Crockpot honey mustard chicken is a six-hour slow cooker dinner that produces tender, shredded chicken in a sweet, tangy, cream-enriched sauce. The sauce goes together in under five minutes: honey, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, melted butter, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, poured over the chicken at the start of the cook. Heavy cream goes in at the very end, after the six hours, and the chicken gets shredded directly in the slow cooker and stirred into the cream sauce. Simple and effective.
The heavy cream is added at the end rather than the beginning because cream curdled in a slow cooker over six hours. Added at the end and stirred through the warm, finished sauce, it incorporates smoothly and turns a honey mustard sauce into a honey mustard cream sauce with a richer, more cohesive texture. It takes about two minutes and noticeably improves the result.
The sauce
Half a cup each of honey and yellow mustard, a quarter cup of melted salted butter, a tablespoon and a half of Worcestershire sauce, two minced garlic cloves, half a teaspoon of dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Whisk together in a bowl and pour over two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts placed in the slow cooker. The chicken should be coated on all sides; the sauce doesn’t need to cover the chicken because the slow cooker’s enclosed environment keeps everything moist and the chicken releases liquid as it cooks.
Yellow mustard rather than Dijon is the choice here and it’s significant. Yellow mustard is milder, vinegar-forward, and sweeter than Dijon. It produces a sauce that’s tangier and less complex than a Dijon version would be but also more accessible and less assertive. Against the sweetness of the honey and the richness of the butter and cream, yellow mustard’s straightforward tang is the right balance.
The cook and the shred
Low for six hours. No checking, no stirring. The chicken will be fully cooked and beginning to pull apart on its own by the end of the cook time. Pour in the half cup of heavy cream and shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker using two forks. Pull and twist to break the chicken into pieces, then stir everything together until the cream is fully incorporated into the sauce.
Shredding in the slow cooker rather than on a cutting board means the shredded chicken absorbs the sauce immediately as it’s pulled apart rather than being added back to the sauce separately. Each strand picks up the honey mustard flavor as it shreds, which produces a more evenly flavored result than shredding on a board and stirring in at the end.
What to serve with it
The sauce is generous and the shredded chicken is the kind that wants something to be served over: rice absorbs the cream sauce well, mashed potatoes amplify the richness, pasta or egg noodles both work. It also works as a sandwich filling on a toasted roll with a bit of coleslaw. The sauce quantity is intentionally enough to dress whatever base you choose, so the choice of starch should be based on what you want to eat rather than what the sauce needs.
Honey mustard as a slow cooker sauce
Honey and mustard is a combination that works particularly well in a slow cooker because the long cook mellows the vinegar sharpness of the mustard and deepens the sweetness of the honey without caramelizing it. After six hours, the sauce tastes integrated rather than like honey and mustard poured over chicken. The Worcestershire adds an umami depth that gives the sauce a background savoriness it would lack with just the honey and mustard. Serves 6. Leftovers reheat well on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of cream or broth if the sauce has thickened in the fridge.
Variations
Use Dijon mustard in place of yellow for a sharper, more complex version. Swap the chicken breasts for bone-in thighs and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours for a richer result. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the sauce before cooking for more acidity. Serve over egg noodles for a German-inflected honey mustard chicken noodle bowl.
Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken
Description
Chicken slow-cooked in a honey and yellow mustard sauce with butter and Worcestershire, shredded and finished with heavy cream. Serves 6.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Place the chicken breasts in the base of the slow cooker.
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In a bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, melted butter, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over the chicken and ensure the breasts are well coated.
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Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
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After 6 hours, pour in the heavy cream. Using two forks, shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Stir until the cream is fully incorporated into the sauce.
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Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, or in a sandwich roll..
Note
Add the heavy cream only after the 6-hour cook is complete, not at the start. Shred directly in the slow cooker so the chicken absorbs the sauce as it pulls apart. Cook Time is 6 hours (360 minutes). No nutrition data was provided for this recipe.