Description
This Slow Cooker Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring a whole chicken slow-cooked to tenderness in a fragrant sauce of Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, black vinegar, ginger, and garlic. The chicken is then shredded and briefly crisped up in oil for a deliciously crispy texture, combining traditional Chinese flavors in a convenient slow cooker recipe perfect for family meals or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3 – 4 lb / 1.5 – 2 kg whole chicken, skin on
Sauce
- 2 1/2 cups Chinese cooking wine (or sherry)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute with white sugar)
- 1/4 cup black vinegar (or substitute with malt vinegar or white vinegar; do not use balsamic)
- 1 1/4 cups light soy sauce (or substitute with 3/4 cup ordinary soy sauce + 1/2 cup water + 1 tsp salt)
- 3 tbsp coarsely chopped ginger (no need to peel)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed (not minced)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, peanut, or canola)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken and sauce: Rinse the whole chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. In the slow cooker, combine the Chinese cooking wine, brown sugar, black vinegar, light soy sauce, chopped ginger, and crushed garlic. Stir well to blend all ingredients into a flavorful cooking liquid.
- Slow cook the chicken: Place the whole chicken into the slow cooker, breast side up, making sure it is mostly submerged in the sauce. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours (480 minutes) until the chicken is very tender and fully cooked through.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker carefully and let it cool slightly. Using two forks or your hands, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones and skin if desired. Reserve some of the cooking liquid for moisture and flavor.
- Crisp the shredded chicken: Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the shredded chicken to the hot oil in batches, spreading it out evenly. Fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces develop crispy edges. Add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if needed to keep the chicken moist while crisping. Serve hot.
Notes
- If substituting cooking wine with sherry, use the same quantity for authentic flavor.
- Black vinegar can be replaced with malt or white vinegar but avoid balsamic as it alters the dish’s flavor profile.
- Crush garlic cloves instead of mincing to infuse flavor without overpowering the sauce.
- The crispy finish step can be done in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and to ensure crispiness.
- This dish pairs well with steamed rice and sautéed greens for a complete meal.
