A few weeks ago I bought a Crock Pot and took it for a test run immediately, making some Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork. Since then, the Crock Pot’s been sitting sadly in my pantry. I realized something about crock pots, which is that they’re really only good for weekend cooking. Most recipes call for 4-6 hours of cook time. So starting it before I leave in the morning won’t work, and neither will starting it after work (unless I want to eat super late). Darn! Should have splurged on the one with the built-in time!
Anyways, I found a crock pot recipe that had a slow version and quick version. The quick version was only 2 hours of cook time, perfect for after work, so I decided to give my Crocky a second whirl!
I plopped everything in the pot, turned it on, and went to work out. When I got home and finished showering, dinner was just about ready!
Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
(adapted from Fly Girls)
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- Sesame seeds
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Season chicken one both sides with salt & pepper. Place in crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Pour mixture over top of chicken.
Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2 hours (I chose the high route, since I didn’t feel like eating after 9 pm).
Remove chicken from the crock pot to a cutting board. Mix together cornstarch and water and pour into the crock pot, mixing it with the sauce. Cover and cook on high an additional 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks.
Return the chicken to the crock pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The chicken was yummy! The sauce didn’t quite thicken up as much as I thought it would (probably because I used the quick version), but it was still quite tasty and soaked into the rice nicely. Next time, I’ll make the slow version on a weekend and see if it comes out any differently! Though this recipe required a teensy bit of work at the end, I was glad to be free to leave the house during the bulk of the cooking time, and not slaving over the stove. Another winner!
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious says
I made this chicken for Secret Recipe Club and it was great! You can see my version here: http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/sweet-sesame-crock-pot-chicken-secret-recipe-club/
I really enjoyed exploring your blog this month!
Richard says
Thickeners need to come to a boil to really thicken. Maybe pour sauce into a pan on the stove to thicken then add chicken to pan to toss?