Easy has never tasted so good. These Slow Cooker Korean Chicken Sliders are perfect for game day, parties, and easy entertaining. Gluten free option too!
You know my favorite part of fall? Raking.
What's more fun than getting to spend hours upon hours outside casually gathering up all the leaves from the one tree on your property, along with the several million leaves from neighboring trees? And then you get to do it again and again all the way until snow starts falling.
Uhm, no. Raking is stupid.
It takes up so much time. And for what? At least when you mow the lawn or do weeding, you have instant gratification of a beautiful, clean-cut landscape. When you're done raking, all you have is a dead, yellow lawn. I'd rather just look at the pretty leaves.
At this point I should have probably thought of a clever transition to talk about these sliders. Oops.
Sorry, I was busy being angry at the thought of having to rake soon.
Fall, I do love you. The weather is beautiful. The apple cider is good. Getting back into the kitchen and turning on that oven makes me happy. But raking? Yea... no.
Once fall hits, I start breaking out my slow cooker again. Because slow cooker meals rock. Actually, let's amend that statement. There are a lot of terrible slow cooker recipes out there. I think we've all experienced a #slowcookerrecipefail.
You know the ones I'm talking about. The photo shows beautifully browned chicken covered in a thick glazy sauce... but what comes out of your slow cooker looks like a glop of disgusting, runny blandness. Dinner is served... take-out pizza.
Good news. This is not one of those recipes.
I'm going to be completely honest with you. We are on that level, right? Right.
The magic of this recipe is in the sum of its parts. The slow cooker Korean gochujang chicken by itself is totally fine and whatever... but with the kimchi, avocado, quick pickled bean sprouts, and gochujang aioli? Yea, that's where it's at.
I'm gong to resist saying some lame Guy Fieri like statement like this is going to take you to flavor-town or something like that. But it's true. You will be going on a road trip to flavor-town.
This is going to become a party food staple at our house. And since all the hard work is done by the slow cooker, it's optimal for easy entertaining. Need a healthier or gluten free option? Just use bibb lettuce instead of rolls and make sure to grab gluten-free soy sauce. Boom. Now you have gluten-free slow cooker Korean chicken sliders.
And hey dudes that aren't big on hanging around the kitchen... this is perfect food for your next game day party. Become a hero among your friends.
Print
Slow Cooker Korean Chicken Sliders
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: A Lot of Sliders!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
- ¼ cup gochujang
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 small red onion, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1" piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- Slider buns and/or Bibb lettuce
- Kimchi
- Avocado, thinly sliced
- Lightly pickled bean sprouts (recipe below)
- Gochujang Aioli (recipe below)
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- Sesame seeds
for the Lightly Pickled Bean Sprouts
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ scant tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
for the Gochujang Aioli
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons gochujang
- 1 clove garlic, grated with microzester
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Pinch of onion powder
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Stir together gochujang, soy sauce, onion, garlic, ginger, mirin, brown sugar, sesame oil, and pepper in slow cooker bowl until fully combined. Add chicken and stir to evenly coat.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken to a large bowl. Using 2 forks, shred chicken. Meanwhile, fully combine arrowroot powder/cornstarch with water in a small bowl. Pour into the sauce in slow cooker, stirring to incorporate. Add chicken back into slow cooker and stir into sauce. Cook for 10-15 more minutes.
- Place a bit of chicken on each bun or lettuce wrap, topping with kimchi, avocado, lightly pickled bean sprouts, gochujang aioli, scallions, and sesame seeds. Devour immediately.
for the Lightly Pickled Bean Sprouts
- Combine vinegar, warm water, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until dissolved. Pour over bean sprouts and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
for the Gochujang Aioli
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until fully incorporated. Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
Taylor says
I'm glad you didn't think of a clever slider transitions. Making sense is tots over-rated 😉
But what isn't over-rated (ooo was that clever?) Is these sliders. Korean food is totally my jam...and so are things that cook themselves! This cROCKS Chris!
had to. Pinned!
Chris says
Hahaha totally overrated!!! cRocks... love it!
Melanie says
Delightful! I've got try this. Looks like one the whole family would enjoy.
Happy Wednesday Chris!
Chris says
Thanks Melanie!
Helen says
Wow, this is pretty impressive, Chris! I suspect you're right on trend with the Korean twist.
I love my slow cooker, but I have to agree that the results can be a little hit and miss. Methinks this would definitely be a hit, though! 🙂
Chris says
Thanks Helen! Slow cookers can totally be a hit/miss game. I think this one will be a winner in our house for sure 🙂
Laura | Fork Knife Swoon says
I haven't ventured much into Korean cooking, but these sliders seriously make me want to whip out the slow cooker! Yum!
Chris says
Thanks so much Laura! Go for it!
Mike says
Dude, what's up with this racking rant?
If it's such a pain for you, we should totally join forces and rack wolfpack's style - which I believe it's done by kicking hysterically the leaves with our hind legs.
As long as you bring some of that awesome slow cooker Korean gochujang chicken along, Alpha is willing to help!
Chris says
Hahaha, I'm totally down for a raking party wolfpack style! You and David can come on over, rake for me, and I'll cook up something for all 3 of us. Sound good?
Renee says
you perfectly summed up why I never use a slow cooker: One big sloppy mess. But if using a slow cooker means I get food like this, I just may have to give it a shot! 🙂
Chris says
Hahaha yup, I hear your slow cooker woes! Yes, definitely do!
Ashley says
Bahaha please go ahead and just say that it's going to take you to flavor-town. Oh Guy.
I love (good) slow cooker meals! This sounds delish!
Chris says
Hahaha no, I refuse!!! I can't... I won't... okay, this will take you to flavor town.
marcie says
My mouth is watering just thinking about all of the flavors in this slider! This is one gourmet slow cooker dish -- it sounds amazing!
Chris says
Thanks Marcie!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
This seriously looks beyond. You are the best photographer ever. Seriously we need to talk photography and I need a slider like right now!
Chris says
Oh stop... you keep giving me those types of compliments and my head won't fit through the door lol. I love talking photography! Anytime you want... as long as you bake up some of your deliciousness for us to munch on!
David says
Would you believe that I don't have a slow cooker? Yup, I pulled it out last year...and it was broken. But if you keep posting awesome recipe like this, then I might just have to break down and get one again. But I spent this month's budget on a new loaf blower. A real one. My other one crapped out (notice a theme here?) and I decided to go big. Go big or go home, right? Now I look like one of the ghostbusters when I head out to blow some leaves around the yard...or into the neighbor's yard when he isn't looking. If you lived up here in flavor-town, then I'd help you rake leaves. Or I might just blow mine into your yard. #WolfpackEats
Chris says
Dude, why is all your stuff breaking? I need to get myself a leaf blower.... ghostbuster's style. You would really blow your leaves into my yard? I thought we were friends.
Becca from It's Yummi! says
Dave! NO slow cooker?! I'm devastated for you! I'm giving one away on my site in October and I fully expect you to enter.
Ceara says
Haha - who doesn't love raking! Thankfully I live in an apartment and will be enjoying all the fun parts of fall minus the raking tons of leaves just to have to rake again the next day! And the marinade for this chicken sounds amazing - can't wait to give it a try!
Chris says
That apartment thing is sounding really good right about now!
Bianca says
I want to take a road trip to flavor town!! I think I really need to buy a slow cooker...
Chris says
Hahaha I like your style. And yes, you totally do!
Shibi says
Wow, that is one tempting Chicken slider!! Isn't the slow cooked meat tastes best for recipes like this?
Chris says
Yup totally Shibi!
Shashi says
You say this recipe is the some of all parts? well - all the parts look delicious to me - downright mouthwatering! I need to magically acquire the patience to not gobble down the Pickled Bean Sprouts and the chicken before they come together! Hooray for Bibb! And boo to raking! I say just mow that shiz up into fine mulch and let the wind blow it into the neighbors yard!?
Chris says
Hahaha I like your style... mowing for the win!
Kathy says
Chris, once again my hubs would love these. I'm trying to convince him to repaint our living room this weekend. I think this will work perfectly as a bribe 🙂
Chris says
It's perfectly acceptable to bribe your husband with these. I like to call it reward... but bribe works too haha
Sandra says
Oh you kill me with the Korean food!!! I have to make this now!!! Oh and we like to wait until every last leaf is off the trees before we do one big massive day of raking. We even have to put our leaves in bags...double suck!!!
Chris says
That's a great idea... wait until the very very end... but then I feel like all my neighbors get mad at me for being "that" house lol. We have to bag our leaves too!!!
Danae says
I busted out the rake last weekend, I raked and raked, only to have all my work undone the next morning...stupid raking. You know what's not stupid, these awesome sliders! There's some serious flavor dripping from these! Pinned!
Chris says
Stupid raking indeed Danae!
Lyuba says
Oh maan, I just drooled all over my keyboard! All your fault 🙂
I don't even care how I would easy this messy goodness, I just know I want it!
Chris says
Hahaha, I do that all the time 😉
Jess says
These sliders look amazing! Love the flavours all going on! Delicious.
Chris says
Thanks Jess!
Dannii says
This has more ingredients than I would usually use for my meals, but I think it would be totally worth it. It just sounds so full of flavour.
Chris says
It is totally worth it... go for it!
Meggan | Culinary Hill says
I love everything about these sliders! So many great layers of flavor. So delicious, pinning!
Chris says
Thanks so much Meggan! Yea, it's the combo of all the flavors that makes these puppies special for sure!
Kelly says
Whoa, these sliders look and sound incredible! I love all the awesome flavors in here and that it's made in the slow cooker. And that gochujang aioli is genius! Can't wait to try this!
Chris says
Thanks so much Kelly! ...yea, I'm kinda in love with gochujang aioli. Obsessed, really, haha
Alice says
Chris!! oh my gawd, hilarious!! We feel the same way about raking .. and never had to do it until we moved here to WI. It's really crazy. . . and these sliders?! I love this!!! and I love that you actually use Korean food ingredients!! 😛 Pinned and looks delicious!!
Chris says
I know... raking stinks! I'm totally in love with gochujang. It's amazing!!!
Becca from It's Yummi! says
Chris, I'll rake your leaves if you let me jump in the pile when I'm done! Oh, and you need to have a plate of these sliders waiting for me. 🙂
Chris says
Hahaha anytime you want to come over and rake, I'm game!
Sarah says
Raking is stupid! So is sweeping when you have cats.
I'm looking forward to pulling out my slow cooker this fall and I'm adding this to the list of first recipes to try! I love the little lettuce cups you made! So....hungry....
Chris says
Raking is totally stupid. Hahaha, that's why we don't have cats!
Meghan says
These look awesome! I love my slow cooker and this recipe is so happening as soon as I break it out! And your photography is beyond! These should seriously be in a magazine!
Chris says
Ohhh stop (keep going)... thanks so much Meghan 🙂 You're too sweet!
Merissa says
Just made this tonight! Only thing is I wish I could make it spicier! I had to use a milder gochujang because my husbands a wimp lol. Very good! Will definitely be making again!
Chris Cockren says
Hahaha so glad you loved it!!!
Tira says
Easy and a crowd pleaser!
Dan says
Sooooo good!
Chris Cockren says
Thank you!