Make a crowd-pleasing, easy dinner with this Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches recipe! Cook your chicken breast low and slow in the Crock Pot for perfectly tender shredded chicken. Then cover in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and layer on toasted buns with creamy coleslaw. The best part? The whole recipe only requires 15 minutes of hands-on time!
If you can't get enough of this delicious flavor, check out our other Hot Honey Recipes! From dinners to appetizers to condiments galore, we've tested and perfected the very best sweet and spicy recipes for you to enjoy.
Hot Honey Shredded Chicken Sandwiches are for the busy weeknights when you want the shockingly delicious taste of this Spicy Sweet Honey Sauce but you don't want the hassle of breading, frying, and cleaning a sink-full of dishes.
This recipe is easy peasy and one of our favorite one pan dinner recipes - pop it in the CrockPot and walk away. How you cook your chicken is surprisingly important to getting tender results that aren't dry or flaky, so be sure to read on for tips from our many tests and trials.
This is a great recipe for serving to a crowd. Check out our whole list of party-worthy recipes on our collection of Game Day Recipes!
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Ingredients for slow cooker hot honey chicken sandwiches
This recipe uses simple components, but each is important to making the sandwiches flavorful. Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: I like to use up larger chicken breasts in recipes like this since they shred well and tolerate long cooking times, but use whatever you have.
- Chicken broth: Use canned, homemade, or hot water and a bouillon cube.
- Spices: Kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Smoked paprika is a must - we like the one from Trader Joe's, but any grocery store will do.
- Butter: I always have salted on hand, but unsalted will also work well.
- Honey: Our favorite place to get this is at Sam's Club or Costco because it is more cost effective. But use whatever you have.
- Hamburger buns: Brioche buns are fancy and a bit costly, but taste amazing. Use your family's favorite soft buns and you will be gold.
- Shredded cabbage: Shred it yourself by cutting it in very thin slices, or grab a bag of coleslaw mix from the store ready to go.
- Ranch dressing: The creamy cool contrast with the sweet and spicy sauce is what makes this sandwich! Ranch is great, or try this Creamy Coleslaw Dressing or this Spicy Ranch Recipe.
How to make hot honey shredded chicken sandwiches
This recipe requires a 3 step process. First cook and shred the chicken, second prepare the sandwich components, and third assemble.
How to make shredded chicken in the slow cooker
We have tested this recipe different ways to ensure you get juicy, tender results every time. Cooking it directly in the spicy honey sauce yields tough and bland chicken. Instead we braise the chicken by adding moisture (chicken broth) and cooking it low and slow with the lid sealed.
Start by using a sharp knife to trim off any excess fat on your raw chicken breasts, then place them in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the seasonings evenly on top, then pour the chicken broth in.
The broth is what's going to add moisture so that the meat braises and stays moist, but tender enough to shred.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is tender and easy to pull apart with two forks. It should reach 165°F as directed by the USDA.
I always prefer low heat because I find the meat becomes more tender. Be careful not to overcook it or it will become dry and shaggy.
How do you pull chicken?
It is very easy to shred chicken with no special tools. Follow these two steps.
- Once the chicken is pull-apart tender, use tongs or a large slotted spoon to pull it out onto a cutting board (you can discard the cooking liquid). It's important to use a plastic or rubber-tipped tool so you don't scratch the CrockPot.
- Use two forks, one held in each hand, to pull the chicken apart, shredding it into small pieces.
How to finish the sandwiches
To make the honey sauce for sandwiches, whisk the butter, honey and spices in a bowl until well combined. Pour it over the chicken and mix it thoroughly so every piece is coated.
Next, spread the buns with softened butter and pop them under a broiler on the highest rack for 2-4 minutes until golden brown. While they are toasting, toss the coleslaw and ranch in a bowl until coated.
To assemble sweet and spicy shredded chicken sandwiches, pile some shredded chicken on the toasted buns, then top with creamy coleslaw. Serve immediately so they don't get soggy.
Substitutions and variations
- Substitute with Mike's or homemade hot honey.
- Increase or decrease the spice by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper. I always suggest starting with less, tasting, and increasing to your taste.
- Add pickles as a topping.
- Use shredded lettuce instead of coleslaw.
- Add a slice of pepper jack cheese for more creamy spice.
- Add mustard for tang (or spicy honey mustard).
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts (cooking time will vary).
Serving ideas
- French fries
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Potato chips
- Fruit salad
- Potato salad
- Fresh veggies
- Coleslaw (no mayo!)
- Lemonade (classic, strawberry, blackberry!)
- Iced tea with this concentrate
How to store, freeze, and reheat hot honey shredded chicken
- To store: Store the separate components in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The coleslaw is best stored without dressing on it.
- To reheat: Reheat the chicken in the microwave on full power in 30 second increments until warmed through. I like to use a microwave cover to trap some moisture and avoid messy splatters.
- To freeze: You can freeze leftover pulled chicken in an airtight freezer bag or container for 2-3 months. When you need an easy meal, thaw it at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Feel free to add extra honey hot sauce to freshen it up.
FAQ
No, you should not cook chicken from frozen in the Crock Pot. You should thaw your chicken fully before cooking it in order to ensure even cooking and avoid food contamination.
Yes, this is a great meal for a crowd! Feel free to double it as long as your slow cooker is 6 quarts or larger. Also keep in mind that it may take longer to cook. Rearrange the chicken half way through the cooking time, moving the top layer to the bottom to help everything cook evenly and get moisture from the braising liquid.
Yes, to make this easy dinner even easier you can use rotisserie chicken or other cooked and shredded chicken breast. Some grocery stores even sell chicken cooked and shredded for you. Just add the sauce, toast the buns, and top with coleslaw.
Tips and tricks
- Don't overcook the chicken or it will be dry and overshredded. Cook until it's tender enough to easily shred into bite sized pieces.
- Use rubber tipped tongs to avoid scratching your CrockPot.
- Make sure the sauce is slightly warm when you add it to the chicken to make the stirring fast and easy.
More sandwich recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken
- 2 lbs raw chicken breast
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Sandwiches
- 6 hamburger buns
- 3 tablespoon butter softened
- 3-4 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- ½ cup coleslaw dressing recipe or ranch (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast in the slow cooker, then add the broth and seasonings. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is tender and easy to pull apart with two forks.2 lbs raw chicken breast, ¾ cup chicken broth, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.½ cup butter, ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Once the chicken is tender, remove from the slow cooker onto a cutting board and discard the cooking liquids. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into small pieces.
- Toss the warm shredded chicken back in the slow cooker. Add the sauce (reheat slightly in the microwave if it has thickened) and toss until well combined.
- To assemble, spread the buns with butter and toast under the broiler. Toss the cabbage with ranch or your favorite coleslaw dressing. Assemble sandwiches and serve immediately.6 hamburger buns, 3 tablespoon butter, 3-4 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix, ½ cup coleslaw dressing recipe
Notes
- Don't overcook the chicken or it will be dry and overshredded. Cook until it's tender enough to easily shred into bite sized pieces.
- Use rubber tipped tongs to avoid scratching your slow cooker.
- Make sure the sauce is slightly warm when you add it to the chicken to make the stirring fast and easy.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Paula says
very yummy- kinda want extra sauce but it's a lot of butter so I didn't
Danielle says
So glad you enjoyed it! And yes, the butter does help make this an irresistible sauce!
Bobbie says
My family loved this plus it was really easy.
Danielle says
That's the best feedback! Thanks for letting us know!