This 7-ingredient slow cooker sriracha chicken recipe is simple and delicious. It's so tasty served in lettuce wraps!
Slow cooker recipes often bring up associations of cozy fall nights but I personally love the slow cooker for summer cooking. Why? Well I live in Texas where the summers are no joke and I love anything that allows me to get dinner on the table without heating up the house.
I'm bringing you the perfect easy summer slow cooker recipe today: Slow Cooker Sriracha Chicken. As you can see in the above photo, I adore this chicken served in cool lettuce wraps with a side of juicy grapes. It feels light and summery, while still being hearty enough to keep my growing family full.
That said, if you're making this slow cooker sriracha chicken recipe in the cooler months, it would be so tasty over rice or cauli rice. It's quite versatile!
You'll start by sprinkling your chicken thighs with salt and pepper. You can of course use chicken breasts instead if you prefer but I love chicken thighs here, both for flavor and texture.
Next, you'll mix up the honey sriracha sauce by whisking together olive oil, honey, sriracha and lime juice. You'll then brown your chicken before adding it to the slow cooker. Please don't skip this step! It really adds a lot of flavor and sears in the juices.
Once your chicken is browned and your sauce is made, it's time to dump everything in the slow cooker. You'll add the chicken, honey sriracha sauce and some sliced onions into the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
Finally, you'll shred the chicken and enjoy! If you're serving in wraps, I love adding shredded carrots and sliced avocado to the lettuce wraps for variety of texture. So good!
Slow Cooker Sriracha Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 1/2 # boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- S&P
- 3 T olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 T sriracha
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
For the Wraps:
- 2 avocados sliced
- 2 carrots grated
- 1 bibb lettuce
- 1 bunch grapes
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Sprinkle chicken thighs w/ salt & pepper.
- In a small bowl whisk 2T olive oil + honey + sriracha + lime juice.
- Heat 1T olive oil in a large saute pan over med heat. Add chicken thighs & brown ~3 mins per side
- To a slow cooker add sliced yellow onions + chicken thighs + honey/sriracha sauce. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Shred cooked chicken.
For the Wraps:
- Serve w/ shredded carrots + avocado slices in a lettuce wrap w/ grapes on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Is this honey sriracha chicken recipe healthy?
Yes! This honey sriracha chicken recipe is indeed healthy. As both a chef and a registered dietitian, it's super important to me that our Prep Dish recipes are both delicious and nutritious. This sriracha chicken recipe is no exception!
When served in the lettuce wraps with shredded carrots and avocado with grapes on the side, it's got a healthy dose of both fruits and veggies. The chicken of course provides plenty of protein.
If you love to geek out over this stuff like I do, here are some of the nutritional highlights:
Chicken (Selenium, Zinc, B Vitamins)
In addition to being packed with protein, chicken is a good source of several vitamins and nutrients. Selenium is beneficial for both your immune system and your thyroid. B vitamins promote a healthy brain and high energy levels. Chicken is also considered a good food for weight loss due to its high protein content and relatively low calories, depending on the cut of chicken.
Olive Oil (Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Monounsaturated Fats, Antioxidants)
Due to the type of fat it contains, olive oil may reduce inflammation. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's, stroke and heart disease. Make sure to get high quality extra virgin olive oil, as it retains more antioxidants and nutrients.
Honey
Honey has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which are strongest in darker honey. Buy raw local honey when possible as filtering the honey can diminish its nutrients.
Lime (Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6)
The combination of vitamin C and antioxidants make limes great for your immune system. Vitamin C is also highly beneficial for your skin, with anti-aging effects. Limes are also good for your heart, beneficial for preventing kidney stones and may even help prevent certain types of cancer.
Onion (Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Folate, Potassium)
Did you know that the humble onion is actually packed with antioxidants? Antioxidants help protect you from free radicals that cause things like cancer and heart disease. Onions also have beneficial sulfides and polysulfides which may help protect against cancer.
Avocado (Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, B Vitamins, Potassium, Folate, Healthy Fats)
Loaded with nutrients like potassium, folate and healthy fats, avocados are good for your heart, your eye health, and even your mood. Moreover, they also benefit your brain, bone density and blood sugar levels.
Carrots (Vitamin A, Vitamin K1, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Antioxidants)
Both budget and kid-friendly, carrots are full of fiber and vitamins. Carrots also contain carotenoids, an antioxidant. As a result, they’re great for eye health, lowering cholesterol, and reducing cancer risk. Carrots also have beta carotene, which can then be converted into vitamin A.
Bibb Lettuce (Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin A, Iron, Potassium)
Bibb lettuce is a type of butterhead lettuce. It contains high levels of folate, vitamin K and vitamin A. It also offers substantial antioxidants.
Grapes (Vitamin K, Copper, B Vitamins, Potassium, Vitamin C)
The copper found in grapes helps your body with energy production. Your body uses Vitamin K to aid in blood clotting. The potassium in grapes may help lower blood pressure. Some studies also show that grapes can benefit your mood and brain health so eat up!
Tips for Honey Sriracha Chicken
My goal is for you to get a delicious, homemade dinner on the table with as little stress as possible. Here are a few tips for honey sriracha chicken to make this dinner even easier and tastier!
- Don't skip the browning! Trust me, I know it's tempting. You'll get the best texture and flavor though and you brown the chicken before adding to the slow cooker.
- Want to make chopping onions quick and easy? Check out my short video on how to chop onions like a chef. I truly believe that learning efficient ways to chop produce is 100% worth it. The time you invest here will pay dividends for years, making your meal prep faster each and every week. This is especially true for items like onions that show up pretty much every week!
- Make it your own. While I love this honey sriracha chicken in lettuce wraps, that is by no means the only way to enjoy it. You can add the chicken to salads, rice bowls, or regular tortillas instead of lettuce wraps. You can also of course mix up the toppings! Add raw bell peppers or cashews for some additional crunch.
- Feeding kiddos? Try serving with a side of my paleo ranch dressing for dipping!
Can I meal prep this slow cooker sriracha chicken recipe?
If you know me at all, you know the answer is yes! The meal prep for this slow cooker sriracha chicken recipe is quick and simple but it makes all the difference. That is especially true if you're trying to get the slow cooker going early on a weekday morning.
To prep this recipe ahead, slice half an onion and grate 2 carrots to use in the lettuce wraps. (Psst! Check out this post for ideas on using up leftover carrots, onions and celery!) The last step for the simple meal prep is separating the lettuce leaves for wraps.
On the day you plan to serve the chicken, you'll sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper before browning them. You'll then make the honey sriracha sauce. Next, you'll add the sliced onion, sriracha sauce and chicken to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Finally, you'll shred the chicken, assemble the wraps and enjoy!
If you have zero time in the mornings to get this in the slow cooker, you can also make the chicken 100% ahead of time. This is a great way to get dinner on the table FAST when you get home and this honey sriracha chicken recipe is great leftover.
I want more easy summer slow cooker recipes!
If you're looking for more easy summer slow cooker recipes, I've got you covered. I personally love slow cooker recipes for the summer because come July and August, I'll do pretty much anything to avoid turning on the oven. Here are a few of my favorite slow cooker meals, perfect for the summer months:
Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Salad
This hearty salad features slow cooker Mexican pork and is perfect for the summer months. Creamy avocado and tangy lime perfectly balance the savory pork.
Healthy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
I don't know about you but bbq makes me think of summer. This healthy slow cooker pulled pork is perfect for when you want to have people over for a summer backyard get together, but don't want to be stuck manning the grill.
Shredded Beef Barbacoa Lettuce Wraps
This recipe has been a Prep Dish community favorite for years, and for good reason! Lettuce wraps are cool and refreshing when it's hot outside while the barbacoa is hearty and satisfying.
FAQ – Everything You Want to Know about this Sriracha Chicken Recipe!
What can I do with sriracha?
Sriracha is an excellent addition to marinades and sauces, just like in this honey sriracha chicken recipe. It's also quite tasty drizzled on rice bowls, eggs and roasted potatoes.
Should you put raw chicken in the slow cooker?
Yes, you can put raw chicken in the slow cooker. Some recipes will also call for browning the chicken first to enhance flavor and texture but it is certainly safe to cook raw chicken in the slow cooker.
Should chicken be covered with liquid in the slow cooker?
No, unlike the Instant Pot, slow cookers require minimal liquid and that holds true for chicken.
Is it better to cook chicken in high or low in the crockpot?
While you can cook chicken on either high or low in the crockpot, cooking on low for 7-8 hours will result in the best texture.
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