Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
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Last Friday my hubby stumbled home from a weeklong business trip, tired of working and traveling, and wanting home cookin’. Poor guy had to eat steaks and sushi all week on the company dime. It’s a hard knock life.
That day, I whipped up this deliciousness in the Crock Pot only to forget that I, in fact, from work home and had to sit in my swivel chair, seduced by its aroma for hours on end. The air, tangy-sweet and savory, had just about convinced me to gnaw on my arm when – ding! – done. Four hours to finished perfection in a pot! And I didn’t have to do a dang thing but whip up a marinade and flip a switch.
This Asian-inspired take on tasty, slow-simmered comfort food is so easy and absolutely delish! Plus, sometimes there’s no time for anything more than setting it and forgetting it. Forgetting it is a little tough when it smells this good, though.
Try this scrumptious honey sesame chicken and keep dinner simple, folks. All you need are a bunch of basic ingredients and a patient sense of smell!
Print RecipeCrock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Yield: Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (2 lbs. total)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 packets minute rice, optional
1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds
3 scallions, chopped
Directions:
Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.
Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.
In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Enjoy!
Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff
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This looks terrific! I bookmarked this from SS and I’m bookmarking it again!
Slow cooked meats are a one pot wonder. I love the idea of trying this with honey and ketchup, sounds incredible! Great recipe Georgia.
The beauty of this recipe is that I think that most people probably have every single ingredient needed for this. Like me :) Can’t wait to try it!
Yum! Can’t wait to try! My crock pot is ready to come out and cook!
Georgia, this crock pot meal looks great! I often cook beef or pork in the slow cooker, since the process really tenderize the meat. Looking at your recipe, I realize the time I cook my chicken has been set too long, that’s why they normally just fall apart and lack the “chew”. Thanks for sharing!
Delicious! I love crock pot meals!
Geogia, I love this dish! An easy take-out meal I can make at home on a weeknight. Always looking for those! Your photos are bright and cheerful and SO crisp. I learn so much from your food styling, keep it up!!
I love working from home, and I love my crock pot – but seriously it is killer to smell all day!
This chicken looks amazing!
This chicken looks wonderful! Love these kinds of meals.
This girl cracks me up. Where did you learn to write so funny? I can smell this dish in my mind, mmmmmmmmmmmmm…Mum
Yummy! This looks fantastic!
I love honey + sesame together. This is right up my alley Georgia, and I can see why it would be tough to work from home and keep from tasting this all day!
Good grief, this turned out fabulous! I Shredded half the chicken and stirred into couscous with green onions, drizzled with cooking liquid. Other half of chicken will be used for honey sesame tacos. I can’t wait for leftovers!
I love love love slow cooker meals. This sounds right up my alley!!!
I’ve seen this recipe before and bookmarked it -now I will be trying it for sure! Your version looks amazing! Beautiful photos!
I’m at my daughter-in-laws all week taking care of my grand-son. You just gave me my solution for dinner for all of us tonight! Thank you, can’t wait to taste it.
This is awesome!
I love that this can be made in a slow cooker! I’ve made something similar before but I’m super excited to give your version a try!
Me Again ~ Just wanted to let you know that we did have this for dinner this evening. My DIL, who rarely eats seconds had another serving and requested your recipe. I loved this dish, the flavours are wonderful. Thank you, this is a keeper in my household for sure.
Shawnda and Paula, I’m SO happy to hear you both enjoyed this dish!!
What a gorgeous sow cooker meal…great flavors!
just made this and it turned out great! This was my first slow cooker meal ever so I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I will add some chopped red pepper or carrots.
Like someone else said, the best part is that I had everything in my pantry!
I am super sick from pregnancy and this is the first real meal I have been able to make for 2 months. And it was so good. I have yet to try something from you I don’t like. :)
It looks so good! Thanks for sharing!
I made this tonght and it was soooo yummy!!!! Thank u for the recipe! My toddler gobbled up a whole thigh!
So glad to see you all enjoyed this recipe so much! Thanks for stopping by!
Frozen or thawed chicken? I’m new to crock pot cooking
this looks delicious! I know what we’re having for dinner tomorrow :] thanks!
Mine is in the crockpot now! I’m always up for asian-inspired food that is easy to cook, and I say this qualifies. Thanks so much!
**You could most likely cook this with frozen chicken, but on low for 6-8 hours.
I found this on pinterest and just made it tonight. It was amazing! My whole family just loved it. Even the little ones. Thanks so much for sharing!
Have this in the slow cooker now! I added chopped red peppers and an hour before its done putting in frozen broccoli. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this recipe tonight and everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us I will definitely make this dish again because it is easy and tasty.
Thank you so much for sharing this delish and easy peasy dish! I made this tonight and we absolutely loved it! I did make 1 sub – I used toasted sesame oil instead of canola or olive. I love the flavor of sesame oil. This is a definite keeper for us! :)
This sounds amazing, any other ingredient a good substitute for ketchup?
This sounds amazing, any other ingredient a good substitute for ketchup?
Yummy!
Hi Georgia, just found your blog via the pink whisk blog. Your photos and content are amazing. It’s like opening a magazine to read.
Can’t wait for your updates.
Dave.
Just finished eating this. Really really good ! My husband likes the breast and argued about the thighs. Well, he liked it and we have both agreed it may be even better adding broccoli, carrots and peas or any combination of Chinese vegetables. Thanks for the recipe! :)
I just made this for dinner for my mom and brother and they loved it!! I served it with crunchy noodles on the side :)
Thanks for this amazing recipe!
This looks absolutely delicious. I’m definitely putting this on my list of dishes to make during the week, when my husband and I are extremely pressed on time. Thanks so much for sharing!
I added a few small bell peppers and I used a can of pineapple, used the juice in lieu of the water when adding the cornstarch. Excellent, makes it more of a sweet and sour chicken. I also added a bit of sesame oil.
I have this in the crock-pot now. Can’t wait! looks delicious.
Traded ginger for sesame…. Can’t wait for the result!!!
This looks amazing. Any thoughts on a sub for soy sauce? Hubby hates it and always knows when I try to sneak it in!
Thanks
After reading this post yesterday (starting from Shut Up and Run blog), I made the Crockpot Sesame Honey Chicken and LOVED IT! It was easy to make. I didn’t use ketchup, but instead diced tomatoes from a can. I also added sesame oil. The only thing I would change would be to add the veggies in with the sauce. I served it on brown rice. I’m having it for leftovers. Thank you for this new recipe.
Just made this it was a hit! I mixed the chichen back in the sauce to make the chicken moist and juicy. So easy to do!
Frozen chicken or thawed?
Use thawed chicken.
I thought it was delicious, the kids not so crazy about it, what do kids know? Vegetables are a good idea, maybe water chestnuts as well, give it a lil crunch. I kinda wished the sauce was thicker. The kids say the chicken was a little dry. Maybe with thicker sauce it would “stick” a little more to the meat. Again, I thought it was tremendous!
This was excellent, made it tonights <3
This looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
Pinned this & it was easy & delish. Thank you!
I am new to cooking, what kind of onion should be used?
Either a yellow or white onion would work fine.
Made this for dinner tonight!! Rave reviews by all of my family. Thank you for a quick, easy, and delicious meal.
Found this on Pinterest. Made it tonight. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Looks amazing! Thawed chicken for the full 4 hours?
Yes, use thawed raw chicken breasts for 3-4 hours on low.
Thanks, Georgia! I’m making this tonight!
This is in the slow cooker now. I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce then cooking up some rice later. Yum! Can’t wait!
I’m going to do this for dinner tomorrow night! Yummy
Has anyone tried this on low for 8 hrs? I’m curious if I can set it up before leaving for work in the morning?
Cooking for 8 hours on low would result in very overcooked, dry chicken. As suggested, cooking on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2 hours is best.
made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! thank you!! i will definitely save the recipe.
I used just 3 pieces of chicken breast, this may be the reason for so much extra sauce, but i recommend you use an again type white rice, it really makes it!
This was the easiest recipe to prepare and was served to rave reviews from family. Plenty of leftovers for the freezer since we were shorts a few diners tonight. Yum!
Made this last night and it was AMAZING!!! The whole family loved it, I had everything I needed on hand and dinner was fixed in less than 15 minutes. My whole kitchen was clean before we even sat down to eat. SO nice! We did have a lot of sauce so next time I think I’ll throw in a few extra chicken breasts. Using frozen chicken for 8 hrs on low would probably be great. 3 hours on high wasn’t enough and I ended up finishing it in the oven. Thanks so much for sharing this gem of a recipe!
Just made this as my first every crock pot meal – it’s amazing! Not sure it’ll stretch to 4 portions as we keep nibbling the leftovers! Thanks for sharing!
This was sooooo yummy!!!!!!
Soo good! Adding it to our family cookbook :)
I added broccolli that I steamed at the end and that made the meal more green…and more filling for family.
At a friend’s suggestion, I made this… Or, I’m making it currently. I always fiddle with recipes; it’s a compulsion. One thing I wanted to mention is for the person who wanted a sub for ketchup, I used 2 Tbsp tomato paste and 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. I figured that the recipe was already going to be sweet and didn’t need more sweetness from the ketchup.
Thanks to the suggestions above, I’m going to add carrots and red bells an hour before it’s done.
very nice thank you so much =)
I’ve got this in the slow cooker right now and my stomach is grumbling with hunger after smelling it cook for the past couple of hours. Can’t wait to try it :)
Instead of water I added freshly squeezed orange juice. YUMMMMMMM!
Yummm! Just made this for dinner and it was DELICIOUS. Paired it with broccoli and reminded me of healthier sesame chicken from the Chinese restaurant!
Delicious recipe! I made this a couple of nights ago and it was super easy to put together and yummy. And with an 8 month old, I need new ways to get homecooked meals done and I will be adding this to my cookbook. Even my picky husband liked it. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks!
Made this for dinner today. Absolutely yummo!! I added sliced green pepper at the start and put the shredded chicken back in the pot for a few minutes to coat.
made this tonight! it came out amazing! Chicken thighs was the way to go, they stayed super moist and delicious.
Made this for dinner last night ! Delish!! Everyone loved it.
I made this in my pressure cooker in 30 minutes. It was delish, juicy and tender.
I just made this for tonight’s dinner but made a few changes to the recipe: I cut the soy sauce in half and added in 1/2 c. pineapple juice. I also added in 1/2 tsp. ginger and also threw in some broccoil florets and served it over rice. My kids and I LOVED it!
Oh, and I also used sesame oil instead of any other type of oil.
Found your recipe on Pinterest. Delicious as written, thanks for the recipe! Will be posting about it on my blog and linking it to your recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for this great recipe! I made it for dinner tonight and everyone in my family loved it. The only small substitution I made was more red pepper flakes–we tend to like things on the spicy side. This will become a new regular meal for us!
This recipe is awesome, I have made it several times. The first time I made it the sauce was nice and thick however, all the other times I have made it the sauce is watery! Any suggestions how to thicken it?
Georgia — April 3rd, 2013 @ 12:13 pm
Are you always adding the cornstarch and water mixture? That should thicken it considerably, but if not, up the cornstarch by a couple teaspoons. That should make the sauce nice and thick.
I made this one night and it was so delicious! But I’m wondering if there’s a faster way to make this just on the stove rather than in the crockpot?
Georgia — April 15th, 2013 @ 4:54 pm
Glad you liked it! To make without a CrockPot, just cook the chicken and sauce separately. I’d simmer the sauce ingredients for a few minutes in a small pot. Then, toss it with the shredded chicken and serve over rice.
Thanks so much for sharing! I found this recipe through Pinterest and tried it tonight; it was delicious! I made the mistake of using regular soy sauce (not reduced sodium like you recommended), so it was a little on the salty side, so I’m going to do it your way to the T next time! (My husband still raved about it, though, sodium-lover that he is.)
Thanks for the great recipe! I’m adding it to my rotation. :)
Megan
This recipe is SO flavourful. My family adores it! I’ve featured it on my meal plan on my blog today: http://thediymommy.com/meal-planning-monday-week-one-simple-real-family-dinners/ Thanks for the great recipe!
thanks a lot for your sharing this recipes,
when i find your website,i think this recipes is great…
:)
It sounds really yummy. Would you know the calorie count?
Georgia — June 10th, 2013 @ 9:15 pm
You can look up the calorie count by entering the ingredients into this calculator: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
I made this last night and it was a huge success! I added pineapple after i thickened the sauce
Thanks for the recipe….it was every bit as delicious as it looks! I sprinkled on cilantro along with the sesame seeds and green onion. Served it with vermicelli noodles.
This recipe has become a staple in our house. I usually mix in some veggies in the last hour, as well as the cornstarch at that time to allow it to really thicken. Serve over rice, and even my 3 year old twins adore it. It also freezes well over rice for a grab’n’go lunch.
Do u put the chicken back in for the 10 minutes with the sauce while it thickens?
Georgia — July 29th, 2013 @ 6:16 pm
No, just let the sauce thicken separately.
I made this tonight (making a couple changes) and my kids LOVED IT!
Try it with Teriyaki instead of Soy Sauce. Add a teeny bit of ground ginger.
Here’s my post:
http://justaddlaughter.blogspot.com/2013/08/crock-pot-honey-sesame-chicken.html
Thanks for sharing. This was an awesome recipe and a hit at my house. I featured it on my blog this week. Thanks!
Hey, looks great! Could you tell me about how much chicken you used by weight? The size of chicken breasts around here varies widely! Thanks!
Georgia — August 29th, 2013 @ 10:46 am
Hi Jen, thanks! Both 6-8 chicken thighs and 4 chicken breasts equal about 2 lbs. (more or less). Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the yummy recipe. It was simple and so delicious! My kind of recipe. I will be sharing on my blog soon :)
This sounds PERFECT for filling my Asian food craving at home, without a lot of work. Read all the comments, and it sounds like unless you use ALL breast meat, or cook it way too long, you almost can ruin this, and for ME, that is GREAT news. *grin* Thanks for sharing! And I echo what others have said: great photos and food staging!
Sorry. Typo. -You almost canNOT ruin this.-
This was awesome! Along with the chicken, I also made fried rice using a seasoning mix I found in the Asian food section of the grocery store. It was a perfect meal! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
This was fantastic! I served it with broccoli, and we all loved it and will definitely cook it again!
Excellent! I tried this a few nights ago and it was delicious! Slow cooker meals are the best.
This recipe was delicious and SO easy!
I used chicken thighs – I didn’t want the hassle of removing the skin before cooking so I cooked with it on, but I wish I would have added less oil. Next time, I’ll probably halve the veggie oil.
I cannot wait to eat this left-over a few times! I think once I’m going to add broccoli into the white rice. I’m also planning on putting it over oriental ramen.
This recipe may help me curb my take-out addiction!
I will definitely make this again! Possibly for guests!
I just HAD to comment. I got a Crock Pot for Christmas and I decided to try out a recipe I’d pinned on Pinterest. My husband picked this one and I’m so glad he did because it was SO delicious! We both gobbled it up quickly and we’re very excited about eating the leftovers on another night. I think it’s the best chicken dish I’ve ever had in my life. Also, I think using thighs rather than breasts made a big difference because dark meat tends to be moister and hold more flavor. It was SO GOOD. Other people are mentioning adding things but I don’t want to change this recipe at all when I make it in the future because it was just that good! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Can i cook for 3-4 hours on low + then keep in the crock pot on warm while I am at work or will this dry out the chicken? Thanks- looks super tasty + I want to make it.
Georgia — January 7th, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
I’d suggest cooking ahead of time and warming back up when you get home. It shouldn’t take long to heat up.
Just made this for the first time last night – it was a hit! All four kids and my hubby raved about it and just about licked their plates clean! Thank you for sharing this great recipe – it will become a staple in my menu rotation.
Just made this tonight. I added ginger, veggies, peanuts, and doubled the sauce – VERY VERY GOOD! Thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe looks so good. But I’m feeding 12 people. Could this recipe be doubled or tripled?
Georgia — February 5th, 2014 @ 9:14 am
I’ve never tried doubling or tripling it, but it should work out fine!
I made this recipe using a pack of 12 chicken thighs. Did not need to double the ingredients, it made plenty of sauce. The only suggestion I would make is that I used a gravy separator to drain any grease before adding the cornstarch/water mixture.
I had leftovers and we mixed the chicken/sauce, rice and a package of cooked broccoli together for the following day and we loved that as well.
Great recipe!!!
Thankyou! Maybe I’ll try tripling the chicken (using both breasts and thighs) and only doubling the sauce. Thanks for the help!
I made this for a potluck at work this week. OH MY GOD it smelled delish, it WAS delish. I had leftovers (I, too mixed chicken back in the sauce) so I froze it to heat up later in the week. Pretty sure it’ll freeze ok. The taste is outstanding … you have to make this.
Great recipe, always skeptical of crock pot recipes…only because they never turn out very good. Easy, tasty and kid friendly. Thanks!
I want to try this, but I have a daughter with a tomato sensitivity -so no ketchup. Can I just omit the ketchup, or should I substitute it with something else?
Georgia — March 27th, 2014 @ 12:07 pm
I don’t have recommendations for a ketchup substitution, but you can try omitting it.
I’m making this right now, but since we limit rice and carbs, I’m steaming some broccoli to serve it with!
Absolutely love this recipe! I also have a problem getting the sauce to thicken. Even when following the recipe exactly. It doesn’t work. I figured out the hard way that I can’t just put the cornstarch straight into the crockpot. But I felt like the water was…. diluting the cornstarch powers so-to-speak. So I simply added less water, to make a super thick paste before putting it in. My problem might have been not getting enough cornstarch into the teaspoon. But what ever the problem was, that seemed to do the trick. Though I added a bunch of extra cornstarch. Its thick now, but a slight hint of cornstarch flavor to it. haha I will know what to do next time!
What if we don’t have a CrockPot? What can I use instead? Thank you!
Georgia — May 15th, 2014 @ 7:45 am
If cooking without a CrockPot, I’d precook the chicken however you like (bake, broil, etc.) then shred and toss with the sauce. First, bring the sauce to a boil in a small saucepan for 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the slurry (cornstarch + water mixture) then toss with chicken. Enjoy!
Hi, not sure I’ll get my answer on time but it’s worth a shot ;) If I use bone in chicken thighs, will the time be the same? Because I could leave it on for longer but I don’t want the chicken to dry out, as mentioned to another commenter. I didn’t see anyone post about using bone-in meat, sorry if I missed this answer already given. Thanks so much.
I love all the recipes of yours I have tried! Citrus herb roasted chicken is an all time fav :)
Georgia — June 22nd, 2014 @ 5:03 pm
Hi Rose – I’ve never cooked this with bone-in thighs, but I believe the cooking time would be the same.
This recipe looks great! I am getting ready to make a bunch of freezer meals. I wonder if you could put the sauce ingredients and the chicken in a freezer bag and then dump in the crockpot on the way to work. What are your thoughts?
Georgia — July 16th, 2014 @ 11:05 am
Hi Celeste – Yes, that would work out fine.
I am making this right now. I accidentally added the water and cornstarch to the sauce mix. Hopefully it will be fine! Can’t wait to try this in a few hours!!
This look amazing. Thanks for this wonderful post. I love this.
Oh man, I can’t get enough crock pot recipes in the summer when I don’t want to heat my tiny kitchen! Definitely giving this one a try.
This looks awesome! Planning to make this for Sunday dinner with all of my college friends in my new crockpot! Any tips on increasing the cooking time if I was to double the recipe and add 8 chicken breasts? Would it work out to add broccoli/peppers towards the end?
Georgia — September 15th, 2014 @ 1:44 pm
You can try it! I’ve only made the recipe as written, but I would increase the cooking time by 1-2 hours and just keep an eye on it.
The best crock pot recipe I’ve tried in a long time. Everyone loved it!
Made this dish tonight! My family loved it!! It is a keeper!!
Thanks!!!
Hey! I grabbed all of the supplies today at the store, but I have all frozen chicken breasts. I’m going to thaw them out today, since I’m not using any chicken thighs, will my meat turn out dry? I want a nice tender, juicy chicken!
Georgia — November 23rd, 2014 @ 6:24 pm
Sorry, I’m not sure what your question is. Are you using frozen or thawed chicken breasts? As noted in the recipe, you can use either.
I loved this tonight, and I like the comment about using tom paste and cider vinagar as it was very sweet.
Do you have a calories, sugars, salt breakdown? I wonder if it’s pretty unhealthy or ok?
Georgia — December 4th, 2014 @ 1:23 pm
You can look up the calorie count by entering the ingredients into this calculator: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
How would this be adding pineapple chunks and bell pepper to it once it is finished with the honey?
Georgia — December 5th, 2014 @ 9:15 pm
That sounds good! If the bell peppers are raw, you can add them while cooking. I would add the pineapple chunks towards the end, though.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! We had this for dinner tonight, very easy to make, we did add the peppers and pineapple and OMG! Delicious.
If adding raw bell peppers, do so at the beginning? Thanks!
Georgia — December 9th, 2014 @ 10:06 am
Yes.
In pounds, how much chicken breast meat should I use?
Georgia — December 21st, 2014 @ 10:06 pm
About 2 lbs.
Just finished eating this….so good!! Certainly recommend this dish for lazy days – so easy to make.
My wife had to work late and I was home with the kids who had a snow day. I found this online. I went to the store for the ingredients and cooked about 2.3 pounds of chicken on high for two hours (only had time for the 2 hour option). I followed the directions precisely and it was great!! Everyone loved it and my wife was impressed! We will be making this again! Thanks so much!!