Peking Chicken

If you love Peking Duck, try the chicken version! Peking Chicken is tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked in the slow cooker.

Tastier than roasted chicken alone, Peking chicken is sweet and savory with a stick-sweet sauce. This iconic dish became popular in Chinese restaurants, and now you can make it at home—and this slow cooker recipe makes it easier than ever. 

This copycat recipe isn’t just delicious and will save you money. It gives you a similar result to eating at a restaurant but is much cheaper. The chicken cooks all day, which gives you tender meat that soaks up all the spices and pan juices. 

Why You’ll Love It

• Easy slow cooker recipe. Add the sauce ingredients to the chicken and let it cook. 
• Elegant main course. You’ll find this dish on the holiday table—it’s fancy enough to be part of celebrations. 
• Freezer-friendly. Mix the raw chicken with the sauce ingredients and put them in a freezer bag. Then, you must add the frozen ingredients to the slow cooker and let it cook. 
• Easy to customize. Make it as sweet or as spicy as you want. You can customize every step. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Dark meat will yield the best results. 
• Green onions – Slice the green onions and add them to the sauce. 
• Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the sauce some nutty notes. 
• Soy sauce – This adds umami flavor to the sauce. 
• Honey – This naturally sweetens the sauce. 
• Ginger – Fresh ginger adds a fantastic bite to the chicken. 
• Sesame oil – This keeps the chicken juicy and adds nutty notes to the recipe. 
• Salt and pepper – Add just enough to give it more flavor. 

How to Make Peking Chicken

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This is probably one of the easiest slow cooker recipes you will ever make. There are just three simple steps. Follow along to learn how to make Peking chicken!

• Step One: Spray the inside of your Crockpot with a thin layer of cooking spray. Any oil works here! Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and place them in the greased slow cooker.
• Step Two: Whisk together the green onions, minced garlic, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.
• Step Three: Let the slow cooker do the work! Cook the chicken thighs on low until they’re fully cooked. If you’re home, you can baste the chicken every hour or so. The cooking spray will help keep the chicken and sauce from sticking while it cooks. 

What to Serve with this Recipe

I like to keep this super simple with perfect white rice because sometimes there’s nothing better than an easy dinner recipe. Here are some other foods you can add to the table. 

•  Hawaiian Fried Rice
•  Perfectly Roasted Asparagus
• Crockpot Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Ramen

Variations and Substitutions

• Use hoisin sauce instead of soy sauce. 
• Ginger paste is an easy way to replace fresh ginger. 
• Make it with a whole chicken. 
• Instead of ginger, use five-spice powder. 
• You can make this with chicken breasts. If you do, marinate the breasts first so they don’t dry out. 

Storage Instructions 

Put leftover chicken in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• I recommend chicken thighs for this recipe since it’s the cut that most closely resembles duck. 
•  If you use bone-in chicken thighs, they will take longer to cook but will fall off the bone when they are done.
• I recommend removing the skin, though. Unlike baked or sautéed chicken, slow-cooker chicken does not have crispy skin.
• Make the ginger scallion sauce ahead of time. 
• Reserve some leftover marinade in a small bowl. Use it as a dip for the chicken. 

How To Know When Chicken Is Done 

Use a digital meat thermometer to monitor the chicken’s temperature. To kill any bacteria, chicken, turkey, and pork should always be at least 165°F before serving.

To check the temperature, put the instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. 

Oven Instructions

You can also cook this Peking chicken recipe in the oven. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and cover it with the marinade. Cook it on low heat (300°F) for about 90 minutes. The cooking time might vary. Check the internal temperature of the chicken after about an hour.  

If you don’t have a roasting pan, place a wire rack on a baking sheet and put the chicken on the wire rack. 

Crockpot Chicken Recipes

• Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
• Verde Chicken Chili in the Crockpot
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Orange Chicken
• 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
• Crockpot Pickle Chicken

You’ll also like this Hawaiian Chicken and Sticky Chicken.

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