Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

FOR CHICKEN:

1 1/2 pounds boneless or skinless chicken thighs - or chicken breasts

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili paste - sambal oelek, sriracha or spicy sauce of your choice

4 garlic cloves - minced

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of corn starch

FOR SERVICE:

Prepared Brown Rice, Quinoa or Cauliflower

Toasted sesame seeds

Chopped green onions

Instructions

1. Place the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker for 6 quarts or more. In a medium bowl or extra large measuring cup, mix soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, chili paste, garlic, and rice vinegar. Pour the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant reading thermometer. If available, flip the chicken once halfway to cover both sides. (If not, don’t strain; it will still be delicious.)
2. Take the chicken out on a plate and let it cool slightly. Beat the corn starch in a slow cooker to cook. Cover and cook HIGH for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. If you want the sauce to be especially thick, you can cook it for 30 minutes in a slow cooker OR follow the cooking method on the stove below.
3. To thicken the sauce more quickly, reduce the sauce on the stove: after whipping in corn starch, transfer the cooking liquid to the middle pan. Cook on a stove over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, for 5 to 10 minutes. (If your multicooker insert is safe for the stove, you can remove it from the multicooker and place it directly on the burner, but do not do this if you are NOT POSITIVE, your insert is safe for the stove or it may crack.)
4. With two forks (or fingers, if the chicken is cool enough), grind the chicken and place it in a slow cooker. If you have reduced the sauce on the stove, add it back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat chicken with sauce. Serve with rice, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes

• FOR STORAGE: Store cooked and refrigerated leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• FOR HEATING: Gently heat in a saucepan on a stove over medium heat, with the addition of broth or water, if necessary, so that it does not dry. You can also preheat this in the microwave until fully warmed up.
• FREEZING: Place cooked and chilled chicken in an airtight freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before warming.

This article is adapted from this site.