Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Noodles is a cozy, takeout-style dinner that basically cooks itself. Tender chunks of chicken, sweet red bell pepper, and onions simmer all day in a sticky-sweet, garlicky soy sauce until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
Right before serving, you toss in a pot of hot noodles so they get fully coated in that honey garlic goodness, turning the whole thing into an ultra-flavorful, family-friendly noodle dish straight from the crockpot.
This is a perfect “dump it in and go live your life” recipe. The sauce whisks together in minutes, everything (except the noodles) goes into the slow cooker, and hours later you just thicken the sauce, add cooked pasta, and dinner is ready. It’s fresher and more budget-friendly than takeout, easy to customize with different noodles or veggies, and guaranteed to make the kitchen smell amazing.
Equipment
- 4–6 quart slow cooker
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Large pot (for boiling noodles)
- Colander
- Tongs or large spoon
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup soy sauce (low-sodium recommended)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine noodles, cooked and drained
- Sliced green onions or sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Noodles, start by prepping the chicken and vegetables. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly and soak up plenty of sauce. Dice the onion and slice the red bell pepper into thin strips.
Place the cubed chicken, onion, and bell pepper directly into the basin of your slow cooker, spreading them out in an even layer so the sauce will be able to reach everything.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and minced garlic until smooth and fully combined. The honey brings sweetness and helps the sauce become sticky, the soy sauce adds salt and umami, ketchup gives body and a little tang, and sesame oil plus garlic layer in that savory, lightly Asian-inspired flavor.
Once the sauce looks uniform, pour it over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, then use a spoon to stir everything so the chicken and veggies are well coated.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for about 4 hours. During this time the chicken will become tender and the onions and bell pepper will soften into the honey garlic sauce. There’s no need to stir frequently; just let the slow cooker do its work.
If you happen to be around the kitchen, a quick stir halfway through helps make sure everything is cooking evenly, but it’s not essential.
About 20–30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti or linguine according to the package directions, just until al dente. While the water heats and the noodles cook, thicken the slow cooker sauce so it clings beautifully to the chicken and pasta.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together to make a smooth slurry with no lumps. Remove the lid from the crockpot and pour the slurry into the sauce, stirring it in well. Replace the lid and let the mixture cook on high for another 10–15 minutes; the sauce will bubble slightly and thicken into a glossy coating during this time.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them well in a colander. You can drizzle them with a tiny bit of sesame oil or neutral oil to keep them from sticking if they’re going to sit for a minute.
When the sauce in the slow cooker has noticeably thickened and nicely coats the back of a spoon, turn the heat to low or the “keep warm” setting. Add the hot, drained noodles directly into the slow cooker with the honey garlic chicken and vegetables.
Use tongs or a large spoon to gently toss the noodles in the sauce until they are completely coated and intertwined with the chicken and veggies. Take your time with this step so the pasta gets evenly dressed and you don’t break it up too much.
Taste a strand of noodle and a piece of chicken; if you want a touch more salt or sweetness, you can adjust with a small splash of soy sauce or drizzle of honey at this point, stirring again to distribute. Once everything is well combined and hot, your Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Noodles is ready for the table.
Serve the noodles straight from the crockpot, twirling generous portions into bowls and making sure each serving gets plenty of chicken and bell pepper. Sprinkle sliced green onions or sesame seeds over the top if you like a bit of color and texture.
The noodles should be glossy and saucy, the chicken tender and infused with honey garlic flavor, and the peppers and onions soft and sweet, all tied together by the sticky, savory-sweet sauce.
Tips & Variations
This recipe is easy to customize and tweak. Chicken breasts keep things lean, but boneless, skinless thighs are a great option if you like a bit more juiciness and forgiveness in cooking time. They stay tender even if the slow cooker runs a little hot or you’re not right on schedule.
You can also change up the vegetables: adding extra bell peppers of different colors, matchstick carrots, or snap peas during the last hour of cooking gives more texture and color. Just remember that softer vegetables can break down more, so add them later if you want them to stay crisper.
The sauce itself is flexible. If you prefer it less sweet, reduce the honey slightly and add a splash more soy sauce or a teaspoon of rice vinegar to bring in a bit of tang. For a thicker, stickier coating, you can add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to the slurry.
If you enjoy a bit of heat, a drizzle of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes whisked into the sauce at the beginning or stirred in at the end will give a gentle kick without overpowering the honey and garlic.
Noodle choice is also wide open. Spaghetti and linguine are easy and soak up the sauce well, but you can use egg noodles, fettucine, or even rice noodles if you prefer. Just cook them separately according to the package directions and add them at the end in the same way.
If you want to serve this more like a rice bowl, you can skip mixing in the noodles entirely and instead spoon the honey garlic chicken and vegetables over cooked rice, letting the sauce soak down into the grains.
If you’re watching sodium, choose low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium broth (if you add any) and go a bit lighter on the soy at first, adding more to taste at the end. You can also reduce the honey and ketchup and increase the garlic and sesame oil slightly to maintain big flavor without as much sugar.
For a slightly richer glaze, a knob of butter stirred into the sauce at the thickening stage adds a velvety finish without changing the flavor profile much.
Serving & Storage
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Noodles makes a complete meal in one bowl, but it pairs nicely with a few simple sides if you want to round it out. Steamed or stir-fried vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or bok choy are great alongside and add crunch and freshness.
Egg rolls, potstickers, or a simple cucumber salad can also turn this into a full “fakeout takeout” spread without much extra work.
Leftovers reheat very well and make excellent lunches. Let the noodles and chicken cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to three or four days. When reheating, the microwave is convenient—warm in short bursts, stirring in between to ensure even heating.
If the noodles have soaked up a lot of sauce and seem dry, you can splash in a little water, soy sauce, or even a tiny bit of sesame oil before reheating to loosen things up. This dish can also be frozen for short periods, though the noodles will soften more when thawed; for best results, freeze the chicken and sauce separately and add freshly cooked noodles when you’re ready to serve.
