Fall apart tender, juicy, and loaded with flavor, this slow cooker sweet chili chicken requires just 6 ingredients! Perfect to use in quesadillas, rice bowls, tacos and more.
One of my favorite ways to get a head start on dinner is to cook a big batch of protein in the slow cooker, then use it up in multiple meals through the week! Like my slow cooker honey lime chicken recipe, this slow cooker sweet chili chicken makes a great base recipe to use up in different meals.
Slightly sweet, savory, and full of delicious flavor, this recipe is loved by kids and grown ups alike!
Reasons you'll โก slow cooker sweet chili chicken
- You need just 6 simple ingredients and do not need to sautรฉe anything
- It works great for meal prep: assemble as a crockpot freezer meal, or cook ahead and use as a base for three meals
- It's kid-, gluten-free-, and freezer-friendly
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this recipe. Itโs so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Ingredient notes
- chicken breasts- I've used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe; you can swap for an equal weight of boneless skinless chicken thighs, increasing the cook time to 4-5 hours on low
- sweet chili sauce- found in the Asian food aisles of most grocery stores, sweet chili sauce is sweet and slightly tangy, but not very spicy. If you can't find it, you can try making your own.
- soy sauce- I prefer using reduced sodium soy sauce, as I find regular to be too salty. Swap for tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid soy seasoning for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- cornstarch- helps thicken the sauce at the end of the cook time; swap for arrowroot starch if desired.
Cooking this recipe
Scroll to the recipe card for ingredient measurements.
1. Getting it started
In the insert of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, stir together the sweet chili sauce, chicken stock, salt and soy sauce. Stir together until smooth, then add the chicken breasts and turn to coat in the sauce.
Cook on low for 2 ยฝ to 3 ยฝ hours*, and make sure not to lift the lid during the cook time.
*If you know your slow cooker cooks lower or slower, consider increasing the cook time as needed.
2. Thickening the sauce
30 minutes before serving, stir together the cornstarch and water until no lumps remain. Working quickly, remove the lid from the slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and put the lid back on the slow cooker.
Set to high and cook for another 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on the slow cooker so the sauce does not burn. At this point, the sauce should be bubbly and thickened.
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3. Shred the chicken
Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a clean bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken. You can also use an electric hand mixer (this shreds the chicken in seconds!).
If you'd prefer, you can slice or cube the chicken. Allow it to rest on a cutting board for ten minutes before slicing.
4. Toss with cooking liquid
Once chicken is shredded, you can return it to the slow cooker, or pour the cooking liquid over the chicken. I used half the sauce for the photos in this post.
Garnish the chicken with cilantro leaves and/or sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Serving size + equipment
This recipe is formulated to be cooked in a larger slow cooker- 5 or 6 quarts, and it makes a large portion (serves 8). If you don't want to have ample leftovers, you can cut the recipe in half and cook in a 2.5 or smaller slow cooker.
- my favorite 6 quart slow cooker
- cook a half batch in this 2.5 quart slow cooker
Meal prep + storage
This chicken recipe works great for meal prep! Here are two ways you can meal prep it:
1. Crock pot freezer meal
A crock pot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. This way, when it's time to cook, you simply dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and skip any measuring. This is a great recipe to prepare for someone who is expecting a baby.
Hereโs how you can turn this recipe into a freezer meal:
- Assemble the boneless skinless chicken breasts plus all remaining ingredients (except for the cornstarch and water) in a gallon-sized freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then cook as directed in the recipe card.
Findย my favorite freezer containers here!
2. Cook ahead and reheat
You can cook your chicken through, cool, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use it as a base for three meals (see below).
Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, and enjoy!
Find myย favorite meal prep containersย here!
Meal prep plan
This recipe was originally the base recipe in a meal plan that used up the leftovers. Here are some recipes to use up your leftover chicken:
More slow cooker chicken recipes
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
- Sticky Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- 7 No Sautee Slow Cooker Recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Slow Cooker Sweet Chili Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts see note 1
- ยฝ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยผ cup soy sauce see note 2
After Cooking:
- ยผ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Garnish:
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Stir together the sweet chili sauce, chicken stock, salt and soy sauce in the insert of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cook on low for 2 ยฝ-3 ยฝ hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, stir together the water & cornstarch. Add to the slow cooker and stir. Do this quickly and get the lid back on as soon as possible.
- Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 20-30 minutes until slightly thickened (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn).
- Pull the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred using two forks.
- Pour as much sauce as you'd like over the shredded chicken (I used just over half), and stir to coat.
- Garnish with cilantro.
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Tips:
- Assemble the boneless skinless chicken breasts plus all remaining ingredients (except for the cornstarch and water) in a gallon-sized freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then cook as directed above.
Video
Nutrition Information
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Theresa Lafferty says
I wanted to make something different with chicken and I came across this recipe and I went ahead and made this.
My husband really liked it a lot, so I saved this recipe in Pinterest and I will be making this again.
Wesley Bielinski says
May I recommend a vacuum sealer. You cut the bag large enough to hold everything plus some extra. put it in the slow cooker, put in the ingredients, freeze, remove and vacuum seal. I write the meal name and cook time above the seal, when I cut it open it gets tossed, I wash and reuse the bag and the meal fits into the slow cooker perfectly. Vacuum seal prevent freezer burn and really increases the storage time. A little more prep, but what can be worse than having a frozen slow cooker meal that doesn't fit into the slow cooker?
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
This is a great idea, Wesley! Lots of good tips to get the most from a vacuum sealer.
Thanks for sharing
Susannah Gray says
Delicious and very easy! I also added some chopped carrot and one new potato (wanted to see how well theyโd cook!). The chicken was done after about 3 hours but the veg took longer. When I took the chicken out I also added some courgette and sliced peppers. It worked very well. Iโll definitely be doing this in the future.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Susannah, wow, sounds absolutely delicious! Thank you for taking the time to share your variations & for leaving a rating and review!