Slow Cooker Korean Chicken

This Crockpot Korean Chicken is an easy and healthy slow cooker meal that takes just 10 minutes of prep. The result is the most sweet, savory, and slightly spicy chicken. It's delicious in lettuce wraps, rice bowls, and more.

One of my favorite easy dinner recipes is 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 I decided to try the recipe with chicken.

I combined chicken thighs (for moisture) and chicken breasts to keep things light and it came out great, ensuring a healthy and delicious meal for you and your family.

It also gets better after a night in the fridge, so plan on using the leftovers for lunches or quick dinners during the week. This not only saves time but also reduces food waste. My favorite option? Use the leftovers to make these Korean Bowls, swapping in chicken for beef.

Ingredients and Swaps

Here is everything you need to make this delicious Asian chicken dish. 

• Chicken: Typically, braised Korean chicken is made with chicken thighs or chicken legs since they are juicy, tender, and full of flavor from the higher fat content. To keep things light without sacrificing taste, I used a combination of thighs and breasts. Feel free to use all breasts, thighs, or a combination. You can also use bone-in chicken. Just cook on low for 8 hours so it is fully cooked.
• Brown sugar: This sauce needs some sweetness to balance the spice. Typically, I use brown sugar but feel free to swap in white sugar, coconut sugar, honey, pure maple syrup, or agave.  
• Soy sauce: To get that salty, umami flavor, soy sauce is critical. You can swap in coconut aminos or tamari for a gluten-free option.
• Garlic, onion, and ginger: This recipe uses a lot of garlic, but the flavor won't be overpowering since it uses whole cloves. If you prefer to use minced garlic, cut the amount in half. Feel free to use fresh ginger or ginger paste. Any onion can be used, but red onions add a subtle sweetness you won't get with yellow or white ones.
• Jalapenos and chili paste: To achieve the right spice level and flavor, I like combining fresh jalapeno peppers and Asian chili paste. You can use traditional Korean gochujang, sambal olek (chili garlic sauce), or Sriracha. Adjust the heat to suit your preferences, or serve it on the side for a more kid-friendly dish.
• Rice vinegar: This recipe needs some acid to balance the sweetness. Rice vinegar is the most traditional, but swap in white vinegar or lime juice.
• Optional extras: There are many ways to add even more flavor to this dish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil to the sauce for a nutty flavor. Add black pepper, white pepper, or Chinese 5-spice for a deeper flavor. Add fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, mint, or green onions to the finished dish.

Korean Style Sauce: Use It for Everything!

The sauce for this dish is where the magic happens. The combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Asian garlic chili paste or gochujang, 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.

This sauce can be used to marinate meat, drizzled over veggies, used as a stir-fry sauce, or as a cooking sauce for slow-cooked proteins.

What is Korean Chicken?

There are many different types of Korean Chicken recipes, but the term most often refers to some type of sweet and spicy chicken. The sauce is usually made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochujang (Korean hot sauce), and brown sugar.

This version uses Asian chili paste instead of the typical Korean gochujang, which can be hard to find in most grocery stores. However, if you can find it, definitely use it for the most authentic flavor.

Our favorite way to eat Korean 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, sliced jicama, and cilantro. It's also great for parties since you can leave the chicken in the slow cooker and set everything else on the side.

Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Korean Chicken

Follow these tips to make 

• Lettuce wraps: Grab some butter lettuce or cabbage leaves to serve this tender chicken. Add all your favorite toppings, including shredded carrots, green onions, cilantro, crispy rice noodles, and extra sayce. 
• Asian tacos: Serve the chicken in warm corn tortillas with this crunchy Asian Peanut Slaw or a simple slaw made with shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onions, and lime juice.
• Noodle or rice bowls: Pile the chicken over steamed rice, quinoa, or Asian noodles. Top with sliced cucumbers, edamame, and red cabbage. Drizzle with the extra sauce from the slow cooker.
• Green salad: Use this as the protein to make a hearty main dish salad with all your favorite veggies. Add some baked wonton chips or chop suey noodles for crunch.
• Spring rolls: Add this chicken to some homemade spring rolls with fresh herbs, rice noodles, carrots, and cucumbers.

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.