This slow cooker 5-ingredient sweet chili chicken is the kind of simple, set-it-and-forget-it supper that fits right into a busy farm day or a long workweek. It leans on a bottle of store-bought sweet chili sauce and just four pantry staples poured right over plain chicken breasts in the slow cooker. By suppertime, you’ve got tender, sticky-sweet chicken that tastes like you fussed, even though you barely lifted a finger. It reminds me of the church potlucks where someone would always bring a sweet, saucy chicken dish that disappeared before anything else—easy, comforting, and familiar.
Serve this sweet chili chicken spooned over fluffy white rice or buttered egg noodles so all that sticky-sweet sauce has something to soak into. Around here, I like to add a simple side of steamed green beans or a tossed salad for something fresh and crisp. Warm dinner rolls or cornbread are right at home on the table, too. If you’d like to stretch the meal, shred the chicken and tuck it into soft sandwich buns with a little coleslaw on top, or wrap it in flour tortillas with lettuce and cucumbers for a cool, crunchy contrast.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Sweet Chili ChickenServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bottled sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Place the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
In a small bowl, stir together the bottled sweet chili sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and minced garlic until well combined.
Pour the sweet chili sauce mixture evenly over the raw chicken breasts in the slow cooker, making sure all the chicken is coated in the sticky-sweet sauce.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and very tender (it should reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F).
Once cooked, use two forks to gently shred or slice the chicken right in the slow cooker, stirring it into the sauce so every piece is coated.
Taste the sauce and adjust if needed, adding a bit more honey for extra sweetness or a splash of soy sauce for more saltiness. Serve the sweet chili chicken hot with plenty of sauce spooned over each portion.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little heat with your sweet, stir 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes into the sweet chili sauce mixture before pouring it over the chicken. For a tangier flavor, add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar along with the other ingredients. You can swap the honey for brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand, or use tamari or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce if you need a gluten-free option (just be sure your bottled sweet chili sauce is gluten-free as well). Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work nicely here too and stay very moist; cooking time may be similar, but always check for doneness. For a more complete one-pot meal, you can lay thick-cut carrot rounds or onion wedges under the chicken before pouring on the sauce, understanding that they will soften quite a bit. Leftover chicken can be cooled quickly, then refrigerated in a shallow container and enjoyed within 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 to 3 months. For food safety, keep raw chicken refrigerated until you’re ready to cook, wash your hands and any cutting boards or knives that touch raw poultry, and be sure the chicken reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part before serving. Avoid leaving cooked chicken at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the room is very warm).
