Honey Garlic Chicken Rice (Printable)

Slow-cooked chicken thighs in honey garlic sauce, served with fluffy rice for an easy, flavorful summer dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

→ Sauce

02 - 1/3 cup honey
03 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
04 - 1/4 cup ketchup
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

→ Slurry

10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Rice

12 - 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
13 - 3 cups water
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

15 - 2 green onions, sliced
16 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

# Directions:

01 - Combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, minced garlic, rice vinegar, grated ginger, black pepper, and chili flakes in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended.
02 - Place chicken thighs evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are coated.
03 - Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked.
04 - Thirty minutes before serving, rinse rice under cold water. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
05 - Transfer cooked chicken thighs to a plate. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker sauce.
06 - Return chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
07 - Lift chicken and sauce onto the fluffed rice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce turns glossy and fragrant, and it's the kind of thing you might want to spoon over everything—even tomorrow's lunch.
  • The rice soaks up flavors beautifully, creating a comfort meal that's equally enticing for a crowd or just two.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the rice, you'll end up with sticky clumps instead of fluffy grains—the texture matters.
  • Letting the sauce thicken for the last 10 minutes gives it irresistible stickiness, so don’t rush that step.
03 -
  • Don’t overcrowd chicken thighs in your crockpot—the sauce won’t cook evenly.
  • A squeeze of lime right before serving freshens every bite and wakes up the flavors.
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