A Comforting Crockpot Meal for Mid-Fall

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs: An Easy Fall Dinner That Cooks Itself

I firmly believe crockpots were made for fall meals. You prep it, walk away and get distracted by other homekeeping responsibilities. Before you know it, the aroma fills your home, a little comfort to help you relax. It’s small pleasures like these that add up to a life well lived.

This crockpot honey garlic chicken thighs recipe came from @healthyhomesteader on Instagram, and I found it at just the right time. I had forgotten to put the pork shoulder in early enough for it to cook for eight hours. The recipe sparked my interest mostly because I already had every ingredient.

Below you’ll find the recipe, a few notes from my kitchen, how we served it and what I did with the leftovers.

Why a Crockpot Is Made for Easy Fall Dinners

A crockpot meal asks very little of you at the start. You prep it, forget it and let the afternoon do the work. On a hectic day, that trade is worth a lot.

It might look like:

• A few minutes of prep, then dinner takes care of itself
• A home that smells like comfort by the time you’re ready to sit down
• A meal built from what’s already in your kitchen

When Dinner Plans Change: Cooking With What You Have

My plan was pork shoulder. My timing, though, was off. I hadn’t started it early enough to cook for eight hours, so I went looking for something else.

This recipe saved dinner. It cooks in 4 to 5 hours on low or 2 to 3 hours on high. I had all of the ingredients on hand already. 

I learned a key lesson: a stocked kitchen makes a change of plans feel easy instead of stressful.

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

Instructions

Cook 4–5 hours on LOW or 2–3 hours on HIGH. Serve over rice.

Recipe credit: Megan from @healthyhomesteader.

Three notes from my kitchen

1. Bone-in, skin-on thighs worked. That’s all I had. I was a little worried the skin wouldn’t be nice but the texture turned out to be palatable.
2. I dumped everything in. I gave it a little stir right at the end and it was fine. Next time I might mix the sauce in a separate container and pour it over the thighs for more even flavor.
3. Low and slow was the way to go. I chose the low setting and the chicken turned out so tender and flavorful.

How We Served It and What to Do With the Leftovers

Instead of rice, we served the chicken alongside baked sweet potatoes and steamed French green beans. And, man, was it good!

For the leftovers, I heated the remaining thighs with leftover penne pasta. Oh, my goodness, it was so good again! The drippings from the chicken gave the pasta extra flavor.

If you’re not sure where to start, begin here:

• Check your kitchen for the five ingredients
• Pick your timing: low for 4–5 hours or high for 2–3 hours
• Plan a side, or a pot of rice, and save a few thighs for later in the week

My Fiancé affectionately calls me the “thigh master” and I’m quite pleased to add another method to my chicken thigh-making arsenal. All around, this is a great meal that I will definitely be making again.

It’s small pleasures like these, discovering an easy and delicious recipe, adding another meal into the rotation, that add up to a life well lived. For more on that way of living, see our guide to simple living in a home that doesn’t look like everyone else’s, linked below.

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