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.
Meal prep gets a lot easier when one recipe can turn into several different meals. This slow cooker sweet chili chicken takes less than 15 minutes of hands on work and uses just 5 ingredients, keeping both the shopping list and cost down.
The slow cooker does the work while the chicken becomes tender and flavorful in a sweet and savory Asian inspired sauce. Make a batch and use it for rice bowls, wraps, tacos, salads or whatever you have planned for the week.
You can swap in other proteins, making this an easy base recipe to keep in your back pocket when you want simple, affordable meal prep.
reasons you'll love this slow cooker chicken
- Easy Prep - This simple recipe comes together quickly with very little prep.
- Slow Cooker Does the Work - Just set it and forget it.
- Meal Prep Friendly - This is a great base recipe for bowls, wraps, salads, etc.
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.
- 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 if preferred.
- Cornstarch: helps thicken the sauce at the end of the cook time; swap for arrowroot starch if desired.
Making the Best Slow Cooker Chicken
- Combine: Stir sweet chili sauce, chicken stock, and soy sauce in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours without lifting the lid.
- Thicken: 30 minutes before serving, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Quickly whisk it into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Turn the heat to high and cook for 20-30 minutes until thick and bubbly.
- Shred: Remove and shred the chicken, then return it to the slow cooker and toss in the sauce.
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.
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.
Here’s 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.
Find 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 my favorite meal prep containers 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
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts see note 1
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce (I used sugar free to make this low carb)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup soy sauce see note 2
After Cooking:
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Garnish:
Instructions
- Stir together the sweet chili sauce, chicken stock, and soy sauce in the insert of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cook on low for 3 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.
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.
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Bailey says
Soooo good! I love making the tropical bowls and it’s a fantastic lunch prep for work. Love it!
Bailey Carroll says
I love this dish! I was planning on making it today but realized my very old slow cooker has finally kicked the bucket!! Any advice for making it in the oven?
Donna B. says
Oh, wow...easy and delicious!!! 😋
(left off the cilantro...not a fan, but subbed in parsley for color appeal) ☺️
Served it with Basmati rice, peas and honey glazed carrots...this is going straight into the rotation of "family favorite" meals!!! 🤗
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.
Sue says
Loved this and the three recipes with it. Family loved it!
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 they’d 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. I’ll 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!