Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

I have been eying this recipe for quite some time. I love the crock pot and try to use it anytime I can. It's great for the winter when you want to come home to nice warm stew or soup and it's great for the warmer summer days so you don't have to heat up the whole house with the oven. If you don't have one, go get one. I promise you will use it more than you think you will.

Now, let me tell you where I saw this recipe - Pinterest. I hate to admit it, well, not really. I am totally addicted to Pinterest. If you don't know what that is, let me tell you. Here is what the Pinterest website says and I think they explain it best (although they forget to tell you that you will spend endless hours on the website and get hooked quick!). Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. See, doesn't that sound like fun? My biggest board is probably my foodie one, but I have a board for just about everything - food, clothes, dream kitchen, craft ideas, and the list goes on and on. If you want to see my pins and start following me, you can do so here.

I don't remember when I saw this chicken recipe, but I knew when I pinned it, I had to make it. Honey + sesame + chicken. How can it not be good? With just a few simple ingredients such as honey, soy sauce, onion and ketchup, I had the chicken in the crock pot and ready to go in a matter of minutes. All you do is place the chicken breasts (you can use thighs if you want too, but I'm a white meat girl) and then pour the sauce over the top. That's it! The only downside to this crock pot recipe is that it only takes four hours. This is not one to let go all day - for a couple of reasons. 1. The honey will burn and stick to your crock pot and burn like no other and 2. you will have tough, over cooked, rubber band chicken. Burnt rubbery chicken does not sound good to me and I hope that it does not sound good to you. So, when I tell you a few hours, please trust me. I used huge chicken breasts from Costco and they were done in about three and a half.  Once the chicken is cooked, thicken up the sauce, add in the chicken (shredded or chopped - I chopped mine into bite size chunks) and then serve! I served mine over a small scoop of brown rice and a side of veggies. The perfect meal. A little sweet. A little spicy. A little tangy. Thank you Pinterest!

honey sesame love sauce

forgot to take an ingredient shot. here is what was left on the counter when I remembered.

sauce + onions + garlic + chicken

cornstarch slurry

cooked chicken breasts

adding in the cornstarch to thicken up the sauce a bit

yummy in my tummy

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken (slightly adapted from www.sixsistersstuff.com)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice. 

I cut back on the honey on this sauce, but if you want it a bit sweeter, you can add the full cup the original recipe stated. This one was a winner - quick, easy and delish. Can't wait to try out some of the other recipes I've pinned!