Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken

A serving of white rice with sweet garlic chicken on top of it and a fork.

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.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword slow cooker sweet garlic chicken, sweet garlic chicken

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 5

Servings

Calories 168kcal

Author Jessica

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (7-up or Sprite)
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
cooked white rice, sliced green onions, sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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.
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 4 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cover with the lid and cook on LOW 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 uncovered, while stirring occasionally, until thickened.
2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cold water
Serve the sweet garlic chicken over top cooked white rice, add some extra sauce, and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
cooked white rice, sliced green onions, sesame seeds

Notes

Calorie count is for one serving (about 3/4 cup chicken + some sauce) of the sweet honey garlic chicken. It does not include cooked rice for serving.

Serving Tips : 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. Or 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.

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. 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.

Nutrition