This delicious slow cooker honey mustard chicken is perfect tender shredded chicken cooked in a simple, but flavorful sauce. Pulled chicken is a fantastic entree, perfect for meal prep or easy dinners.
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Honey and mustard is the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and suits the chicken really well. I love this as an easy weeknight dinner, or as a convenient way to meal prep chicken breasts.
This tender shredded chicken is cooked in a homemade honey mustard sauce in your slow cooker. It creates a delicious, but simple entree packed with flavor, and the entire dish is made with only 5 minutes of actual effort.
Why you'll love it
- Really easy to make with little effort
- Perfect tender, pull-apart chicken
- Cook the chicken and a delicious sauce at the same time
- The meat is perfect as an entree, or to use in various dishes
- Only takes 5 minutes of preparation
Ingredients
Chicken: I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe. Boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well. If you're using frozen chicken, you will have to thaw it before use.
Soy sauce: Adds a salty and umami flavor to the sauce. Alternatively, use Worcestershire sauce or a little salt.
Honey: Adds a lovely sweetness to the sauce.
Mustard: Regular American yellow mustard is perfect for this dish. You can also use some Dijon mustard for an extra kick, but it can be very overpowering if you use too much.
Black pepper: Improves the flavor of the chicken.
Garlic: Use garlic cloves, garlic puree, or garlic powder.
Cornstarch (optional): If your chicken contains a lot of water, you can use cornstarch to thicken the sauce. This is not necessary if you're using high quality chicken breasts.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Dice the garlic. Add it to the slow cooker along with the chicken, black pepper, mustard, honey and soy sauce. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be so tender that it easily pulls apart.
Two: Use a hand mixer or two forks to shred the chicken in the Crock pot. If the chicken has released a lot of water, you can thicken the sauce by combining cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Stir this into the sauce with the chicken, and leave to cook on low for a further 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Serve the shredded honey mustard chicken immediately, or leave it on the keep warm setting for a few hours until dinner time.
Top tips
- Leave the lid on while the dish is cooking. If you remove the lid to check on the food, you will let out the heat, and increase the required cooking time.
- The exact cooking time required will vary depending on your slow cooker.
- High quality chicken breasts typically contain less water, and will not require any cornstarch added, as the sauce will be fine as it is.
- Avoid using chicken with skins and bones. These make it much more difficult to shred the meat after cooking.
- This recipe requires a 3 qt or 6 qt slow cooker.
Serving suggestions
Slow cooker honey mustard chicken is perfect to serve as an easy entree for lunch or dinner. Pair it with any of your favorite side dishes, as this versatile dish tastes great with virtually any flavors.
Alternatively, you can use the meat in other dishes, like casseroles, sandwiches or wraps.
Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with it:
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Roasted Carrots and Potatoes
- Turmeric Rice
- Avocado Chickpea Salad
Variations
Gluten free: Use gluten free soy sauce, or replace the soy sauce with salt.
Spicy: Add some chili powder or red pepper flakes. If you add a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard, this will also add a little kick of spice.
Whole chicken breasts: If you prefer to serve the dish as whole chicken breasts, instead of shredded chicken, you can simply skip the step of shredding the meat.
Low calorie options: Make sure to use chicken breasts, rather than chicken thighs. You can find low sugar or low calorie honey alternatives in many large supermarkets and health stores.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a slow cooker or Crockpot that is at least 3 qt large. Additionally, you will need either forks, meat claws, or a hand mixer to shred the chicken before serving.
Storage
Store any leftover cooked chicken for up to 3 days in a sealed container in a refrigerator. The chicken can be reheated in a skillet or microwave, and served warm as an entree. You can also add the meat cold to other dishes.
Shredded Crockpot honey mustard chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. If you wish to freeze the cooked meat, I recommend that you use boneless chicken thighs, as it's more likely to stay juicy and tender.
Frequently asked questions
In most situations, you don't need to add any liquid to chicken in the slow cooker. Most chicken will naturally release water as it cooks.
Chicken breasts can be cooked on either low or high setting. It's usually recommended cooking them on low, as this results in really tender meat.
Chicken breasts are typically cooked in as little as 2 hours on high, depending on the size of the chicken. You can slow cook chicken for up to 8 hours on low setting. If you need to leave the meat in the slow cooker for any longer than that, you could turn on the keep warm setting, which will keep the meat warm without overcooking it.
You might also like these recipes
- Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
- Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Braising Steak
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mojo Chicken
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add chicken, honey, mustard, black pepper, soy sauce, and diced garlic to a slow cooker.2 pounds chicken breasts, ½ cup honey, ½ cup yellow mustard, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 3 garlic cloves
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Use a hand mixer or two forks to shred the chicken in the Crockpot.
- If the sauce is very thin, you can thicken it by combining cornstarch in a small bowl with cold water to form a paste (called a cornstarch slurry). Mix this paste into the sauce with the chicken, and cook on low for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking. This step is typically not required if you cook the chicken on low, using high quality meat.1 tablespoon cornstarch
Video
Notes
- You will need a 3 qt or 6 qt slow cooker to make this recipe.
- Store any leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave, and serve them warm.
- You can use either chicken breasts, or boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Avoid using chicken with skin or bones.
- If you want to use frozen chicken, you will have to thaw the meat before you add it to the slow cooker.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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