Glazed Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
Sticky-Sweet Slow-Cooker Chicken
A hands-off, savory-sweet glaze keeps boneless thighs juicy while root vegetables cook into tender, saucy comfort—perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or a make-ahead meal.
This is the kind of dinner that does the heavy lifting for you: brown the boneless, skinless thighs quickly for color, dump everything into the slow cooker, and let time turn a simple glaze into glossy, clinging sauce. The short sear before simmering is worth the two minutes per side—it adds Maillard depth that the slow cooker alone can’t build, and it helps the chicken keep its juices all the way through the 4½-hour cook time.
The glaze is a little sweet, a little tangy, and quietly savory: low-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce give umami backbone, while honey, brown sugar, Dijon, and a splash of apple cider vinegar balance sweetness and bright acidity. A spoonful of tomato paste rounds the sauce and helps it thicken into that lacquered finish. Onion, carrots, and Yukon Golds sit in the sauce and soak up flavor, turning soft and almost confit-like by the end.
Practical notes: pat the thighs dry and season lightly before searing; the recipe scales to feed six and keeps well in the fridge for easy lunches. If you want a shinier, slightly charred top, lift the cooked pieces onto a baking sheet and broil for 2–3 minutes to caramelize the glaze. Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread and a quick green salad to cut the richness.
Ingredients
How to Make Glazed Chicken
- Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then brown chicken thighs 2 minutes per side until golden (they do not need to be cooked through). Transfer thighs to the slow cooker.
- Roughly chop the onion, slice carrots into 1/2-inch pieces and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks; add all to the slow cooker around the chicken along with smashed garlic cloves.
- In a bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste until smooth; pour the glaze mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Add dried thyme, bay leaf and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2.5–3 hours) until chicken is tender and vegetables are fork-tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and transfer chicken to a cutting board; optionally shred or leave thighs whole, then return to the cooker.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, stir into the slow cooker liquid, then turn the cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered 20–30 minutes to thicken and concentrate the glaze.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed, then serve hot spooned over the vegetables and glaze; garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or chopped parsley if desired.
Recipe Card
Glazed Chicken
Glazed Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 4 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then brown chicken thighs 2 minutes per side until golden (they do not need to be cooked through). Transfer thighs to the slow cooker.
- Roughly chop the onion, slice carrots into 1/2-inch pieces and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks; add all to the slow cooker around the chicken along with smashed garlic cloves.
- In a bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste until smooth; pour the glaze mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Add dried thyme, bay leaf and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2.5–3 hours) until chicken is tender and vegetables are fork-tender.
- Remove the bay leaf and transfer chicken to a cutting board; optionally shred or leave thighs whole, then return to the cooker.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, stir into the slow cooker liquid, then turn the cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered 20–30 minutes to thicken and concentrate the glaze.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed, then serve hot spooned over the vegetables and glaze; garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 38
- Saturated Fat
- 7
- Sodium
- 650
- Fiber
- 3.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 20
- Protein
- 43
- Fat
- 27
- Cholesterol
- 160
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 580
- Sugar
- 18