CrockPot Honey Bourbon Chicken

Instagram has become my saving grace for getting food photos in the early darkness of winter!

We are so over holiday food. After Thanksgiving, we ate leftovers for a week, so if I don't see another turkey again until next year, I'd be really happy. Hubs and I have been craving Asian food for the last few weeks, so I thought I'd try something new to satisfy the craving. I am always a bit hesitant when it comes to teriyaki-style chicken in the CrockPot with honey in the recipe. I have tried a few of these recipes and it always comes out too sweet. So, when I saw this particular recipe, I was really nervous. But it sounded good and I had all the ingredients, so I committed. I cut back on the honey a bit, which made it just about perfect. This wound up being a huge hit! It's in my permanent recipe file, as per Hubby's request. Please don't leave out the toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions; they really made the dish.

HUGE bonus: The two-year-old was a big fan, too! Lately, she's been all about oranges, carrots, and bananas, so it was great to see her scarfing down the chicken. The toasted sesame seeds were a big selling point, of course!

One more note: Despite the name, this dish does not have any bourbon in it. You could add some if you like, but it's not in the original recipe-and I didn't have any, so it worked out!

CrockPot Honey Bourbon Chicken
*Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

4 chicken breasts (I used frozen, because that's what I had on hand)
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons water
Cooked rice
Chopped green onions
Toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken in CrockPot and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped onion on top of chicken. Mix garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, canola oil, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. (My chicken was frozen, so I cooked it on high for about 4 hours.)

When the chicken is cooked and comes apart easily with a fork, remove from CrockPot and shred. Set aside. In a cup, combine one tablespoon cornstarch with one tablespoon water. Pour into sauce and stir. If it's not thick enough, repeat with an additional tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water.

Place the shredded chicken back in the sauce and stir to coat. Serve over rice with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!