It’s probably weird that I pulled out the slow cooker in the middle of May and I’m sure this recipe would have much more appeal in the winter months, but sometimes a craving just has to be addressed.
You know that nasty honey bourbon chicken with the suspect brown sauce that the Chinese places in the mall hand out on sample platters as you walk by? Which, btw, I really hope you don’t eat. Ew. I can’t even remember the last time I ate at a mall Chinese place or any mall restaurant for that matter. The roach sighting on the Sbarro countertop a few years ago kind of turned me off. But for some reason, that honey bourbon chicken sounded reallllly good. Especially with a sauce that I could make and not worry about what sort of rodent might have been crawling in it behind the cash register.
I know the slow cooker is supposed to be a convenience but honestly, I find it hard to plan far enough in advance to be able to spend 6-8 hours cooking something. I’m sure, however, if I didn’t have the luxury of working from home that would change out of necessity. The great thing about this recipe is that it takes 2 hours. If you don’t have hungry kids waiting to be fed at 5:30pm exactly, you could totally pull this off after work. We don’t eat until 7:30pm on a good day so while this cooked, I got my workout done and showered. Ps- these phase 2 livefit workouts are getting to be a littttle long for the liking.
The result was a sticky, sweet, spicy sauce that coated every piece of chicken. Served with some fresh pineapple it was like a cross between the mall bourbon chicken and the takeout sweet and sour chicken.
So comfortingly delicious and no msg. Win, win.
- 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, minced
- 2½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ¼ cup pineapple, diced
- sesame seeds for garnish
- green onion for garnish
- salt & pepper
- Season chicken with salt & pepper.
- Combine honey, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, maple syrup, ketchup & sriracha in a small bowl and whisk together.
- Place chicken in the slow cooker and pour sauce over top.
- Cook on high for 2 hours.
- Remove chicken and place in a side dish.
- Pour sauce into a small sauce pan and reduce over medium-low heat until thick and syrupy.
- Pour sauce over chicken.
- Add pineapple, sesame & green onion for garnish.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks so delicious. And a roach at Sbarro’s? Ewwwwww.
jealous of napa. just letting you know.
Awesome recipe, looks delicious! I think my whole entire family would like this.
Nothing wrong with pulling out the slow cooker in May. Makes life more convenient. Your dish sounds wonderful! I love a nice, sticky sweet chicken dish!
Roaches at the mall? Ew. Definitely pass on that. I’m probably weird in that I love using the slow cooker… even when I’m home!
Yes, it was beyond disgusting and the best part was the cashier just tried to wipe it off with a dirty rag like it didn’t happen.
The last time we ate chinese at the mall was the Galleria with that super confusing menu that kind of didn’t make any sense…”next…next …next” They always rush you even though there is no one behind you. We sat down ate our lunch and we both probably were wondering the same thing…why did we eat this crap.
Oh that second photo…I just want to eat it right off the screen!
I’m loving this dish! Yum!
Found this on Pinterest this morning, and asked my fiance if he’d like it for dinner tonight. His response: that recipe looks so good my mouth is watering. Dinner = done! Thanks for this awesome one, can’t wait to check out some of your others
I am sooooooooo making this this weekend! My hubby loves Asian food (he’s half Korean) but I don’t make it very often… seems tedious or unhealthy. But this is neither of those! As for the gross handouts at the mall – I wish I could wear a button that says “I don’t want any of your crap, so DON’T ASK!!!!!!!!!!” I hate getting “assaulted” there. So I usually just say NO before they even open their mouths. I one of those people
Totally going on the menu for this week. I don’t care if it’s in the middle of a heat wave in August, that crockpot is stickin’ with me!
I am with you on the long Phase II workouts. I am in week 6, and have to get up at least at 6AM to get to the gym, do the workout, and be at work (to which I have to drive 35 miles on the Bay Area highway 101) at some reasonable time. Good thing my work schedule is flexible, so I can come in later and stay later. But it looks like the later it is in the program, the longer the workouts are, so I am not sure what I am going to do. Getting up at 5:30AM doesn’t seem attractive at all.
Enjoy the beautiful Wine Country. The weather is gorgeous. Which it usually is the case here in Nor Cal.
What a mouthwatering way to jazz up chicken! This looks so delicious, Gina! Going to print this to try soon…
Oh man, a basic sauce of honey+soysauce+garlic+ginger together makes for a wonderful dish! But, the addition of pineapple and Sriracha too… just delicious! All the ingredients in this dish are right up my alley! I have to plan for crock pot meals too because I want to cook with it when I’m around (totally against the purpose of the crock pot). For some reason, I am afraid it will blow up when I’m not at home and come home to a house blown up into smoke.
This looks great and I will be making it for sure! Thanks!
mmmm this totally reminds me of those chinese places, like you said, but i love that yours is 10 times, maybe 1000 times healthier!! i hope you’re having fun in napa, i can’t wait to hear about it
This looks delicious. I featured your website on my blog. The link is http://savorthebaking.blogspot.com/2012/05/feature-fridaysfavorite-food-iphone.html?m=1
Ugh, mall food. This is a seriously better alternative! I love using my slow cooker in the summer. Usually, we’ll set it up outside on the back patio table…it gets ridiculously hot in the summer (I live in Phoenix) and anything I can do to keep the house cooler when it comes to cooking is necessary!
I think I tried the bourbon once. Never. again. Nasty. I use my croak pot year ’round and I live in Florida, so I don’t think it’s abnormal.
Crock pot, not croak pot. I need a nap.
This gave me the best laugh today before I saw your clarification
This looks so good! I love everything about it. And I concur on the mall food. Recently my family and I were in the mall and we thought maybe we’d get a slice of pizza at Sbarro, the counter guy coerced us into buying a whole pizza and it was seriously the most disgusting pizza I have ever eaten. And that, in my opinion, is pretty tough to do. We usually have a saying in our house, “Even when pizza is bad, it’s still pretty good”. Not anymore. Don’t even get me started on Panda Express…
This looks so good! I love the honey, garlic and ginger flavors – mmm! And especially without msg, haha. I know what you mean about using a crockpot when you’re home most of the day anyways. I’d use mine a ton more if I wasn’t at home. I know some people do even though they are at home but it drives me kind of crazy waiting for something that I could cook faster, if that makes any sense.
I am so on this gluten-free diet for Celiac disease and I have been scouring blogs and such for new recipes…This will do it, my gluten-free soy sauce and I am good to go…Thanks a bunch! I have been so hungry for Chinese food…
This looks deeeeelicious!
YUM – I have this in my crock pot right now and it smells so yummy, can’t wait to enjoy it (I love good crock pot meals for the summer that are still fresh tasting but don’t heat up the whole house).
Happy Summer Eating
Awesome, hope you liked it!
Could you suggest a way to make this without a slow cooker?