Slow Cooker Korean Lemon Chicken

The slow cooker really is a great tool for preparing chicken dishes with thick sauce.  The flavor of the sauce really permeates the tender chicken meat.  With the help of a thickening agent like cornstarch the sauce becomes a vibrant enticing topping for the dish.

I have posted several slow cooker chicken dishes in the past of different ethnic origins, Chinese, General Tso's Chiclen; Vietnamese, Banh Mi Chicken; Filipino, Chicken Afritada among several .  In this post I am going Korean with the help of gochujang sauce which one buys from any Asian store.  I have recently posted recipes using this magnificent Korean signature delicacy.  It has that spicy sort of nutty flavor but it does not have any nut in its ingredients.  It is really made of red pepper with rice as a co-ingredient according to the label.  I am in love with it.

I have come up with a recipe combining gochujang with other condiments like soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey.  I have tweaked the proportions of these ingredients which have appeared in past recipes since one has to intensify the saltiness and sweetness when it comes to slow cooking.  The liquid does not evaporate in slow cooking.  I have mentioned before that I used cornstarch to thicken the sauce since all liquid stays in slow cooking.  As for the other spices, I used dry garlic flakes and ginger powder since I was lazy.  Actually they work.  The star of the dish is its tangy citrus taste that comes from the juice of lemon.  I used a large juicy one.  It really complements the spicy sweet taste of the combination of ingredients.

The sauce is a rice guzzler.  It is that good and addictive.  So have plenty of it.  You can double the recipe of the sauce ingredients if you wish.  This a convenient way to prepare chicken with a luscious delicious sauce for a party or family gathering.  You cook and forget it.

Slow Cooker Korean Lemon Chicken

• 1.5 lb chicken tenderloin or any other cut 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp gochujang sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dry garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp corn starch in 1 tbsp water

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and mix so the chicken pieces are coated with sauce ingredients.  

Cook for 6 hours at high or 3 hours at low setting.  I used an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker and I cooked mine for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.

Serve over rice.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.  Serve with side of mixed vegetable stir fry.  Enjoy.