This 5-Ingredient Crockpot Chicken has tender, juicy bites of shredded chicken simmered in a paleo honey garlic sauce to make for the perfect weeknight dinner.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 6 hrs 5 mins
- 👪Serves: 6
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 281 kcals and 48 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Chicken Breasts, coconut aminos, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and honey.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, refined sugar-free.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Only 5 pantry ingredients, hands-off cooking, and that sticky-sweet garlic sauce that tastes way more indulgent than the effort involved.
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If you struggle to get dinner on the table on busy nights, choosing the right slow cooker will save your sanity- seriously, here are 30+ dairy and gluten-free slow cooker recipes. As a mom of three, I use my slow cooker at least twice a week, as it makes for tasty, easy dinners like slow cooker taco meat.
This paleo honey garlic chicken recipe has been a staple in the house for about a year now because it’s so easy. Naturally sweetened with honey means that the chicken comes out sweet enough that the kids devour it. Plus, leftovers can be used in a stir fry, pasta, or healthy chicken fajita bowls.
Jump To
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- 💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flavor Variations
- How To Make 5 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken
- Expert Tips To Make It
- How To Store It
- How To Serve Honey Garlic Chicken
- Paleo Crockpot Chicken FAQs
- More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
- Paleo Crockpot Shredded Chicken
💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: With just 5 main ingredients, this crockpot chicken comes together with pretty little effort, just like slow cooker Chipotle chicken.
Healthy: Naturally sweetened, dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo-approved means that this recipe makes for a healthy dinner.
Versatile: There are lots of ways to reuse the chicken once it’s cooked or jazz it up if you want new flavors.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Coconut aminos: This 5-ingredient crockpot chicken uses coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. If you don’t need the honey garlic chicken to be paleo-friendly, just use gluten-free soy sauce.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Chicken thighs will work in place of chicken breasts; just know that they give off a ton of liquid so the sauce will be a bit different. This is the case in slow cooker Hawaiian chicken, too.
- Garlic: Personally, I use a ton more garlic than listed, but I LOVE garlic. If your kids aren’t a fan, use just the tablespoon.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
If you want to add some new tastes to the 5-ingredient crockpot chicken, below are some favorites we’ve tried.
Seasonings: Sprinkle some ginger or extra garlic in the mixture. Likewise, adding a splash of sesame oil is delicious too (though some people don’t believe this is paleo so use your judgment).
Spice: If you like a spicy kick with dinner, slice up some jalapenos and toss them in, or use hot honey in place of regular.
How To Make 5 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken
I used a white slow cooker insert for this recipe, so know that it looks like a baking dish. I wanted to make that chicken pop, though so you could really see it.
Step 1: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, ideally not layered over one another. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour it on top of the chicken.
Step 2: Slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
Step 3: Use two forks two forks to shred the chicken when you’re ready for it.
Step 4: Serve over rice.
Expert Tips To Make It
The recipe results in a decent amount of sauce in the slow cooker. If you want a thicker sauce texture, whisk in 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder to 3 tablespoons of sauce and pour it in about 30 minutes before you need it.
If using a bone-in chicken or increasing the recipe, know that cooking times will vary, and you'll need to cook the honey garlic shredded chicken longer.
How To Store It
In the fridge: Paleo honey garlic chicken makes for wicked meal prep. If you have extra, let it cool fully first. Then, store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days and serve it alongside gluten-free macaroni salad or over rice.
In the freezer: You can freeze the shredded chicken as well for up to 3 months. To do this, let it cool and place the chicken along with the remaining sauce into a freezer-safe bag. Lay it flat to freeze. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before you need it.
Reheating: Reheat the crockpot chicken either on the stove over low heat or if you have enough of it, pop it back in the slow cooker over low until warmed through.
How To Serve Honey Garlic Chicken
You can serve this shredded chicken basically any way you wish but below are some ideas.
- Over the top of steamed rice and root vegetable medley (or Whole30 cauliflower rice to cut carbs)
- Mixed into gluten-free noodles for a pasta dish
- On top of a salad the next day
- In a wrap or as the base of fajitas or quesadillas for a new taste
- Followed up by paleo cashew butter cookies.
Paleo Crockpot Chicken FAQs
I personally don’t advise using frozen chicken for crockpot recipes. It changes the cooking time, and because you’re thawing it with hea,t I don’t feel comfortable that it hits the proper temperature in the time it should.
You can, but again, it changes the cooking time. You’ll have to cook the chicken longer than listed. It will also give off a bit more grease so the texture of the sauce may change a bit.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this 5 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Paleo Crockpot Shredded Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken breasts
- ½ cup Honey
- ½ cup Coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a 5 quart (or larger) slow cooker.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together honey, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, water, and minced garlic. Pour this mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cook the chicken on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is fork tender.
- Use forks to shred the chicken, then serve it hot over rice.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Shelby S says
I still can't get over how juicy this chicken comes out!