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Ginger Chicken is the dump and go slow cooker dinner that fills the whole house with the smell of garlic and ginger by the time everyone walks in. Tender chicken breasts simmer in a sweet, tangy soy and ginger sauce until they shred at the touch of a fork. I leaned on this on back to back busy weeks when Maddie and Lizzie needed a real dinner and I had five minutes. If you love our takeout style Chinese chicken, this set it and forget it version is a keeper.
With five minutes of prep and a handful of pantry staples, your slow cooker does all the work for this saucy ginger chicken.
Ginger Chicken Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 5 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 435kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, and tangy with warm ginger and garlic
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our copycat Panda Express teriyaki chicken
Quick Answer
To make ginger chicken in the slow cooker, whisk together brown sugar, lemon-lime soda, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, and pepper. Pour some sauce into the slow cooker, add boneless chicken breasts, and cover them with the rest of the sauce. Cook on low for four to five hours until the chicken reaches 165 degrees, then remove it and thicken the sauce on the stove with a cornstarch slurry. Serve the ginger chicken over rice with extra sauce and scallions. It is a true dump and go dinner with just five minutes of hands on time.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker does the work. Low and slow cooking turns lean chicken breasts melt in your mouth tender while they soak up the sweet ginger sauce.
- Fresh ginger and garlic build flavor. Real minced ginger and garlic give this ginger chicken a warm, aromatic depth that powder cannot match.
- Soda adds sweetness and tenderizes. Lemon-lime soda brings a touch of sweetness and a mild acidity that helps keep the chicken juicy.
- A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce. Reducing the cooking liquid with a quick slurry turns the thin braising sauce into a glossy glaze that clings to the chicken and rice.
- Vinegar and soy balance it out. The vinegar and soy sauce cut the sweetness so the ginger chicken tastes balanced, not cloying.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a true dump and go dinner with only five minutes of prep before the slow cooker takes over.
- The sweet, tangy ginger sauce tastes like takeout but is made with simple pantry staples.
- It is a hands off weeknight win, just like our homemade sweet and sour chicken.
- It has earned a permanent spot in our rotation, right up there with our slow cooker lemon pepper chicken.
- It earns a spot in the rotation right next to our roast chicken.
- It has earned a permanent spot in our rotation, right up there with our sticky slow cooker bbq chicken.
Key Ingredients
A few pantry and fridge staples come together for this saucy ginger chicken.
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts cook up tender and shreddable. Thighs work too for an even juicier result.
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic: The aromatic heart of the dish. Use fresh, not powdered, for the best ginger chicken flavor.
- Brown Sugar and Lemon-Lime Soda: Together they sweeten the sauce and help tenderize the chicken as it cooks.
- Soy Sauce and Vinegar: Regular and a little dark soy add savory depth and color, while white vinegar balances the sweetness.
- Cornstarch: Whisked with water into a slurry, it thickens the sauce into a glossy glaze at the end.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This ginger chicken is easy to adapt to your taste.
- Use thighs: Swap in boneless skinless chicken thighs for an even more tender, forgiving result.
- Add veggies: Stir in broccoli, snap peas, or bell peppers during the last 30 minutes.
- Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes or a spoonful of chili garlic sauce to the sauce.
- Lighter sauce: Use a diet lemon-lime soda and low sodium soy sauce, like in our teriyaki chicken.
- Extra saucy: Double the sauce ingredients if you love plenty of glaze for spooning over rice.
- Craving a different flavor next time? Our slow cooker mississippi chicken bites delivers the same easy comfort with its own twist.
- In the mood for something different? Our slow cooker chicken burritos scratches a similar itch.
- Craving a different flavor next time? Our sticky slow cooker chicken teriyaki delivers the same easy comfort with its own twist.
How to Make Ginger Chicken
- In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, lemon-lime soda, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, dark soy, and pepper until combined.
- Pour a quarter of the sauce into the slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, and pour the rest of the sauce on top so the chicken is coated. Cook on low for four to five hours until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove the chicken and set it aside. Whisk the cornstarch and water into a slurry, then stir it into the sauce in a saucepan over medium high heat until thickened.
- Serve the ginger chicken over rice with plenty of the thickened sauce spooned on top and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overcook the chicken, since lean breasts can dry out. Pull them at 165 degrees for the juiciest ginger chicken.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic, which give far more flavor than the dried, powdered versions.
- Thicken the sauce separately on the stove for the glossiest glaze, adding the slurry a little at a time.
- Cook on low, not high, when you can, for the most tender, shreddable chicken.
- Save the sauce, as there is plenty for drizzling over rice and steamed veggies.
- Slice scallions on the bias for a fresh, pretty garnish that cuts the richness.
- Make it a spread. When you are feeding a crowd, round out the table with our slow cooker ritz cracker chicken.
- Make it a full spread. Our copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken rounds out the table.
- Make it a spread. When you are feeding a crowd, round out the table with our slow cooker chicken and dumplings.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve this ginger chicken over a bed of fluffy white or brown rice with all that glossy sauce spooned on top. A side of steamed broccoli or snap peas turns it into a complete, takeout style dinner at home.
Ginger Chicken FAQs
Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs work wonderfully in this ginger chicken and stay extra juicy. The cook time stays about the same, so just cook until they reach 165 degrees.
You can. Cook the ginger chicken on high for two to three hours instead of low for four to five. Low heat gives the most tender, shreddable results, but high works when you are short on time.
Remove the chicken, then whisk together cornstarch and water and stir the slurry into the simmering sauce until it reaches your desired thickness. This turns the thin cooking liquid into a glossy glaze.
Ginger chicken is best served over rice with the sauce spooned on top, plus a vegetable like broccoli, snap peas, or stir fried bok choy. Chow mein or fried rice are great additions too.
Yes. Cool the ginger chicken and sauce completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
Fresh ginger gives the brightest flavor, but in a pinch you can use about one quarter teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh. The ginger chicken will be a little milder.
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our egg foo young, slow cooker shredded nashville hot chicken sandwich, and chow mein with ramen noodles.
Slow Cooker Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup lemon-lime soda
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce optional
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
- Sliced scallions for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, soda, vinegar, garlic, soy, ginger, dark soy, and pepper until combined.
- Pour 1/4 of the sauce into your slow cooker. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the remaining sauce on top, making sure the chicken is coated in the sauce.
- Let this cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat 2-3 hours. Or until the chicken is tender and an internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- When it’s done cooking, take out the chicken and set it aside. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water.
- Place the sauce in a saucepan over medium-high heat and thicken with the cornstarch slurry, streaming it in while whisking constantly until your desired thickness. I like to add half and check the thickness then add more if needed.
- Serve the chicken over rice with extra sauce on top, and scallions for garnish, optional.
Notes
- Nutritional value is for chicken only.
- The dark soy sauce is optional, it just adds a little more depth of flavor.
- Do not substitute the fresh ginger with ground.
- Chicken breasts are used but you can use chicken thighs if you’d like, see above on how to do that.
- This is great served over rice and is our go-to method.
- This can be cooked on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
- You can freeze this recipe, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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This yummy recipe has been featured at the Krafty Inspiration Recipe Round-up Celebration. Thanks so much for joining the party each week and making it so much fun!
http://kraftycardsetc.blogspot.com/2013/09/krafty-inspiration-recipe-round-up.html
Maria
Featuring this at Let’s Get Real #5! Thanks for linking up!
Pinned! Featuring this at Family Fun Friday! Monica http://happyandblessedhome.com/category/family-fun/
I love ginger chicken! And I love even more that it’s in the slow cooker. Pinning! Thanks for sharing at All Things Pretty.
Love the slow cooker series you and Parrish are doing! I will have to make this ginger chicken soon. Looks great! Thanks for sharing at the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop. Have a wonderful day!
Katie
That rice looks delicious. Thanks! http://talenttoplay.blogspot.com
That Ginger Chicken looks awesome! Perfect for busy families looking for easy recipes!
Thank you so much for linking up. I shared this over on my How to Meal Plan Facebook community and pinned it to my Easy recipes board!
Have a yummy week.
Dana, really enjoyed your web site and blog. I am sure I will be back to visit often. Thanks for sharing on the Sunday DIY Showcase. Deb @ Kneaded Creations
Looks delicious!
Thank you for linking up with Friday’s Fab Favorites!
Lauren xx
http://www.stylelixir.com