Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken

Name: Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, for the sauce; 1 to 2 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp lime juice; 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving; 2 sliced green onions; 1 cup shredded purple cabbage; Sesame seeds, for garnish

By Iren Pavlenko · Last updated: 10 Nov 2026

Bang bang chicken in the crockpot is sweet, creamy and a little spicy. The chicken cooks until it shreds, and the sauce gets tossed through at the end so it stays glossy.

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Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

minutes

Chicken breasts cook in a light, sweet chili broth, then get shredded and tossed in a creamy bang bang sauce.

Ingredients

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, for the sauce
1 to 2 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
4 cups cooked jasmine rice, for serving
2 sliced green onions
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

Put the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker in a single layer.
Mix the broth, 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce, garlic, ginger and salt and pour it over the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The chicken must reach 165 degrees F.
While it cooks, whisk the mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey and lime juice in a bowl.
Taste the sauce and add more hot sauce for heat.
Shred the chicken with two forks in the cooker and let it soak in the juices for 5 minutes.
Lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon, leaving most of the liquid behind.
Toss the chicken with two thirds of the bang bang sauce.
Spoon over rice and add the cabbage and green onions.
Drizzle with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Notes

Chicken thighs work too and stay juicier. Add the mayo sauce only at the end, since mayonnaise breaks under long heat. Use light mayo if you like. The sauce keeps 5 days in the fridge. Cooked chicken keeps 4 days. Serve in lettuce cups or tortillas for a lighter meal.

Why the sauce stays off the heat

Bang bang sauce is a creamy, sweet-and-spicy mix of mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. Cooked for hours, mayonnaise breaks into an oily mess, so this recipe cooks the chicken in a chili-garlic broth and mixes the sauce separately at the end. It is also one of the fastest ways to get restaurant-style flavor from a slow cooker. The chicken cooks with just garlic, ginger, and a splash of sweet chili, then picks up the full sauce at the very end.

Four to five hours on LOW makes the chicken tender enough to shred. A quick toss in the cold sauce gives you the creamy, spicy coating without any separating. Because the sauce is cold and creamy, the contrast with the hot chicken is half the fun. The result tastes like the popular shrimp appetizer, but works as a dinner for six with very little effort.

Ingredient notes

Chicken breasts: They cook quickly and shred easily. Pull them out at 165°F and no later, or they dry out.

Sweet chili sauce: Choose a Thai-style sauce with chili flecks. It gives the sweetness and gentle heat.

Mayonnaise: Full-fat gives the best texture. Light mayo works but tastes thinner.

Sriracha: Start with one tablespoon and add more to taste. The heat builds as it sits.

Honey and lime juice: A little of each balances the heat and brightens the sauce.

Garlic and ginger: These go into the cooking liquid and flavor the meat. Use fresh garlic and ground ginger for a simple, dependable result.

Tips for the best result

Make the sauce while the chicken cooks: Stir everything together and let it chill. It gets better after a few hours. Taste the sauce before mixing it with the chicken. Add more sriracha for heat or honey to calm it down.

Shred, then toss: Pull the chicken apart in the cooker, drain off most of the liquid, and toss it in the sauce. Drain most of the cooking liquid before tossing, since too much liquid thins the creamy sauce and makes the chicken slippery.

Mixing the mayo into the cooker is the most common mistake: Heat splits the sauce. Always add it after the cooking is over. Serve the chicken right after tossing it. The sauce is at its best while the meat is still warm and the cabbage is still crisp.

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Swaps and variations

Chicken thighs stay juicier and work in the same time. Use Greek yogurt in place of half the mayo for a lighter sauce. Add chili crisp for a spicier version. Do not use cream cheese in place of mayo, since the texture turns heavy.

For a lighter sauce, use Greek yogurt in place of half the mayo and add an extra spoonful of honey. For extra crunch, top the bowls with crushed peanuts or fried onions.

What to serve with it

Pile it over jasmine rice with shredded purple cabbage, green onions, and sesame seeds. It also makes good lettuce wraps or sliders on Hawaiian rolls. It also works as a party dish when served on small rolls with a spoonful of cabbage slaw on top.

Storing, freezing and reheating

Store chicken and sauce separately for up to four days. Reheat the chicken in a pan with a splash of broth, then toss with the cold sauce. Freeze only the plain cooked chicken, for up to three months. Reheat the chicken in a skillet with a splash of broth, and use the cold sauce straight from the refrigerator. If the sauce has separated after a few days, whisk in a little fresh sriracha.

Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken at a glance

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients: 15, led by boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken broth, sweet chili sauce, garlic

Tips for Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken

Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken FAQ

How long does Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken take?

Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken takes 4 hours 30 minutes of cooking after 10 minutes of prep.

How many people does Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken serve?

This recipe makes 6 servings.

What do I need to make Crockpot Bang Bang Chicken?

15 ingredients, led by boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken broth, sweet chili sauce, garlic. Amounts are in the recipe card above.

Iren Pavlenko

Hi, I'm Iren Pavlenko. I read the top-ranked slow cooker recipes for a dish side by side and write down what they disagree on and what they all leave out — the cut, the pot size, and both the LOW and HIGH times. I write these guides so your weeknight dinner doesn't turn into a dry roast because a recipe never said which of those four things mattered.