Crock Pot Sesame Chicken (Printable)

Tender, flavorful chicken cooked slowly in a rich, savory-sweet sesame sauce—perfect for an easy yet impressive weeknight meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

→ Sauce

02 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/4 cup honey
04 - 1/4 cup ketchup
05 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Thickening & Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
11 - 2 tablespoons water
12 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
13 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

# How To Make It:

01 - Place chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, honey, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Pour sauce evenly over the chicken
03 - Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours until chicken is tender and cooked through
04 - Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred or cut into bite-sized pieces
05 - Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the sauce in the slow cooker
06 - Return chicken to the slow cooker, stir well, and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens
07 - Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce develops this incredible depth while slow cooking, tasting like it simmered all day even though you barely lifted a finger
  • It is one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better leftover, the chicken soaking up even more of that savory-sweet glaze overnight
02 -
  • The sauce will seem thin when you first pour it in, but that is exactly right, it concentrates beautifully during hours of slow cooking
  • Let the cornstarch slurry come to room temperature before adding it, cold liquid can cause clumping in hot sauce
03 -
  • If the sauce tastes too salty at the end, add a teaspoon more honey, never add water which will dilute all the flavors you built
  • Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the slow cooker, excess water prevents proper browning and flavor absorption

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