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Asian Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Asian slow cooker chicken thighs cooked low until tender, then finished with a cornstarch-thickened soy-ginger glaze for glossy, spoonable sauce. Serve it over jasmine rice with green onions and sesame seeds for a sweet-salty dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Boneless chicken thighs
  • 4 boneless chicken thighs Use 4–6 thighs; 4 listed for consistent nutrition.
Soy-ginger sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced Minced before mixing.
  • 1 tbsp ginger, grated Freshly grated.
  • 1 tsp sriracha
Cornstarch slurry
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
Serving
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.
  • 1 green onions For garnish.
  • 1 jasmine rice To serve over.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Mix the sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sriracha until smooth and evenly combined; the mixture should look glossy and well-suspended.
Slow cook the chicken
  1. Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker, pour the sauce over top, and coat well so most surfaces are covered.
  2. Cook on Low for 4–5 hours until the chicken is tender and flakes easily, or on High for 2–2.5 hours for faster results.
Thicken and finish
  1. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce (cornstarch stirred with water) until no dry pockets remain.
  2. Turn the slow cooker to High and cook 15–20 minutes, stirring once if needed, until the sauce looks glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  3. Return the chicken to the sauce and spoon to coat; cook just briefly to rewarm if needed, then serve over jasmine rice with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For the thickest glossy sauce, whisk the cornstarch slurry until fully smooth before adding, and use it right away. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (best frozen without rice). For a lower-sugar option, reduce honey to 1 tablespoon and increase rice vinegar by 1 tablespoon for brightness while keeping the balance.