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This single serving Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken is a lighter take on the popular takeout dish, made with tender chicken thighs simmered in a flavorful honey-soy sauce. Perfectly portioned for one and cooked in a mini slow cooker, it’s an easy and satisfying meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and minimal prep.
- Lighter Option: No breading or frying, but still full of flavor.
- Adaptable: Easy to adjust for dietary needs or preferences.
I love this recipe so much and couldn’t wait to share it with you. It’s our lighter take on classic sesame chicken—no breading, no frying, just tender, flavorful chicken in a sweet and tangy sauce made right in the slow cooker. It’s the kind of meal that feels special but couldn’t be easier to make.
Looking for more mini slow cooker recipes? We’ve got plenty! Try our Ropa Vieja, Italian Wedding Soup, Pot Roast, Chickpeas and Sausage, and Ribs.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy sesame chicken recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken: Use 1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the best flavor and tenderness. A chicken breast can also be used if you prefer a leaner option. Got extra thighs? Use them in Chicken Cacciatore or a Chicken Burrito Bowl.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes add just the right amount of flavor. Adjust the red pepper flakes to match your preferred spice level.
- Sauce Ingredients: A mix of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, garlic, and dried onions creates a thick, flavorful sauce. For a gluten-free option, use Tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. To make it vegan, substitute honey with agave or maple syrup.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce so it clings to the chicken.
- Sesame seeds (optional): Adds a little crunch and a nutty finish. A great final touch if you have them on hand.
How To Make Sesame Chicken In A Slow Cooker
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Place one or two chicken thighs in the base of a 1.5-quart slow cooker and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, dried onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water, then stir it into the sauce. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, return to the slow cooker, and stir to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice, if desired.
For rice, try our single serving recipes for baked white rice or baked brown rice.
Single Serving Rice Tip:
Make a batch of rice, portion it into a muffin pan, and freeze. Transfer the frozen rice portions to a freezer bag, then reheat individual servings as needed.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the Heat: Add more or less red pepper flakes to suit your taste.
- Thin the Sauce: If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little water or chicken broth.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Double It: To make more, double the ingredients and use a 3-quart slow cooker instead of a mini one.
RELATED: How To Cook Small Meals In A Large Slow Cooker
Serving Suggestions
Pair your Sesame Chicken with a simple vegetable side or a lighter grain to round out the meal. Here are a few recipes from our site that go well with it:
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
A 1.5-quart slow cooker is ideal for this single serving recipe.
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’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 in the base of a 1.5-quart slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, dried onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the mixture into the sauce, cover, and cook on high for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the slow cooker. Stir to coat with the sauce.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve over rice, if desired. (See notes for single serving rice instructions.)
Notes
- Adjust the Heat: Add more or less red pepper flakes to suit your taste.
- Thin the Sauce: If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little water or chicken broth.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Double It: To make more, double the ingredients and use a 3-quart slow cooker instead of a mini one.
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.
This looks like a great recipe but I only have a large low cooker. Should I just double the recipe?
Thanks for your interest in our recipes. It’s great that you’re eager to try them out. Our slow cooker recipes are specifically tailored for a 1.5-quart slow cooker. If you’re using a larger, standard 6-quart slow cooker, simply doubling the recipe might not be the best solution, as the size difference is quite significant.
However, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We have a helpful post on how to adapt small meals for a larger slow cooker. This guide will assist you in making adjustments so you can enjoy our recipes with your current appliance: https://onedishkitchen.com/cook-small-meals-in-slow-cooker/
For future reference, the ideal slow cooker size for our recipes is between 1.5 to 2 quarts. But for now, do check out the post for tips on using your larger slow cooker effectively.
Absolutely delicious
Made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I really liked it. Also made the baked white rice from this site and it turned out perfect. I did two thighs and it made enough for three small servings. I am always telling people about this site because the recipes are easy and really good.
Really like my new small crockpot. Would love to see more recipes other than the four chicken ones. I did find some on the internet but I prefer your recipes
Thank you, Kathleen. We’ll be adding new slow cooker recipes soon. In the meantime, you might like to try our slow cooker red beans and rice recipe: https://onedishkitchen.com/slow-cooker-red-beans-and-rice-for-one/ or our slow cooker meatloaf in addition to our chicken recipes: https://onedishkitchen.com/slow-cooker-meatloaf-for-one/
I made this last night and my husband loved it. The sauce is so good.
Just made it, thank you, really lovely x
Fantastic I made as per recipe only using half as much honey for dietary reasons and served over cauliflower rice for a low/no carb dinner which I thoroughly enjoyed. Very little time to make and the crock pot/slow cooker did all the work couldn’t ask for better thank you made for What’s On The Menu tag game at FF&F.
Is it possible to make the sauce and pour over the chicken and freeze it. Then place it in the refrigerator the night before to slightly thaw, then throw in the crockpot the next morning?
Yes.
I too have a 1.5 quart slow cooker. Thank you for having recipes that I can use in it.
I got mine for a local thrift shop down the street!
Thank you again!!!
God Bless you!,
Have been looking for 1.5 qt crock pot recipes. So happy to find your site. The recipe looks so good. If I use chicken breasts instead of thighs would I need to shorten the cooking time?
No, the cooking time stays the same. Enjoy!