Allergy Friendly Honey Garlic Chicken 

Why We Like This Recipe

Anytime we can save our energy and use a slow cooker, we will. It is a huge time saver. This is even more important when you have to cook all your meals due to food allergies, like we do. Grabbing a quick takeaway or stopping into a restaurant because we are too tired to cook just isn't an option for us. 

Most restaurants use soy sauce in asian style or inspired cooking. Our allergy friendly honey garlic chicken recipe is specifically balanced for coconut aminos. We also make our crockpot garlic honey chicken dish free from sesame seeds and sesame oil. We don't have a sesame allergy, but we know many of you do and it is important to us to give you delicious meal options.

The Ingredient Low Down

Chicken Breasts, skinless and boneless

We buy large chicken breasts that have tenders on them. We have to trim them and remove the tendon that separates the tender from the breast. Thighs could be used instead of chicken breasts to make this allergy friendly honey garlic chicken.

You want to use a skinless boneless no matter which cut or chicken you use. We use boneless, skinless breasts as they are easier with the kids. Bone in will work but may take a bit longer to cook. Skin on will add a lot of fat to the sauce and make it greasy, we do not recommend using skin on pieces.

Cut the chicken breasts in 3 large pieces each. any smaller and they will fall apat. Larger or full breasts can also be used, if preferred. We do not recommend using frozen chicken in this recipe as it will change the cooking time and may fall apart as it cooks.

Arrowroot Starch

To thicken the honey garlic chicken crock pot sauce a starch is used. If you prefer to use cornstarch you can replace arrowroot starch in this recipe. Cornstarch could be used in the same amount as the arrowroot starch when making allergy friendly honey garlic chicken.

Red Sweet Bell Pepper & Broccoli Florets

Fresh vegetables that are added to the crockpot garlic honey chicken to make this a meal when served over rice or gluten free noodles. Other colours of sweet bell pepper can be used instead of red peppers. The stalks of the broccoli can be used for budget cooking, peel it with a vegetable peeler and cut into bite size pieces first.

Coconut Aminos

A common replacement in asian inspired cooking for soy sauce are coconut aminos. This ingredient is made from fermented coconut sap and can taste a bit sweeter than soy sauce. Our honey garlic recipe for chicken is made for soy sauce replacements. It will not work with soy sauce as it is too salty.

Taste your coconut aminos before you add them into this dish. Do this so you can decide if the salt should be added and how much. 

Coconut free option - see if a tamarind or pea protein based soy sauce replacement like San-J no soy sauce (not the tamari sauce, tamari is soy) is suitable for you.

Honey

A runny honey is best, skip the creamy honey or highly flavoured honey. A run of the mill honey is best for this recipe. There are some with environmental allergies who may avoid honey as a part of their allergy plan with their medical team. An alternative to honey is maple syrup in crockpot garlic honey chicken.

Tomato Paste

Thick tomato paste is best. It can be frozen in tablespoons in the freezer for storage and added to this recipe. Thaw first. Do not replace tomato paste with crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, ketchup, or tomato sauce. 

Rice Wine Vinegar

To add a bit of acid to this honey garlic recipe for chicken to break up how sweet it can be we use rice wine vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar, or lemon juice, instead, as needed. Choose what is safe for you to use.

Avocado Oil

This is a neutral oil that is good to use for high temperature cooking. Another neutral tasting oil that is safe at the temperatures the slow cooker reaches can be used. Olive oil or canola oil, if safe for you, are good substitutions to consider when making crockpot garlic honey chicken.

Instructions/ Directions and Tips

Step 1

Put all the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well, until smooth.

This can also be done in a medium bowl then added to the slow cooker.

Step 2

Trim skinless and boneless chicken breasts. Cut them across in 3 pieces. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Push them under the sauce.

Do not cut the chicken lengthwise or they will fall apart during slow cooking.

Step 3

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the cooking program. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, 5-6 hours on low, or until all the chicken breasts reach the internal temperature of 165 F.

Using an internal meat thermometer check how hot the thickest parts of the meat are. If they are over 165 F they are considered safer to eat.

Step 4

With 30 minutes left in cooking, mix the arrowroot starch and the water together in a small bowl. Once fully mixed, stir it into the sauce in the honey garlic chicken crock pot. Add the broccoli and red sweet bell peppers into the slow cooker. Using a large spoon stir the broccoli and peppers so they are under the sauce. Continue cooking for the last 30 minutes of the initial program with the lid on the slow cooker. 

Variations & Adaptations

• Pork -Switch out the protein from chicken to cubes of pork. Cook as usual, making sure the meat reaches an internal temperature of 175 F
• Vegan - Swap out the chicken for young jackfruit and reduce the cooking time. Change honey for maple syrup.
• Spicy - To the allergy friendly honey garlic chicken sauce, add ¼ teaspoon of chili oil or red chili flakes.
• Teriyaki - instead of a honey based sauce use brown sugar and a couple different ingredients to make it a teriyaki sauce. See this teriyaki version of this recipe on our website Teriyaki Beef Slow Cooker Recipe!
• Wok or Stir Fried - If you do not have a slow cooker check out our Ginger Chicken Recipe for how to make this recipe in a pan by switching out the ginger sauce with honey garlic sauce.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Storage

Store the honey garlic chicken and the vegetables separate from any accompanying sides, like rice. Make sure to cool the dish according to best food practices to avoid food borne illness before storing it. 

Fridge

Once fully cooked the crockpot garlic honey chicken will keep for up to 3 days. It should be kept in a well sealed food storage container. Items could be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge. The chicken can even be put in the honey garlic recipe for chicken sauce overnight to marinate, if desired. 

Freezer

You can freeze this meal after prepping or after cooking. If you are looking to prepare a lot of meals and want to freeze the ingredients before cooking them. 

Put the sauce in one container, the chicken cut up and trimmed in another, and the vegetables in a third container. Do not freeze the chicken in the sauce as it may break down the chicken. Thaw the chicken and sauce in the fridge before adding it to the honey garlic chicken crock pot. 

To freeze the crockpot garlic honey chicken after cooking, put in an airtight container that is freezer safe. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Reheating

Thaw the chicken and sauce before reheating. Do not cook the chicken from frozen. 

Stove Top

The stove top is the best method for reheating this recipe. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan for each portion of chicken and sauce. Cover the allergy friendly honey garlic chicken with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat. After 3-5 minutes check the chicken to see if it has reached 165 internally.

If not, the pan may need a bit more water, recover and recheck in a few minutes. When the crockpot garlic honey chicken is up to temperature, remove the lid and boil off any extra water in the sauce until it is your preferred thickness. Stir the chicken, vegetables, and sauce often so the honey doesn't cause it to burn. 

Equipment

• Slow Cooker - For the easiest cooking of dinner.
• Small Bowl - To mix the arrowroot starch and water before adding to the allergy friendly honey garlic chicken
• Spoon or Fork - For mixing the arrowroot starch and water.
• Knife and Cutting Board - To trim the chicken and mince the garlic and onion.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons - For measuring the spices, vegetables, and liquids going into the crockpot garlic honey chicken.
• Cooking Utensils - To serve and stir the honey garlic recipe for chicken.

What To Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken

This honey garlic recipe for chicken only needs one side, usually starchy like fluffy rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. We do serve allergy friendly honey garlic chicken with rice based ramen noodles or other gluten free noodles from time to time. Fried rice is good with this recipe, check out our soy free fried rice.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
• Always check ingredients for allergens
• Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

Allergy Resources

If you are struggling with allergies or which foods are safe for you we encourage you to contact your medical team to help determine what is best for you. 

For additional  resources please check out the following allergy education and advocacy pages:

In the United States:

• Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) - Home Page
• Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) - Home Page
• U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - Food Allergies - Home Page
• Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in The United States of America
• Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA - Recalls
• US Food & Drug Administration, FDA - Recalls
• Celiac Disease Foundation - Home Page
• National Celiac Association (NCA) - Home Page
• Beyond Celiac - Home Page
• Celiac.com - Home Page 

In Canada

• Food Allergy Canada - Home Page
• Celiac Canada - Home Page
• The Government of Canada - Health Site- Food Allergies
• The Government of Canada - Food Allergen Labelling, the List of Ingredients and Allergens on Food Labels, and Allergens and Gluten Sources Labelling

Recalls, Reporting and Alerts on Food - in Canada