My love affair with the slow cooker continues. My mum even gifted me one (thanks Mamma!) to take with me to Spain to use in the heat of the summer when I can’t (won’t) turn the oven on!
Chicken is a favourite in most households because it’s usually pretty economical (although I am very much an advocate of buying the best you can and eating it less often) and it offers so many ways to be prepared. Big Man and I are both thigh folk. He’s a skin off, I’m a skin on and we’re both bone in! You pick what you like best and go with it, although breasts are more pricey and don’t really benefit from long slow cooking.
This dish was really simple to prepare, (although I’m sure it’s not authentically Chinese!) but the flavour was amazing. Actually, if you took the ginger and star anise out it was very similar to any meat dish in Spain prepared “al ajillo” ….with lots of garlic. Sorry about the photo…real life cooking and eating here folk….I just plated it up, took a snap and we tucked in!
Ingredients (to serve 4)
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 4-6 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 star anise
- 150ml Chinese rice wine (or use dry sherry)
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 5 tbs water
- 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks (skin off is better for this dish unless you want to brown them first with the skin on)
- Shredded spring onion to garnish (clearly I forgot this bit!)
- Plain boiled rice to serve
Mix together the ginger, garlic, star anise, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and water and pour over the chicken. Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight if you have time. Place everthing into a saucepan and bring the chicken and marinade to the boil.
Transfer to the slow cooker (or an ovenproof dish with a lid) and cook on low for about 4 hours (or 2-3 hours in a low oven) until cooked through and tender.
When done, remove the star anise. If the sauce is too liquid, reduce for a few minutes in a saucepan and pour over the chicken to serve.
(Tastes even better the next day)
Chica Andaluza 
That looks delicious – the photo’s good!
I do turn the oven on no matter what the temperature outside, but no doubt I’d appreciate using a slow cooker in Andalucia.
It’s a life save there when it hits those really high temperatures!
I can imagine – the heat can be quite debilitating.
Sounds fab! 🙂 🙂 I have slow cookers in both countries too!
So useful!
And I don’t have a slow cooker in either country: am still a boring long-cook stove-top gal 🙂 ! Thighs naturally! Bone-out skin-off for me, so the cooking would be shorter . . . glad you are gutsy with garlic and ginger . . . Enjoy your slow-cooker: I’ll get there yet . . .
Stove top is good too!
I have chicken out for tonight and this sounds perfect. I shall see if it takes Dave fancy 🙂
😀😀
Sounds superb!
Might be coming to London in November… will keep you posted.
Love and hugs from Nairobi.
🙂 Mandy xo
Oh my, how exciting! Definitely keep me posted 😀
Wonderful, we are thigh people too. Have thighs in the freezer, so next time we have them, this is what we shall do. MMmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
Think you’ll enjoy this one!
We’re definitely thighs fans in our house. So your recipe, which by the way looks just fine in your image, looks wonderfully tasty. The weather is cooling off up this way and this might just hit the spot this chilly rainy upcoming weekend.
Thanks Ron. We’re starting to get some autumnal weather here too.
Chica, we finally got around to trying your Chinese style chicken dish and I just wanted to report back that we both loved it. We had it with brown rice and steamed bok choy. Thanks for the recipe it will be repeated.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to tell me, it means a lot! It’s still a favourite in our house.
I haven’t used my slow cooker for about 2 years. I tend to go for quicker cooked meals.
Could be an idea to get it out again, get heaps of chicken cooked to fill up some of the empty spaces in the deep freeze so I have instant meals for emergencies.
It does take a wee bit of planning when you use your slow cooker but batch cooking and freezing portions is what I do too!
Sending this again as my first attempt seems to have gone to the moon! lol. Weare thigh people too. Got some in the freezer so next time I will try your recipe, sound yummy. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm> xxx
Got them both now! Love to you both x
Perfect for when you don’t want to be over a stove. I can see this going down a treat.
Absolutely!
This has become one of my go to slow cooker recipes and I can confirm it is both easy and very tasty!! Thighs all the way for me 🙂 xxx
I love that you use this recipe 😀😀
Had this chicken last night, it was absolutely wonderful . Had it with egg noodles and broccoli florets deep fried in a light batter . Oh how the rich live .
Ooh, glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice. I need to get my slow cooker out more often. They really are handy!
I wouldn’t be without mine!
Ginger and lots of garlic, sounds perfect. I sold my slow cooker when we moved but it is on my list to buy. Until then I can cook this low and slow on my stove top. Heading to both of your countries soon and I’m sure I’ll be trying al ajillo while in Spain.
Enjoy your travels!
Looks and sounds yummy! I’m watching the Vuelta and thinking of you 😎
Ah, thank you!
The flavors in this sound perfect for cooking in a slow cooker. And reminding me of how a slow cooker helps keep from heating up the kitchen (It’s still in the mid 90’s here), makes me think I might actually need to get one. I have one of my mom’s from the 70’s that I’m afraid to use! 😉
I love my slow cooker but maybe I’d be nervous too of a 50 year old one 😉
I’ve definitely never had chicken like this: ginger, anise, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil … what a great combination.
i like , maknyus
thanks, for like
Just wanted to pop in and wish you and Big Man a very Merry Christmas.
Just popping back by to wish you and Big Man a Healthy and Happy New Year.
And to you both too!
this is very nice…… i like this hihhi
I think that is a very nice and good information. Thanks also for your recipes chinese style chicken. So excited for make it. Thank u so much ya min.
Thank you so much for your great information min. And your recipes also. I will try for cooking this. Thanks
Wow I never cook chinese food but now I got it from u. Hehehe Thank you so much for your recipes. So happy and lucky wih that.