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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken cooks chicken thighs (or breasts) in a sweet-savory brown sugar garlic sauce until tender and juicy. Finished with a cornstarch slurry, the sauce thickens into a glossy coating for serving over rice or mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
Sauce
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar
  • 0.33 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter Melted.
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
Thickening
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
Garnish
  • 0.5 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp sliced green onions
To serve
  • 1 rice
  • 1 mashed potatoes
  • 1 roasted vegetables

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Layer and season
  1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, melted butter, Dijon mustard, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and dried parsley until evenly combined, then pour the sauce over the chicken.
Slow cook
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 2½–3 hours, until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken and keep warm while you thicken the sauce.
Thicken and coat
  1. Mix the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry.
  2. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker sauce, then cook on HIGH for 10–15 minutes until the sauce thickens and looks glossy.
  3. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and coat well with the thickened sauce.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
  2. Serve the chicken over rice, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, whisk the slurry until smooth before adding, and keep the lid off during the final HIGH thickening so it reduces slightly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days; reheat in the microwave or on LOW until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can lose some thickness after thawing. Dietary swap: use bone-in skinless chicken thighs if needed—still cook on LOW until tender, then thicken with the slurry.