Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style

Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs; 1 tablespoon cooking oil*; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; ⅓ cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)*; 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped ginger root (from a 3-inch piece); 2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic (about 6 large cloves); 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar; 2 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to garnish; 3 scallions thinly sliced crosswise, to garnish

January 25, 2023 by Lisa Goldfinger 25 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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Crock pot chicken thighs have never tasted so good as when you slow cook them with spicy sweet Korean Gochujang sauce. Tender juicy chicken in the most addictively delicious sauce. Next time you're looking for an easy dinner with fantastic flavors, give this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe a try.

two slow cooked chicken thighs with vivid orange gochujang sauce on a black plate with some white rice and a few slices of sauteed zucchini.

If you've ever cooked chicken thighs in a crock pot you know how amazing they are. The low and slow cooking process results in the most juicy, tender chicken that practically falls off the bone. Add sweet and spicy Korean gochujang sauce and the result is off the charts!

I discovered Gochujang when I made this Korean Chicken Stew and it's since become one of my pantry staples. If you don't already love Korean gochujang sauce, this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe will win you over.

When it comes to complex flavor, there really is nothing quite like gochujang. Made from fermented soybeans and chilies, this sauce has a complex range of sweet, spicy, salty and umami flavors. If you want to know more, here's a great ode to gochujang, written by a blogger.

small black measuring spoon holding ⅓ cup of Korean gochujang sauce, with the bottle of the sauce in the background

You can purchase Korean Gochujang online, at Asian markets, and in the Asian section of many grocery stores.

As gochujang is very intense, it's generally used in combination with other ingredients to balance out the flavor. For this recipe gochujang is mixed with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar.

Here's what you need for this recipe

Whole bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Store-bought Korean gogchujang chili sauce
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Dark brown sugar
Fresh garlic, roughly chopped
Ginger root, roughly chopped
Scallions and sesame seeds to garnish

ingredients for gochujang sauce on a wooden cutting board: bottle of soy sauce, bottle of gochujang sauce, bottle of sesame oil, bag of dark brown sugar, whole bulb of garlic, hunk of ginger root

How To Make These Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

You'll need only 20 minutes to prepare this dish. The slow cooker will do the rest.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and sear them in a hot skillet, skin-side down, until golden, then transfer them to a slow cooker, skin-side up.
Roughly chop the ginger and garlic and add to a blender with the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar. Blitz the sauce and pour it over the chicken.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for three hours or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender.

8 seared chicken thighs in a slow cooker

8 seared chicken thighs in a slow cooker, topped with gochujang chili sauce

Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and enjoy!

8 slow cooked chicken thighs with korean chili sauce and sprinkling of chopped green onions

Questions you might have about this recipe

Do I have to pan sear the chicken before slow cooking it?

Pan searing adds color, crispness and a layer of flavor to the chicken thighs. If you don't have time or you prefer to skip the this step, this dish will still be delicious but I suggest you remove the skin from the chicken thighs before cooking.

Can I make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs?

Yes. If you use boneless thighs, when serving you'll probably want to shred the meat into the sauce and serve it over rice.

Can I make this recipe without a blender or food processor?

Yes. If you're not using a machine to puree the sauce ingredients, instead of roughly chopping the garlic and ginger, mince it finely, then combine it with the rest of the sauce ingredients and pour it over the chicken.

Is this dish very spicy?

I don't find this dish too hot or fiery and I'm sensitive to spicy food - it has a nice kick.

What brand of gochujang is best?

I've tried many different brands of gochujang and they do vary quite a bit in flavor and level of heat. My favorite brand, available on Amazon and in some grocery stores, is Chung Jung One O'Food. If you can only find a large container, no worries. Because it's fermented, gochujang will keep for two years in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

This dish calls out for rice or noodles - something to help soak up all the delicious sauce. I also love serving something tender and green on the side such as sautéed spinach, kale or zucchini.

If you try this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

Author: Lisa Goldfinger
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 4 generous main dish servings 1x

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Description

Crock pot chicken thighs have never tasted so good as when you slow cook them with sweet spicy Korean gochujang sauce. This recipe is perfect for those busy times when you want a great meal without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon cooking oil*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)*
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of roughly chopped ginger root (from a 3-inch piece)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic (about 6 large cloves)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
3 scallions thinly sliced crosswise, to garnish

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Instructions

Heat oil in a heavy cast skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Season chicken with salt and sear 4 thighs skin-side down until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and add to the crock pot, skin side up. Repeat with the 4 remaining thighs.
In a blender or food processor, add the gochujang sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar and water. Blitz into a sauce and pour evenly over the chicken. Put the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and tender.*
Top with sesame seeds and scallions. I suggest you serve this with white rice and sautéed spinach, kale or zucchini.

Notes

*For high heat sautéing, it's best to use a high smoke point oil such as light olive oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil or canola.

*Slow cookers are supposed to cook at a temperature of 190º-200ºF when set to "low," however they are not always reliable. 3 hours at around 200ºF is the perfect amount of time for this recipe but please check for doneness after 3 hours and, if need be, continue to cook the chicken for up to one hour longer, until done.

My favorite brand of gochujang on Amazon

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 3 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow cook
Cuisine: Korean

Keywords: slow cooker chicken thighs with Korean gochujang sauce, crock pot chicken thighs with gochujang sauce

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style

Here's what you need for this recipe

How To Make These Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

Questions you might have about this recipe

Serving Suggestions