I came up with this recipe after a friend shared something on Facebook recently, a very basic sesame chicken recipe done in a crockpot. I don’t do much crockpot cooking but I figured I could amp up the flavor and sure enough I did. Plus, this is downright easy.
After reading the ingredients of the original recipe I knew I could add some things to it and still get in the little crockpot that I use for dips, it’s a 1.5 qt. Kitchen Gourmet with Hi, Low, and Warm settings. Until this recipe I had only made variations of Rotel cheese dip in it and in said crockpot I came up with my signature Super Bowl dip that I will share later … it’s just July.
Back to the spicy sesame chicken. What sets this apart from other sesame chicken that I’ve had is the addition of chili garlic paste. It really adds a great depth of flavor and some much needed heat against the sweet. There are a couple of other things I tweaked but the chili garlic paste brought it all together.
With regards to crockpot cooking, I’m now a converted user. It’s not that I am afraid of using them, they just don’t come to mind first when I cook. After making this dish I definitely see the benefits of throwing everything into one cooking vessel, setting a temp, setting a time, and walking away. I will be exploring more crocking possibilities in the future so stay tuned …
- 1½ pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts, or 2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- ⅔ cup honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbsp dried onion powder
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 tbsp chili garlic paste
- Sesame seeds
- Put cut up chicken, chopped onion, and chopped green bell pepper into crock pot. Stir to evenly distribute everything. I used a 1.5 qt. crockpot and it was pretty full, a little larger crockpot would be ideal.
- In a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion powder, ketchup, sesame oil, and garlic powder. Pour over chicken, onions, and peppers.
- Put on lid and cook for 3 hours on high, or until chicken is tender and veggies are cooked through. Time could vary depending on size of crockpot.
- Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot, add in garlic chili paste. Stir to incorporate well. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds over rice. We used a black Chinese heirloom rice which is similar to a wild rice but shorter grain, it has a wonderful nutty flavor that works well with this dish.