SLOW COOKER HOT HONEY CHICKEN BOWLS

5 from 3 votes

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Shredded sweet but spicy chicken is paired with oven roasted sweet potatoes and a pickled slaw for a craveable bowl meal. 

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Crockpot Hot Honey Chicken Bowls - Olivia Adriance

As far as I’m concerned, whoever thought of the concept of hot honey is a genius. It’s the perfect combo of spicy and sweet.

While hot honey is readily available at most grocery stores now, I knew I wanted to play with creating this drool-worthy flavor profile in my own kitchen. Thus, this Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Bowl recipe was born!  

While this may seem like a lengthy recipe at first glance, it’s really a three-in-one situation. 

We’ve got the shredded chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, AND a delectable slaw — three components equally delicious on their own but even better when paired together for a bowl meal. 

For the chicken, we’re relying on the slow cooker to do the work for us.

While the chicken cooks, you can get a tray of roasted sweet potatoes ready. This is one veggie that’s great to make ahead of time as well for meal prep. Make a tray or two and have them all week long for easy meal assembly. 

Talking about easy, the slaw takes less than 5-minutes to make and is definitely worth the minimal effort! 

This coleslaw recipe proves that pickles are more than sandwich toppers. This bright six-ingredient coleslaw recipe relies on the salty, tangy pickle juice as the dressing.

So go ahead and grab a big fork because you’re going to want to dive right in and get a big forkful of everything in one bite. Enjoy! 

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Key Ingredients for Hot Honey Pulled Chicken Bowls

As I said, this recipe really is three recipes in one. You can make just one or make them all. Whatever you decide, here are the key ingredients you’ll need to get it done. 

Crockpot Hot Honey Chicken Bowls Ingredients - Olivia Adriance

Hot Honey Chicken

  • Chicken: I used about 2 ½ pounds or 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Chicken thighs would work well too. Note, the cooking time may vary based on how large your chicken is. Check around 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes for doneness. 
  • Spices: To amp up the honey and make it hot honey, a blend of crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and coconut sugar is added to the crock pot. 
  • Honey: I try to buy local, raw honey whenever possible. 
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: A touch of acid helps tenderize the chicken as it cooks. 
  • Serving Suggestions: Mixed greens and cooked white rice are always a good base for a bowl meal. 

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

  • Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need two large potatoes, cut into about ¼ inch rounds. Any type of potato will work here. 

Dill Pickle Coleslaw

  • Mayo: Either avocado or regular mayonnaise works. I haven’t tried it with greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt, but either should be fine as well. 
  • Dill Pickles: Go ahead and use your favorite brand. We’re using both the juice and the pickle spears here. 
  • Red Onion: Dice small to avoid an overly oniony bite.
  • Cabbage: You’ll need a total of 6 cups of shredded cabbage. I prefer to buy a 14-ounce bag of pre-shredded coleslaw and supplement with a bit more shredded red cabbage. 
Crockpot Hot Honey Chicken Bowls - Olivia Adriance

How to Make Crockpot Hot Honey Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes and Slaw

Let’s get cooking! 

Make the Chicken

To make the chicken, spray the bottom of your slow cooker with non-stick spray, such as avocado oil spray. Add the chicken breasts. 

In a small mixing bowl, mix the red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Season the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture.

Sprinkle the chicken with the spice mixture, ensuring it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle the coconut sugar over the chicken.

Pour the honey over the chicken along with the apple cider vinegar and avocado oil. 

Recipe Tip

Coat a measuring cup with avocado spray before measuring out the honey. That way you’re not left with a sticky mess! 

Cover and cook on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours. The cooking time will vary based on your slow cooker. For me, it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. You want the chicken to be golden brown and easily shreddable.  

When the chicken is ready, turn the slow cooker to “WARM” setting.

Shred the Chicken

Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Shred with 2 forks, tongs, or whip out your stand mixer or hand held mixer and let it do the work for you. A quick spin and your chicken will be shredded in a minute. 

You can also let the chicken cool a bit and then use clean or gloved hands to shred it. Regardless of which method you choose, I suggest shredding it in a bowl and not the slow cooker. The sauce can splash up if you’re not careful! 

Remove around 1 cup of the sauce before transferring the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker.

Set extra sauce aside. This can be added to the bowls if someone prefers a saucier version. After adding the chicken, stir to completely coat the chicken in the sauce.

The chicken can remain on the WARM setting for quite a while as you get your other bowl components ready. 

Make the Sweet Potatoes

To make the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the sweet potato rounds to a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Make the Slaw

To make the slaw, whisk together the mayo, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Add the shredded cabbage mix, chopped dill pickles, and diced red onion to the dressing.

Toss to thoroughly combine. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. 

Assemble the Bowls

To assemble the bowls, pile some mixed greens into the bottom of the serving bowl.

Add a scoop of cooked white rice, some roasted sweet potatoes, a good portion of the slaw, and the shredded chicken.

Pour the additional hot honey sauce over the bowls. Grab a fork and enjoy!

Crockpot Hot Honey Chicken Bowls - Olivia Adriance

Other Chicken Bowls You’ll Love:

5 from 3 votes

SLOW COOKER HOT HONEY CHICKEN BOWLS

This Hot Honey Chicken Bowl recipe is loaded with goodness! Shredded sweet and spicy chicken is paired with roasted sweet potatoes and a pickle coleslaw for one delicious bite. Great for meal prep or whip up a batch of just the chicken for game days!
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Ingredients 

Hot Honey Chicken:

  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 ½ pounds)
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup avocado oil

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into ¼-inch rounds
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • Salt & pepper for seasoning

Coleslaw:

  • (1) 14 to 16 ounce package of coleslaw mix
  • 1 ½ cups chopped dill pickles, diced small
  • ½ cup red or sweet onion, finely diced

Coleslaw Dill Pickle Dressing:

  • ¼ rounded cup mayo or avocado mayo
  • ¼ cup dill pickle juice
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • Several grinds of fresh black pepper

For Serving:

  • Mixed greens
  • Prepared white rice

Instructions 

For the Hot Honey Chicken:

  • Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with non-stick spray. I used avocado oil spray.
  • In a small bowl, mix the pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic powder, coconut sugar, and salt.
  • Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, evenly coating the chicken breasts.
  • Pour the honey, the apple cider vinegar, and the avocado oil over the top of the chicken.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 – 2 ½ hours. Depending on the slow cooker, it could take more or less time. (Start testing for doneness around the 2 hour mark; mine was ready to shred after 2 hours and 15 minutes. You're looking for the chicken to be golden, brown and delicious!)
  • Turn the slow cooker to WARM setting.
  • Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Shred with 2 forks or tongs. (You could shred while it is still in the slow cooker, but you will want to remove around 1 cup of the sauce first).
  • Remove around 1 cup of the sauce before transferring the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker. Stir to completely coat the chicken in the sauce. Set extra sauce aside.
  • The chicken can remain on the WARM setting for quite a while.

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F.
  • Add the sweet potato rounds to a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of avocado oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the sweet potatoes to a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

For the Coleslaw:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (mayo, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper).
  • Add the slaw ingredients (shredded cabbage mix, chopped dill pickles, and diced onion) to the dressing. Toss to thoroughly combine.
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Assemble:

  • To assemble, pile some mixed greens into a bowl, add the cooked white rice, the roasted sweet potatoes, a heaping portion of the slaw and the chicken.
  • Drizzle with extra hot honey sauce and ENJOY!
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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. Paige Schmidt says:

    5 stars
    doubled the recipe and made it in my Instant Pot, and it turned out incredibly saucy and sweet. Next time, I’ll cut the sauce in half while still doubling the amount of chicken for a better balance. The pickle coleslaw was a great addition, adding a nice tangy contrast, though I think a little extra mayo would give it the perfect creamy texture.

  2. Lisa S says:

    5 stars
    I made the slaw and the chicken, but not the sweet potatoes. It was so good! such a delicious blend of sweet, spicy, and salty!

  3. Carol Novak says:

    5 stars
    I made this with lean chicken thighs(that’s all I had) and had a surprise guest for dinner with us! I was nervous because I had not made this before, but my husband and his friend had seconds!