Honey Sesame Chicken

Chinese stir-fries are usually my pick for a quick-fix meal option, when I don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. I tend to favor the spicier flavors though and am not a big fan of sweet chinese dishes. However thats all my husband and daughter will ever order off a chinese menu. So when I came across this sesame chicken recipe from Amybites.com, I thought I would give it a try for them.

Now, I don’t have a slow cooker/crockpot, so I made a stove top version of her recipe and modified it a bit to suit my palate. I added slow cooker directions below for those of you that have one and would like to come home to the wonderful aromas of sweet honey sesame chicken slowly stewing.

This dish was such a hit with the family, that I can see my self making it every couple weeks or so. When the chicken is cooking away, it fills youre house up with a wonderful aroma that will have your mouth-watering for a taste. Don’t let the cooking time scare you, it’s a super easy recipe with very little prep time….

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe

adapted from AmyBites.com
Ingredients:
2 large Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1/4 cup Tomato sauce (plain)
1/2 cup Soy sauce
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1 tsp crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 medium Onion
3 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Canola/Vegetable oil
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Cornstarch + 3 tbsp water
3 Green onions
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:
– In a mixing bowl, combine together the tomato sauce, soy sauce, honey, crushed red pepper,sesame oil and brown sugar. Make sure brown sugar is completely dissolved and everything is mixed well. Set it aside for later.
– Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves.
– In a heavy bottom pan heat a tablespoon of vegetable/canola oil. Add the diced onion and sautee it for a couple minutes until it turns soft and translucent.
– Once the onions soften, add the minced garlic and sautee for another minute or two.
– Then place the whole chicken breasts in the pot and pour the sauce over the top.
– Add about 1/2 a cup of water and bring the liquid to gentle simmer.
– Put the lid on and let the chicken cook for about an hour. Halfway through the cooking process, turn the chicken breasts over so they cook evenly on both sides.
– While the chicken is cooking, roughly slice the green onions and toast the sesame seeds until they turn a light golden color and set them aside for the garnish.
– Once the chicken is cooked, pull them out of the sauce and set them on a plate to cool. Turn the heat up and bring the sauce to a boil.
– Mix together the cornstarch with a some water and dissolve it. Pour it into the sauce and stir until it thickens into a syrupy consistency. Turn the heat down again.
– Shred the chicken breasts into bite size pieces using a couple of forks. Then add the chicken back into the sauce and let it cook until it reaches your desired consistency.
– Garnish it with the toasted sesame and green onions.
– The Honey Sesame chicken goes great with some steamed rice and broccoli florets.

Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot Version
**If you’re making this recipe in a slow cooker, simply place the chicken breasts over the garlic and onion. Then pour over the sauce and water and cook the chicken for 3-4 hours on medium or for 2 hours on high. Once the chicken is cooked take it out, shred it and before adding the chicken back in, thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry. Then add the chicken back in and allow it to cook for about 15-20 minutes more. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions**

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