Slow-Cooker Hot-Honey Chicken Sandwiches

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated July 15, 2021

Slow-Cooker Hot-Honey Chicken Sandwiches
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
4 to 5 hours and 20 minutes
Rating
4(2,576)
Comments
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These simple sandwiches are reminiscent of a lazy summer cookout — but doable on a weeknight. Though slow cookers are often associated with winter, they’re great in hot weather because they don’t heat up the kitchen like ovens do. For this recipe, there is no need to add liquid to the pot before cooking, because the chicken will release moisture as it cooks. If you have a lot of liquid remaining when the chicken is done, that’s absolutely fine; just incorporate it into the shredded chicken. But if you have a little extra time, before you shred the chicken or add the honey, remove the chicken to a bowl with tongs, pour the juices into a small saucepan, and simmer until the juices are reduced by half to intensify flavor and thicken the sauce. After that, simply pick the recipe back up at Step 3.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1tablespoon vegetable oil 
  • 2teaspoons red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1½teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1teaspoon onion powder
  • 1teaspoon ground sweet paprika
  • ¼teaspoon ground smoked paprika 
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup honey 
  • 2teaspoons cider vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 2heaping cups shredded green cabbage (about 8 ounces or ¼ medium green cabbage)
  • ¼cup mayonnaise, plus more for the buns
  • 3scallions, sliced
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4rolls or buns (preferably onion rolls)
  • Vinegary hot sauce, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

618 calories; 26 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 50 grams protein; 854 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, oil, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, the onion powder, sweet paprika and smoked paprikas. Season with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is very tender, 4 to 5 hours. (The chicken will keep well on warm for another 3 hours.)

  2. Step 2

    At any time before serving, combine the honey with the remaining 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a liquid measuring cup or a small bowl. Cover and reserve at room temperature until the chicken is done.

  3. Step 3

    Using two forks, finely shred the chicken with its cooking liquid. Pour in the spiced honey and the cider vinegar and toss to coat. Taste; it may need a little more salt, to sharpen the flavor. Also add more red-pepper flakes and vinegar, if you like.

  4. Step 4

    In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, mayonnaise, scallions and lemon juice; season the slaw to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Toast the buns, then spread with mayonnaise and a few shakes of hot sauce. Mound the chicken on the bottom buns and top with the slaw.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,576 user ratings
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Comments

mirrorball

Look at the Chipotle-Honey Chicken Taco recipe on NYT-Cooking. It has both a slow-cooker and an Instant Pot version. I think the same modifications might work well to convert this to Instant Pot. For 1-1/2 lbs it's high pressure for 13 minutes plus 5 minutes natural pressure release - and then shred the chicken. Maybe a touch longer for this recipe since 2 lbs is recommended. But I've not done it. That chipotle-honey taco recipe is a favorite regular in our house.

Sarah R

I cooked it in my Dutch oven at 325 for 1.5 hrs. It worked out really well and I didn’t need to add any additional liquid.

sofia

Could this work in an Instant Pot??

Sue

The texture of the cooked chicken thighs was great, but I felt this lacked depth of flavor. It was basically heat and that's it. I didn't taste much sweetness from the honey. I liked the initial seasonings of the chicken and I would make it again, but I'd just add some barbeque sauce for more piquancy instead of the honey/vinegar mixture, which I could barely taste.

Carter

Really good! Recipe works fine with breasts but probably better with thighs. For spice fanatics: these sandwiches pair well with a spread of super-hot wing sauce on the bun.

Alexandra

I cooked this on high in my crockpot for about 3/3.5 hours. Still came out beautifully moist and tender. Added a little extra vinegar at the end to counter the honey's sweetness, but that's just personal taste. Boyfriend and I both agree this recipe is a keeper!

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