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Enjoy our single serving mini slow cooker sesame chicken recipe, perfectly portioned for one and brimming with rich, tangy-sweet flavors. This delightful, healthier alternative to takeout is breading-free and brings all your favorite Chinese flavors right to your kitchen, making it a perfect and personalized meal for one.
Looking for more mini slow cooker recipes ? We’ve got plenty! Try our Ropa Vieja, Pot Roast, Chickpeas and Sausage, and Ribs!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Recipe For One
- What Is Sesame Chicken?
- Ingredients
- How To Make Mini Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
- Expert Tips
- What To Serve With Sesame Chicken
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More 1.5-Quart Mini Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Mini Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Recipe For One
- Ease of Preparation: This mini crockpot recipe requires minimal preparation and simple ingredients.
- Healthy Alternative: Skipping the breading and frying makes this a leaner choice without compromising flavor.
- Versatility: Whether you’re following a diet or accommodating allergies, this recipe can be adapted easily.
What Is Sesame Chicken?
Sesame chicken is a staple in many Chinese-American and Canadian restaurants. Traditionally, it involves breaded, fried chicken drenched in a sweet, tangy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. However, our version provides a healthier twist, forgoing the breading while maintaining the irresistible flavors.
Sesame chicken’s roots trace back to the vibrant culinary traditions of China, specifically Guangdong province, renowned for its sweet and tangy sauces. Our lighter version retains the essential spirit of the original while making it more accessible to health-conscious individuals.
RELATED: Easy Slow Cooker Recipes For One
Ingredients
RELATED: How To Cook Small Meals In A Large Slow Cooker
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken: Opt for either one or two boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the juiciest result. If you prefer a leaner option, a chicken breast will work just as well. If you’ve got extra chicken thighs, consider using them in Chicken Cacciatore or a Chicken Burrito Bowl.
- Seasonings: A simple trio of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes is all you’ll need to enhance the chicken’s natural flavors. Adjust the level of red pepper flakes to suit your heat preference.
- Sauce Ingredients: The sauce is where the magic happens! Combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, garlic, and dried onions to create a luscious, sticky coating. If you’re following a gluten-free diet, swap out the soy sauce for Tamari or coconut aminos. For those on a vegan journey, agave or maple syrup can be used in place of honey.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the key to a sauce that clings to your chicken, making every bite irresistibly flavorful. Just a little bit will do the trick in thickening your sauce to perfection.
- Sesame seeds (optional): While optional, a sprinkle of sesame seeds adds a delightful crunch and a burst of nutty flavor to the finished dish. Highly recommended for that extra layer of texture.
How To Make Mini Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Place the chicken into the base of a mini slow cooker. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the tops of the chicken.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, dried onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the chicken is tender, 4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it on the cutting board.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes at a high temperature.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into the sauce.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve over rice, if desired.
You might like to use our single serving recipes for baked white rice or baked brown rice.
Single Serving Rice Cooking Tip: Freeze & Reheat
Make meal prep a breeze by cooking a large batch of either brown or white rice. Once cooked, distribute the rice into individual portions using a muffin pan. After freezing, remove the rice “discs” and store them in a zip-top freezer bag. Now, whenever you need a single serving of rice, you can easily reheat one of these pre-portioned discs. This method is perfect for those who love convenience without sacrificing quality.
Expert Tips
- Spice to Taste: Don’t hesitate to adjust the quantity of spices like red pepper flakes to match your flavor preferences.
- Sauce Consistency: If the sauce thickens more than you’d like, simply dilute it with a dash of water or chicken broth.
- Choice of Chicken: While chicken thighs are great for maintaining moisture and tenderness, a boneless, skinless chicken breast is a suitable alternative.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep any remaining Sesame Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Scaling the Recipe: Want more servings? This recipe can be doubled, but you’ll need a slow cooker larger than 1.5 quarts. A 3-quart size is ideal for a doubled recipe.
What To Serve With Sesame Chicken
Elevate your single serving Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken meal with these carefully curated serving suggestions, ideal for complementing this delicious main course.
- Rice or Quinoa: Perfect for capturing every drop of that sumptuous sauce.
- Cauliflower Rice: A low-carb option that complements the flavors without weighing you down.
- A Side of Veggies: Think roasted brussels sprouts or sautéed green beans for a pop of color and extra nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions
For optimal results in making small crock pot meals, a small 1.5-quart slow cooker is highly recommended.
If you only have a larger slow cooker but still wish to try out single serving recipes, here’s how to modify your appliance for smaller portions:
* Insert an oven-safe bowl into the base of the slow cooker.
* Add your ingredients to the bowl, and then cover the slow cooker with its lid.
* Proceed with cooking as per the recipe instructions.
* Remember, slow cookers operate best when they’re about 75% full.
* Choose an oven-safe bowl that will be two-thirds to three-quarters full when ingredients are added; otherwise, the food might cook too quickly and potentially burn.
Store any leftover Sesame Chicken in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
More 1.5-Quart Mini Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re a fan of this single serving Sesame Chicken dish, explore these other single serving slow cooker and crockpot recipes that are sure to tantalize your taste buds:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small crock pot recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you would like more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen can be found on our Store page.
RELATED: Easy Comfort Food Recipes
If you’ve tried this small batch slow cooker sesame chicken or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (6 to 7 ounce) boneless skinless chicken thigh
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried onions
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 cup cooked rice (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chicken thigh into the base of a mini slow cooker.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the tops of the chicken.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, dried onions, garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low until the chicken is tender, 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place on cutting board.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the slow cooker. Stir, cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes on a high temperature.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into the sauce.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve over rice, if desired. (See notes for the ingredients and instructions to make a single serving of rice).
Video
Notes
- Spice to Taste: Don’t hesitate to adjust the quantity of spices like red pepper flakes to match your flavor preferences.
- Sauce Consistency: If the sauce thickens more than you’d like, simply dilute it with a dash of water or chicken broth.
- Choice of Chicken: While chicken thighs are great for maintaining moisture and tenderness, a boneless, skinless chicken breast is a suitable alternative.
- Storing Leftovers: Keep any remaining Sesame Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Scaling the Recipe: Want more servings? This recipe can be doubled, but you’ll need a slow cooker larger than 1.5 quarts. A 3-quart size is ideal for a doubled recipe.
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup white rice
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If you cooked brown rice rather than white is water to rice ratio the same? Also do you plan on giving cooking instructions for your recipes using air fryer and Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker when possible? So many of us have these appliances now. I am getting your cookbook, I am loving your recipes!
Pam, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for your support. I use this recipe for brown rice, and it makes perfect rice every time – https://onedishkitchen.com/baked-brown-rice-for-one/.
We have a few Instant Pot recipes and they can be found by using the search bar in the upper right side of the page. At the moment we do not have any air fryer recipes.
Hi Joanie. I made the Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken in a 1-1/2 quart oval-shaped corning ware dish that fit perfectly inside my larger slow cooker. It was delicious!! The second time I used 2 pork chops instead of chicken and, again, it was a hit. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Just ordered your book & looking forward to trying the recipes.
Thank you so much, Isabelle. I hope you find many new recipes you love. Please let me know if you find any favorites.
Very tasty! My husband and I loved it. Will definitely make again. I did cook the sauce a little on the stove top to thicken a little more, but otherwise made exactly as per the recipe. Thank you for these smaller crockpot recipes. Please keep developing more! My sister-in-law bought us a 3 crock slow cooker which has three 1.5 quart crocks about 5 years ago. Haven’t used it til now and this was perfect! Did your sesame chicken & chicken piccata, Didn’t have the ingredients or would have done a 3rd. Can’t wait to try your red beans & rice. Tried your quiche the other day & adapted the time & temp for my air fryer. Very nice! I plan to use your recipes when preparing meals for a sick friend who lives alone as well as for my husband and me. Thanks again. Love your site & have been recommending it to others. Wish I’d known about it sooner!
Thank you so much, Rona. I’m so glad you’re finding the recipes helpful.
I’m 92 years old and still cooking; Does the chicken have to be boneless?
No, the chicken does not have to be boneless.
When I turn to metric measurement the cup and spoon measurements stay the same although I know that they are different here in Britain than in the US, any advice? Thank you. Just cooking Sesame Chicken in new mini cooker and it smells delicious. Thanks..
Hi Catherine,
There is a very slight difference between UK cups and US cups,the difference is very small (5%). At a 1/4 cup, the UK and US measurements are essentially the same.
A US teaspoon is 20% bigger than a UK teaspoon. I’m not sure why this change isn’t reflected in the recipe and I’ll look into it.
Thank you.
I tried this sesame chicken recipe yesterday and it is delicious! This is definitely one that will be made again and again. The sauce I plan to try with different meats to change things up. I hope there will be more crockpot recipes since they are so fast and easy. Love the site, and the recipes I’ve tried have been winners!
Thank you so much, Adele. I’m so happy you enjoyed the chicken – and yes, more slow cooker recipe will be coming soon!
Joanie
Small batch banana bread muffins. Outstanding…I added1/4plus teaspoon of cinnamon. These are a WINNER!! THANK YOU!!
Hi Carol,
I’m so happy you enjoyed the muffins. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie
I just found your blog today and I’m so happy! I just bought a 1.5 qt cooker and looked for recipes under that. Not much. I tried slow cooker recipes for one thinking much won’t come up. This will be the 1st recipe I try in my new cooker!
I have a Rival little slow cooker. Model 3215. Just the right size. I have had it for many years but if you google it I’m sure you can find one. Love all your recipes. I have just pinned a bunch of them. Thank you so much❤️
Hi Pauline,
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing the type of slow cooker you use and love. Reader recommendations help so much.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Joanie