Slow Cooker Honey Chicken with Quinoa

This Slow Cooker Honey Chicken with Quinoa dish is fabulous with a subtle hint of Honey! Delicious and Healthy.

I've been using my Instant Pot a lot lately. The more I get to know its features, the more I want to use it. Now this Slow Cooker Honey Chicken with Quinoa recipe does not require an Instant Pot but you will need some sort of slow cooker (aka crockpot).

If I was to take a survey on what you all cook the most in your Instant Pot or slow cooker, I would have to guess that Chicken would come out on top. Whether it's Chicken Breasts, Legs or Wings, I'm sure all of you have your favorite slow cooker chicken recipes.

Try to resist as much as possible the temptation to open the lid while it's cooking as the slow cooker loses heat. Just opening the lid to stir the contents can make the internal temperature drop by 10°F to 15°F.

I made this particular Honey Chicken with Quinoa dish to serve over a bed of Quinoa. Obviously, you can substitute the Quinoa for something else like rice or you can use the chicken to make some tacos or even use it over nachos. Now you are probably wondering why Quinoa over Rice.

💭 Why choose Quinoa over Rice

- Quinoa has fewer calories and carbs than rice.
- It has more protein than rice.
- Quinoa they say keeps you full for longer than rice.
- Quinoa can help with weight loss.

🐓 How to Handle Raw Chicken

Leave the chicken in the fridge until ready to use.
Be careful of dripping juices. Clean up immediately.
Do not wash raw chicken (which prevents cross-contamination).
Wash all utensils and cutting boards (if applicable).
If marinating the chicken, make sure you toss the juices before you cook. Don't ever use the juice from the marinade.
Wash your hands after handling raw chicken.

♨️ Cooking Quinoa

While not necessary, you might want to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. Most of the quinoa available in stores is "pre-rinsed" but it can't hurt by running it under a little more water "just in case".

My preferred method for making fluffy quinoa is to use 1 ¾ cups of liquid for every 1 Cup of Quinoa. Combine the quinoa and liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork and serve.

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Honey Chicken with Quinoa recipe in your Slow Cooker (see recipe card for quantities): Chicken Breasts, Soy Sauce, Honey, Olive Oil, Onion Powder, Garlic Cloves, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Cornstarch, Quinoa, Green Onions and Sesame Seeds.

🥣 How to make Honey Chicken with Quinoa

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, olive oil, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
Pour sauce over the chicken ensuring all breasts are well covered. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. At the halfway point, flip the chicken to ensure it's covered with sauce.
Once cooked, the chicken should easily fall apart. Once all the chicken breasts are shredded, add 2 tablespoon of Cornstarch and mix well. Let cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens up.
Serve chicken over the cooked quinoa. Optionally top the chicken with green onions and sesame seeds.

📖 Recipe