The Crock Pot is kinda genius, right?! Well if not genius, it’s completely convenient. I mean how awesome is it to throw a bunch of ingredients in the crock pot and in a few hours you have dinner?! This week I was making a Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken. It’d been a bit since I’d used this appliance, and I’d vowed to start using it more, so it was time.
Not only was I drawn to the fact that this dish took minutes to throw together, but it also had me using a meat that, surprisingly, I’d never cooked with…chicken thighs. I’ve always considered myself a bit of a white meat snob, if you will, so purchasing dark meat on purpose was never on my agenda. But I’m glad I did.
I went to the store and compared the chicken breasts to thighs, and the fact is that a) you get more meat with the package of thighs, b) chicken breasts aren’t as flavorful as chicken thighs (or so I’ve heard), and c) it’s cheaper! So I was sold.
Time to talk sauce. I gotta say I continue to grow as a person. First chicken thighs, and now for the second week in a row I’m facing my ketchup phobias. I know I’m weird, this is not new information to me. But ketchup kind of creeps me out a bit…except on fries. I love it on fries. But I digress…back to the sauce. It’s got a base of honey, soy sauce, and ketchup plus chopped onions, minced garlic, a little oil and crushed red pepper flakes. This makes for a sweet sauce with a bit of tang and a slight heat (but not too much, I promise).
Trim the thighs and season them with salt and pepper. Then place them in the crock pot and add the sauce. Let’s discuss cooking a bit. The recipe says an hour to an hour and a half on high or three to four hours on low. I started mine on high for about an hour, and then turned it down to low for an extra two or two and a half hours. This made for chicken that literally falls apart it’s so tender. And the sauce starts to caramelize a bit too.
Remove the chicken and chop it up. Then thicken up the sauce with some corn starch and water and once it’s thicker, add in the chicken. I served mine over some white rice, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I loved how complex the flavors were, and I gotta say I’m now a fan of chicken thighs…who would have seen that coming?!
So click here for the recipe and step by step instructions. You’ll soon have a great meal to throw together on a busy week night!
A look back:
One year ago: Learning to Love Salads – Part 12: Tuna Pasta Salad
Two years ago: Creamy Avocado Pasta…My New Favorite Pasta Dish
Three years ago: The Deliciousness that is Israeli Couscous…
Now your cooking comfort foods from Hawaii!! Good job it Looks Delicious