot and remove chicken breasts. Add 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch to the sauce and whisk until dissolved.
- Then, use 2 forks to shred chicken. Place chicken back in sauce and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Serve this Amazing Chicken
This has to be one of my favorite slow cooker shredded chicken recipes to meal prep. Get out your handy dandy meal-prep containers and portion out 6 servings along with your favorite grain (I recommend quinoa or white rice) and veggie (air fryer broccoli has been a fav lately).
Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup tamari, or soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sriracha
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch, optional
Instructions
- First, prepare sauce by whisking together tamari, honey, sriracha, and minced garlic.
- Place chicken breasts on the bottom of a slow cooker and then pour sauce on top.
- Set slow cooker to high heat and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours OR set slow cooker to low heat and cook for 3-5 hours (recommended).
- Once your chicken is easily shreddable, remove from slow cooker and use 2 forks to shred the chicken breast.
- Before placing shredded chicken back into slow cooker, thicken the sauce by adding in 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk until dissolved.
- Add shredded chicken back into sauce and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- To make in the Instant Pot: Place all ingredients (minus the cornstarch) into your Instant Pot and close. Turn the vent to seal. Turn your Instant Pot to manual ‘high’ and set the timer for 10 minutes (for 2-3 large chicken breasts) or 13 minutes (for 1 extra large chicken breast). It will take some time for your Instant Pot to build pressure, but eventually, it will start counting down. Once your Instant Pot beeps and is done, quick release. Open Instant Pot and remove chicken breasts. Add 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch to the sauce and whisk until dissolved. Then, use 2 forks to shred chicken. Place chicken back in sauce and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- This recipe has been modified from its original publication date.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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One thing I’d point out is that the chicken can and sometimes does overcook just slightly at the high end of time options (read: if you go the whole 5 hours on low), especially that part of it which is submerged in sauce, but this doesn’t really take away from anything and is more a visual nitpick. It all gets shredded anyway…! It can help to ensure that all chicken is wholly submerged in the dance, but this may require some fileting depending on the exact breasts you get.
This is delicious!! Mine didn’t thicken up w the cornstarch…. Do you have any tips? Please and thank you!!!!
This has been a staple for years, and is my last carnivorous holdout after going vegan for the last 18 months or so. It’s just too good, though I have gone from using it as an every-week survival food (it is affordable enough for those impoverished, as I have been) to an every-few-months treat. At any rate, thank you ever so much for this amazing recipe. Try it in rice, on sandwiches, with various greens, on its own – you really can’t go wrong.
One thing I’d point out is that the chicken can and sometimes does overcook just slightly at the high end of time options (read: if you go the whole 5 hours on low), especially that part of it which is submerged in sauce, but this doesn’t really take away from anything and is more a visual nitpick. It all gets shredded anyway…! It can help to ensure that all chicken is wholly submerged in the dance, but this may require some fileting depending on the exact breasts you get.
Making this constantly for years of grad school (and of adjuncting thereafter), that has been my only issue. You can always count on this one – I certainly have.
Friends and family liked it, and I will make it again after reducing the quantity of Sriracha as advised for a less hot/spicy flavor.
Made this in the crockpot and halved the sriracha and it was SO GOOD! My husband had thirds and said it has to go in the dinner rotation. I served it with basmati rice and a steamed bag of “Asian stir fry” veggies. No regrets and will happily make again!