This hot honey chicken sandwich has arrived and it’s here to stay at my house! This easy slow cooker chicken is covered in sweet and spicy hot honey and topped with coleslaw to make the best hot honey chicken sandwich ever!
Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich
Once I had a taste of hot honey I knew it was going to be a favorite condiment of mine. I love anything that has a sweet and spicy combo. Hot honey chicken sandwiches have been popping up all over the place from Wendy’s to local restaurants everywhere I turn. I wanted to give this sauce a chance to shine in the slow cooker.
I took a classic crockpot chipotle chicken recipe that is cooked in tasty spices and chipotle to infuse the chicken with flavor. Once it is finished cooking you top that chicken with a hot honey sauce and coleslaw for an out-of-the-world flavor explosion! These slow cooker hot honey chicken sandwiches will become an instant favorite for your weekly rotation.
I think the next recipe I’m going to try it on is my Teriyaki honey chicken. I swear it makes everything more delicious and I think a little spice in the teriyaki would be good!
What is Hot Honey?
Hot honey is the newest hot sauce to hit the hot sauce scene. Try saying that three times fast! It has replaced Sriachi as the new favorite hot sauce.
Hot honey is a sweet and spicy condiment that is delicious on almost anything you can think to put on, meat, pizza, cheese, and even ice cream. Hot honey is regular honey infused with red chili pepper flakes which gives it the name hot honey!
While you can buy hot honey in your grocery store, you can also make it at home with a few easy steps. Once you get hooked on this sauce you might have to start making your own just to have it on hand whenever you need it. I bought Trader Joe’s hot honey but here’s a simple hot honey recipe to make at home if your local grocery store doesn’t have it yet.
This Hot Honey Recipe is easy to make and you’ll want to drizzle it on everything. Also, when you make it at home you can control the heat to exactly how you like it.
How to Make this Hot Honey Chicken Recipe
Step 1. Add chicken thighs to slow cooker. Cover chicken with oil and chopped chipotle chilies.
Step 2. Combine onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add seasonings to chicken.
Step 3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Step 4. Before the chicken is finished mix hot honey and apple cider together to combine.
Step 5. Once the chicken is finished cooking shred the chicken with the cooking liquid. Remove chicken from the crockpot and put it in a separate bowl. Pour hot honey mixture onto the chicken and toss to coat the chicken.
Step 6. Take the shredded chicken and pile it onto the bun. Top with coleslaw and more hot honey!
Tips and Tricks
tips &
Keep the chicken breasts whole. I have found that when you dice the chicken before cooking it dries out quicker. Cut the chicken into cubes if you prefer once it is finished cooking.
What to Serve with Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches?
I like to keep it simple with this hot honey chicken recipe and just serve chips or french fries with it. Another good side dish would be slow cooker mac and cheese. The creaminess would balance well with the spicy notes in the chicken.
Plus, if you have some hot honey leftover you could always use it to make these brown sugar and honey carrots!
How Spicy is this Chicken?
The hot honey is not overly spicy! It has a mild heat that gives you just a touch of spice. If you are looking to make this dish less spicy you can do that in a few different ways.
- Skip the chipotle peppers while the chicken is cooking.
- Just add the hot honey to each sandwich so everyone can control their spicy level.
- If you are cooking for the family just add regular honey to the kid’s sandwiches.
Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobe sauce drained and chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup hot honey more for serving
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a slow cooker add chicken thighs. Cover chicken with oil and chopped chipotle chilies. Stir well to combine.
- Combine onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add seasonings to chicken. Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours on low until meat is tender.
- Before the chicken is finished mix hot honey and apple cider together to combine.
- Once the chicken is finished cooking shred the chicken with the cooking liquid. Remove chicken from the crockpot and put it in a separate bowl.
- Pour the hot honey mixture onto the chicken and toss to coat the chicken.
- Take the shredded chicken and pile it onto the bun. Top with coleslaw and more hot honey!
Angela says
What is hot honey?
Allison Treadwell says
It is a honey that is infused with spices that make it spicy. It’s delicious!