Slow Cooker Korean Chicken

By Updated on

Slow Cooker Korean Chicken packed with sweet and spicy flavors is perfect for a healthy and easy dinner. Stuff them into lettuce wraps, serve it over rice, or make Asian style tacos for a dinner you will crave.

259 CAL 17g CARBS 5g FAT 32g PROTEIN
10 Comments

Korean Chicken is an easy and healthy crockpot meal that takes just 10 minutes of prep. The end result is the most amazing sweet, savory, and slightly spicy chicken.

One of my favorite recipes is for this  Korean Beef Tacos. They are a bit spicy and a bit sweet a perfect combo in my book. I was craving them this week but didn’t have any beef on hand so decided to give the recipe a try with chicken.

I combined a pound of chicken thighs (for moisture) and a pound of chicken breasts and it came out great. The recipe makes a great base for tacos or burritos, can be served over rice, and also works perfectly for lettuce wraps.

It also gets better over time so plan on using the leftovers for lunches or quick dinners during the week. Use the leftovers to make Korean Bowls, swapping in chicken for beef.

Slow Cooker Korean Chicken served in lettuce wraps with carrots.

The sauce for this dish is where the magic really happens. The combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar is the perfect blend of sweet and savory.It's similar to the bulgogi sauce used in these bulgogi ground beef recipe.

Then combined with some fresh jalapenos (or Sriracha) to get some subtle heat, and you have a sauce you will want to eat with everything. 

Our favorite way to eat this chicken is as lettuce wraps. I set everything up on the table and let everyone build their own. The spread includes butter lettuce, shredded carrots, edamame, soy sauce, Sriracha, green onions, sesame seeds, shredded jicama, and cilantro. It's also great for parties since you can leave the chicken in the slow cooker and set everything else up on the side.

What is Korean Chicken?

There are all different types of Korean Chicken recipes but most often it refers to some type of sweet and spicy chicken. The sauce is usually made from a combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, gojuchang (Korean hot sauce), and brown sugar. This version uses an Asian chili paste instead of the typical Korean gojuchnag since it can be hard to find in most grocery stores. However, if you can find it, feel free to substitute it.

Tips for Making this Slow Cooker Korean Chicken

  • I like to make this dish with a combination of chicken breast and chicken thighs. The thighs bring moisture to the dish, while the chicken breast keeps the calories a bit lower. However, you can use all thighs or all breasts depending on what you prefer. You can also shred the chicken instead of cubing it.
  • Using whole garlic cloves add a nice garlic flavor to the whole dish that isn't overpowering. However, if you don't want to use that many cloves, you can use 4-6 diced cloves instead.
  • For the spice in this dish, I like to use jalapenos. You could use Sriracha or Asian garlic chili paste as well.
  • Don't feel like you have to serve this as lettuce wraps. It's delicious served with rice, quinoa, or spaghetti squash. It's also great in tacos or an Asian style burrito or rice bowl.

Crockpot Korean Chicken on a plate with lettuce and carrots.

Side Dish Ideas 

There are so many directions you can go with this chicken but I like to stick to Asian flavors to complement the dish. Here are some of our favorite sides:

  • Crispy Asian Brussels Sprouts: These sweet and spicy sprouts are super addictive and a huge hit in our house. 
  • Sesame Soy Broccoli: This simple broccoli dish was inspired by my nephew who will only eat broccoli with soy sauce. 
  • Healthy Fried Rice: It's hard not to love fried rice but this healthier version is packed with veggies and lower in sodium.
  • Ten Minute Cabbage Stirfry: For a quick side dish, make this cabbage stirfry and drizzle some of the extra Korean sauce on top.

More healthy Asian slow cooker recipes

Here are some products I used to create this recipe:

  • Slow Cooker: There are so many different slow cookers on the market but I personally use this one that allows me to brown, sear, or saute in the same pan. Plus I find the cooking temperature to be really even and consistent.

This recipe was originally posted in 2014 and has been updated with new photos, tips, and tricks,

The Recipe
Slow Cooker Korean Chicken in lettuce wraps with shredded carrots on top.

Slow Cooker Korean Chicken

259 CAL 17g CARBS 5g FAT 32g PROTEIN
PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 6 Hours
TOTAL TIME: 6 Hours, 10 Min
10 Comments
  • Print
  • Download
  • Send to your inbox

Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar (or Stevia, maple syrup, honey)
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (GF if needed)
  • 10 cloves garlic, whole
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 2 jalapenos, diced (or Sriracha)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Like this Recipe? Try our Meal Plans!

Slender Kitchen Meal Plans
  • Weekly Meal Plans
  • Easy Shopping List
  • Healthy, Low Carb, & Vegetarian
  • Nutritional Information

Instructions

(Hide Media)

Switch to prevent your screen from going dark.

1

Combine the sugar, soy sauce, red onion, jalapenos, garlic cloves, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame seeds in a small bowl.

2

Add the chicken to the crock pot and cover with the sauce.

3

Cook for 6-8 hours on low. When it has 30 minutes left to cook, open the lid on so the sauce thickens up.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 6 oz.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 259
Calories from Fat 20
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
3%
Saturated Fat 1g
1%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
0%
Cholesterol 103mg
12%
Sodium 623mg
27%
Total Carbohydrate 17g
6%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 13g
Protein 32g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

user image
About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
† We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
10 Comments
On Slow Cooker Korean Chicken
user image
user image
Veda
January 5, 2023 - 05:59
Add a Rating:
5
I've made this so many times for myself and friends ❤️ It's super tasty and goes great with the Slender Kitchen recipes for crispy Asian sprouts, and the healthy fried rice. Thank you!
user image
Kenzie
June 19, 2022 - 13:23
How much is a serving size?
user image
June 21, 2022 - 08:23
It ends up being around 2/3 cup of shredded chicken. Hope you enjoy it!
user image
Samantha
December 26, 2021 - 14:02
I want to try this in my Instapot…any tips on how long to cook it on the pressure cooker setting?
user image
Billy Bob
September 13, 2021 - 09:16
If subbing sriracha for jalepenos - how much do you use?
user image
September 13, 2021 - 13:21
I would start with about 2 teaspoons and then adjust from there based on how spicy you like things.
user image
Cheryl Taylor
January 12, 2019 - 17:30
Add a Rating:
5
This is by far one of my favorite recipes. The flavors are amazing and it's so easy! This shows that you don't have to give up flavor when trying to eat healthier. Best of all...my husband loves it!
user image
January 29, 2019 - 14:47
Yay!! I love when a recipe can be enjoyed by the whole family.
user image
Janet Shirey
November 30, 2018 - 15:49
Add a Rating:
5
I made this for the two meat-eaters in our 5-person household & they LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Simple to put together & they both raved about the flavor. The sauce smelled so amazing, I'm actually going to make it with tofu (I don't eat meat). Thank you so much for sharing!
user image
January 29, 2019 - 14:48
So glad they enjoyed! Let me know how it turns out with tofu :) I haven't tried that yet.
Instagram Icon
Did you make this?

Snap a picture and show us what you made on Instagram or Facebook. Tag us using @SlenderKitchen or #slenderkitchen.