Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
This Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken contains 7g protein and 285 calories per serving, functioning as a side or sauce component for higher-protein meals. Quick prep yields 4 servings for pairing with rice or vegetables to complete your macros. Use this to add flavor complexity to leaner main proteins without adding significant calories.
Ingredients
- •Chicken Thigh, Bone-In, Skin-On
Boneless skinless thighs. Fattier than breast but more forgiving to cook.
- •Olive oil(15g)
Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.
- •Paprika, Ground(5g)
- •Brown sugar(3g)
- •Garlic powder(3g)
- •Onion powder(3g)
- •1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- •1 teaspoon coarse salt
- •1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
- •Honey(120g)
- •Unsalted Butter(120g)
- •Garlic(360g)
- •Soy Sauce, Low Sodium(30g)
- •Vinegar, Rice(30g)
- •1 pinch salt
- •1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- •1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)
- •Cornstarch(10g)
Instructions
- 1Pat dry bone-in, skinless chicken thighs with paper towel. Combine 1/2 tablespoon of oil with rub ingredients. Season chicken, rubbing the mixture into the chicken.
- 2OPTIONAL SEAR: Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken for 2 minutes each side to get a nice sear. (Do not cook chicken all the way through, this step is purely for flavour.)Transfer chicken thighs to a 6-qt (litre) slow cooker bowl.
- 3Melt butter in the same pan the chicken was in, scraping up any leftover browned bits in the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a rapid simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- 4Pour sauce over chicken in slow cooker bowl, flipping thighs in the sauce to evenly coat. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat setting for 2-3 hours, or LOW heat setting for 5-6 hours. Baste with sauce half way through cooking.
- 5Transfer chicken onto serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- 6While chicken is resting: pour juices from the slow cooker bowl into a pot large enough to fit the liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- 7Whisk 1/4 cup water (or broth) with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch/cornflour into a lumpfree slurry. Whisk into sauce and let simmer for a good 2-3 minutes, or until thickend into a syrup-like consistency. (Please note: sauce will thicken as it cools). For a thicker sauce, repeat this step with 1 teaspoon extra cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Add into sauce and cook until thickened. Continue this step until reaching your desired consistency.
- 8Place slow cooked chicken thighs on a lined baking sheet. Baste chicken with some of the thickened sauce, about 2 tablespoons per thigh. Broil briefly for 1-2 minutes each side to char the edges.
- 9Slice chicken and serve drizzled with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.
Nutrition — Per Serving
285
calories
7g
protein
29g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 60g
- Saturated fat
- 0.6g
- Sodium
- 292 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 2.6g
4 servings per batch · ~175g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken have per serving?
Each serving has only 7g of protein and 285 calories, making this a carb-heavy recipe with 60g carbs per serving. This is not a macro-efficient choice for protein targets in a lifting routine.
How long does Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken take to prep?
The recipe features quick prep time and yields 4 servings in a slow cooker setup. You'll have minimal active cooking time before the meal is ready to portion.
Is Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken good for muscle gain?
This recipe is not optimal for muscle gain—at only 7g protein per serving, it falls far short of typical daily protein needs for lifters. You'd need to pair it with a high-protein side to make it viable.
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