Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
This slow cooker honey sesame chicken cooks chicken in a sweet and savory soy honey gochujang sauce then shreds it with broccoli and ramen noodles for an easy flavorful weeknight dinner.
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon gochujang sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 shallot finely diced
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1-2 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- Diced broccoli
- 2-3 packs ramen noodles maruchan
- Green onion for garnish
Instructions
- First, add chicken to the bottom of crockpot.
- Next, add diced onions, shallots, and minced garlic.
- Then, add soy sauce, honey, gochujang sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and seasonings listed above.
- Cover the crockpot with the lid, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred the chicken.
- Add cornstarch slurry (mix 2 tablespoon corn starch, and 2 tablespoon cold water until well combined and no clumps are present), into slow cooker and mix together.
- Next add chicken back into crockpot, and fresh broccoli. Let it cook for an additional 30 minutes to let the broccoli soften. If the broccoli is frozen, I recommend letting it cook for 45-1 hour additional.
- While the broccoli is cooking in the slow cooker with the chicken, boil water for the ramen noodles.
- When the water is boiling, add ramen noodles and cook based on what is listed on the packaging.
- Once the noodles are cooked, remove from pasta water and add to slow cooker. Turn temperature down to warm on slow cooker, and mix the noodles together until the sauce has an even coat on the noodles.
- Top with additional sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken thighs produce a juicier, more deeply flavored result than chicken breasts in the slow cooker and are more forgiving if they cook a little longer than planned. Either works but thighs are specifically recommended for the best texture after shredding.
- The gochujang is what gives this sauce its slightly fermented, complex heat that makes it taste specifically more interesting than a standard honey sesame sauce.
- Don't skip it and don't substitute regular hot sauce since it won't produce the same depth.
- Add the cornstarch slurry after removing the chicken and before adding the broccoli so it has time to thicken the sauce properly before the noodles go in at the end.
- Add the ramen noodles right before serving and switch immediately to warm. Noodles sitting in a hot slow cooker absorb the sauce quickly and can become soft and bloated.
- Serve immediately for the best texture.
