Orange Sesame Chicken

I adapted this recipe from the Against All Grain cookbook. The recipe below is for about 4 servings. I ended up doubling everything because Chad and I like to eat leftovers! The sauce in this recipe is delicious and it came out great. I used chicken thighs with the bone in and then removed them after it was cooked. We would definitely make this again! It satisfies a craving for Asian flavors and chinese foods, which I love.

Slow Cooker Orange Sesame Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or fresh grated)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
I added a few dashes of Red Boat fish sauce.
Garnish: sesame seeds

1. Trim any visible fat from the chicken, then place it in a single layer in the bottom of a slow cooker. (I piled mine in there, no need for single layer.)
2. Place the remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds, in a bowl, whisk together, and pour over the chicken.
3. Turn the chicken once to ensure even coating.
4. Cook the chicken on low for 4 hours.
5. Remove the chicken from the sauce and cut it into cubes.
6. Spoon any fat off the top of the sauce, then transfer the sauce to a small pan.
7. Simmer the sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until it has reduced by half and is thick and shiny.
8. Toss the chicken in the sauce and serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

I had enough sauce leftover that I used it to saute some fresh veggies/greens that I had gotten from Good Eggs. The greens were tatsoi (similar to bok choy or spinach) and mizuna (similiar to mustard greens) and I threw in some oyster mushrooms. SO yummy!