Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken (Printable Version)

Tender chicken in a rich, savory-sweet sauce with minimal prep time.

# 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 - 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
04 - 1/4 cup honey
05 - 1/4 cup water
06 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Thickener

13 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
14 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Garnish

15 - 4 green onions, sliced
16 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Place chicken thighs or breasts in the base of the slow cooker.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
03 - Pour sauce mixture over chicken, ensuring each piece is evenly coated.
04 - Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours, until chicken is tender and reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred using two forks.
06 - Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl to form slurry. Stir into sauce in slow cooker.
07 - Return shredded chicken to slow cooker, stir to combine. Cook on HIGH for 15–20 minutes until sauce thickens.
08 - Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce hits every perfect note sweet, savory, and just a little spicy
  • Your slow cooker does practically all the work while you go about your day
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day
02 -
  • The sauce will look thin when you first pour it in but that is exactly right
  • Always shred the chicken before thickening the sauce or the texture gets weird
  • Cornstarch needs to be whisked with cold liquid to prevent lumps from forming
03 -
  • Chicken thighs stay more tender than breasts during long slow cooking
  • Let the sauce thicken with the lid off for the last 15 minutes

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