Slow Cooker Asian Chicken (Shredded)
Easy slow cooker Asian chicken recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Tender, shredded chicken is flavored with soy sauce, orange marmalade and juice, Sriracha sauce and some sesame oil.
I love Asian food and making my favorite restaurant-inspired recipes at home is so much fun. The best part is that it doesn’t take a ton of time to prepare! I’m a big fan of shredded chicken and decided to add a Chinese flavor twist to an old classic. You can still enjoy my basic Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken but this version is so delicious as well.
How to make slow cooker Asian chicken breast recipe from scratch?
- Add ingredients in crockpot- This includes chicken breasts, sesame oil, orange marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.
- Mix– Until combined.
- Cover- And cook.
- Shred chicken– With 2 forks.Â
- Mix in remaining ingredients- This includes peppers and green onions.
What to serve with shredded Chinese chicken?
In one of the pictures above, you can see that I served them in a lettuce wrap with a sweet and spicy drizzle. I simply mixed together a small amount of Sriracha with honey and a little marmalade. That is one way to enjoy it. You can enjoy it in so many other ways:
Wraps and sandwiches- Place it in burgers, quesadillas, between your favorite bakery buns, pita bread, or various wraps.
Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes- You can even serve it with baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes, fries, or mashed potatoes.
Salads- Toss it into some Asian slaw or other leafy green Oriental salads.
Pizzas- This shredded meat would make a great topping.
Soups and pastas- Use in your favorite curry, soups, or pasta for a new Asian twist.
Asian chicken marinade
A marinade is not necessary for this recipe, but all the ingredients can be put in a Ziploc bag for an hour or overnight for bbq, grilling, or baking. The ingredients from the recipe card you need to mix together are sesame oil, orange marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.
How to shred chicken?
Two forks- Take the chicken out of the slow cooker using two forks and place it on a plate. Use the same two forks to pull apart the chicken into small shreds. Then, toss the chicken back into the slow cooker and mix altogether before serving.
Stand mixer- Put chicken into the mixing bowl and use paddle attachment to mix and shred chicken-Super easy!
Variations for Oriental/ Asian style chicken
Make it spicy- Increase quantity of sriracha or add red chili flakes to add an extra kick.
Rice vinegar substitute– You can use apple cider vinegar or regular distilled vinegar.
Make crispy fried chicken- Pan fry the shredded chicken in oil over stovetop to give it a crisp, fried look and flavor.
 Add onions- To add some extra flavor and texture.
Tips and techniques for Chinese orange chicken
How to thicken sauce? You can mix in a cornstarch slurry.
How to make sauce thinner? There should be plenty of juices left in the pot, but if you find yourself wanting a thinner sauce, add water or chicken broth, a little at a time.
How to fix dry chicken? Mix in some broth. Usually there is plenty of juices leftover from the recipe. Make sure not to throw it away and be sure to measure all ingredients correctly.
Use low sodium soy sauce– Because you don’t want your meat to be overly salty.
Use high quality marmalade– To gain the best flavor and make sure it is one with little chunks for a better texture.
Don’t add peppers in the beginning– Because otherwise they will become soft and “mushy.”
Use unsweetened orange juice– Because you don’t want this recipe to be too sweet. The orange marmalade is sweet enough to cover for both.
Don’t omit sesame oil– Because it adds a lot of flavor and aroma. Watch the quantity, though! It’s strong!
Don’t discard juices- There will be quite a bit leftover, but it it keeps the chicken moist and juicy. Or you can remove some of the excess broth and store it in the fridge to use later in soups and other dishes.
Storage for Asian pulled chicken
Fridge- Place cooled chicken in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Freezer- Place in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
Reheat– In microwave.
More Asian slow cooker recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks (Chinese)
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
- Slow Cooker Thai Green Chicken Curry
Slow Cooker Shredded Asian Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts, Boneless, Large, They should be comfortably spread out in the crockpot without much overlapping
- 1-2 tsp Sesame oil, Adjust according to your preference as it has a strong flavor and aroma
- 3/4 cup Orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup Orange juice, Unsweetened
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce, Low sodium
- 2 tsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic , Finely minced
- 2 tsp Ginger, Freshly grated
- Salt , To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 1/2 cup Peppers, Any color of your choice, Finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Green onions
Instructions
- In a large crockpot (6 quart or larger) add chicken breasts, sesame oil, orange marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on High heat for 3-4 hours or until chicken is very tender.
- Shred chicken with 2 forks.
- In the final 20-30 minutes, mix in the peppers and green onions.
- There will be a decent amount of juice, sauce and broth. I don't discard it because it keeps the chicken moist and juicy. However, you can remove some of the excess broth and store it in the fridge and use it later for soups and other dishes. Enjoy!
- In one of the pictures above, you can see that I served them in a lettuce wrap with a sweet and spicy drizzle. I simply mixed together a small amount of Sriracha with honey and a little marmalade.
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.Â
