Martha Stewart Slow Cooker Soy-Ginger Chicken is an easy family dinner built on garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bone-in drumsticks and thighs cook low and slow until tender, then get coated in a sticky cilantro glaze you pour over steamed rice.
This cozy weeknight comfort food pairs balsamic vinegar with coriander and scallions for a sauce worth soaking up. Pull the chicken skin off before cooking, because leaving it on turns the sauce greasy instead of glossy.
Martha Stewart Slow Cooker Soy-Ginger Chicken
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, AsianDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes6
hours340
kcalGlossy, fall-apart drumsticks and thighs in a sticky soy-ginger sauce, sweet from brown sugar and bright with fresh cilantro and scallion ribbons.
Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches long), peeled and cut into thin strips
5 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (1 cup packed)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
4 chicken drumsticks and 4 thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total), skin removed
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooked white rice, for serving
Directions
- Build the base: In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together soy sauce, sugar, garlic, cilantro, ginger, 1/2 cup scallions, vinegar, coriander, and pepper. Add chicken and carrots; toss to coat. Add water or broth.
- Slow cook the chicken: Cover, and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard any fat from surface of cooking liquid.
- Make the glaze: In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into measuring cup; whisk to combine. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Finish and serve: With slow cooker turned off, stir in cornstarch mixture. Serve chicken with white rice, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and remaining 1/2 cup scallions.
FAQs
What cut of chicken works best for slow cooker soy-ginger chicken?
Bone-in, skin-removed dark meat is the safest choice, since drumsticks and thighs stay juicy over six hours of cooking. Chicken breasts dry out in a slow cooker and turn stringy after about 3 hours. If you only want thighs, use 8 thighs (about 2.5 pounds total) and keep the same cook time.
Can you make this soy-ginger chicken without a slow cooker?
Combine everything in a 5-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, then cook in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 1.5 hours until the chicken pulls apart easily. Check at the 1-hour mark and add a splash of water if the liquid has reduced too much. The Dutch oven version gives you slightly better browning on the sauce because of the higher, more direct heat.
How long does leftover soy-ginger chicken keep in the fridge?
It holds well in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat it covered with foil in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 minutes until hot through. The sauce thickens overnight, so add a tablespoon of water before reheating to loosen it back up.
What should I serve with soy-ginger chicken besides white rice?
Steamed jasmine or basmati rice catches the sauce best, but rice noodles or udon work too. On the side, try steamed green beans tossed in garlic, or a quick cabbage slaw dressed with rice vinegar and sesame oil. Skip anything with a heavy sauce of its own, since the chicken glaze is already the star.
Can I swap the soy sauce for a gluten-free option?
Tamari or coconut aminos both work as a 1:1 swap. Tamari tastes closest to regular soy sauce, while coconut aminos run slightly sweeter, so cut the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon if you go that route. The cornstarch in the recipe is already naturally gluten-free, so the single swap covers everything.
