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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.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Korean Style


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5 from 8 reviews

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

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*
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 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

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.*
  3. 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