Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken is an easy, dump & go, set-it-and-forget-it chicken dinner recipe. Tender chicken slow cooks in a homemade sweet garlic sauce with lemon lime soda, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and brown sugar.

Sweet Garlic Chicken Made In The Slow Cooker

My very favorite dinner recipes are slow cooker recipes that are dump & go, super easy prep (if any at all!), and no chopping required. Just put every single ingredient into the slow cooker and walk away!

For another dump & go slow cooker chicken dinner recipe, be sure and also make my Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken.

This sweet garlic chicken is so kid-friendly and it’s also one of those meals that you know everyone will gobble up with no complaining. Serve shredded sweet garlic chicken over cooked white rice, drizzle on some of that extra sweet garlic sauce, and garnish with green onions.

The homemade sweet garlic sauce is created with brown sugar, rice vinegar, lemon-lime soda, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and black pepper.

Simple Ingredients Needed

1. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts : I like to trim off all the weird fatty pieces, and connective tissue pieces from each chicken breast. If they are really large pieces I cut them in half so I have two smaller, thicker pieces from each chicken breast.
2. Light Brown Sugar : Yes, I know it’s a lot of sugar but it creates the sauce and not one person is drinking all the sauce, so it’s not like each serving alone will be loaded with sugar. The brown sugar infuses tons of rich sweet flavor into the sweet garlic sauce and chicken.
3. Rice Vinegar : Make sure you are using unseasoned rice vinegar. The vinegar helps add some tangy acid to the sauce and helps to offset the sweetness.
4. Lemon-Lime Soda : 7-Up or Sprite are the best options. Use any carbonated lemon-lime soda you want, like store-brand or whatever. I prefer using regular sugar lemon-lime soda but if you want, you can use diet or zero sugar versions.
5. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
6. Garlic Cloves : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste.
7. Ground Black Pepper
8. Cornstarch + Cold Water : This helps thicken the sweet garlic sauce before serving. This is optional, if you like the consistency of the sauce after the cook time, then don’t do this step.

How To Make Sweet Garlic Chicken In The Crockpot (Printable Recipe Card)

Lay the chicken breast in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, rice vinegar, lemon-lime soda, soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper. Pour over the chicken inside the slow cooker.

Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it onto a plate or cutting board; use two forks to shred the chicken and return it back into the slow cooker and stir everything together well. You can also shred it right in the slow cooker, or for a more even shred use a handheld blender on low speed to shred the chicken inside the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water with a fork until combined and smooth. Pour this into the slow cooker and let it cook for a few minutes, while stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Serve the sweet garlic chicken over top cooked white rice, add some extra sauce, and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

How To Store Leftovers

Keep leftover shredded chicken + additional sweet garlic sauce stored inside an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3-4 days.

Reheat individual portions inside the microwave or inside a sauce pan, over medium-low heat and warm until heated through.

Store any leftover rice separately from the chicken. To reheat rice, I like to use the the microwave and add just a touch of water to the rice to keep it soft while it is reheating.

Serving Suggestions For Shredded Sweet Garlic Chicken

My family’s preferred and favorite way to eat this chicken is over cooked white rice, extra sauce drizzled on top, and then garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Here are some other ideas for serving if you want to switch it up. Try serving the sweet garlic chicken inside lettuce cups, serve over cooked brown rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa for a different option. You can also serve the chicken alongside some roasted potatoes.

My Tips For Success

• I love using an electric hand mixer to shred the chicken inside the slow cooker. This evenly shreds all the chicken very quickly! Be sure to not blend it too much or else the chicken will turn really mushy because it will be such small pieces.
• I prefer the taste of the sweet garlic sauce when using regular sugar soda. Diet or zero sugar soda can be used if that’s what you want to do.
• I know this is a no-prep recipe but I like to take a few extra minutes and cut off the weird parts of the chicken before putting it into the slow cooker. Just the fatty pieces and the cartilage/connective tissues that sometimes get left behind on the chicken.

More Easy Dump & Go Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes

• Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
• Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken
• Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken
• Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
• Slow Cooker Taco Ranch Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Asian Sesame Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken