As I have started to cook for myself more this summer, I came to the startling realization that I had not gone grocery shopping soon enough and had only some bare bone items left for dinner one night. Taking stock and checking numerous website blogs and recipes, I was able to gather together enough ingredients to break out my crockpot.

I have always been a big fan of the crockpot, especially when you have things to do throughout the day. Getting it ready in the morning and having dinner almost done when you get back is a great feeling. I was craving some pulled chicken but decided to take it in a different direction due to the limited availability of my ingredients.

You will hopefully notice that some of the ingredients do not have measurements attached to them — this was intentional. When I was making this dish, I eyeballed the amounts more than I am willing to admit, so add whatever your preference is! What came out was a delicious BBQ chicken that didn’t break my budget.

INGREDIENTS:

Three small or medium frozen chicken breasts

A few cranks of black pepper

One tablespoon of garlic powder

One tablespoon of onion powder

One tablespoon of sesame oil

Korean BBQ bulgogi marinade (add to desired amount)

Dark soy sauce (add to desired amount)

Shaoxing cooking wine (add to desired amount)

Mirin (add to desired amount)

Green onions (garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prep Time (includes dough rising): 20 minutes

Cook Time: Around 5 hours

Add a little oil of your choice to a pan and sear your chicken breasts on both sides, adding a bit of black pepper. This is not to cook the chicken all the way; it is just to get a little color. At this stage, you can add any additional seasoning you have. 

Move the chicken breasts into the crockpot, then add the onion powder and garlic powder. Grocery stores usually sell crockpot liners, which are decent in reducing the amount of cleanup afterward. 

Add dark soy, bulgogi marinade, sesame oil, mirin and Shaoxing cooking wine until the chicken is just covered. This is where you can eyeball the amounts depending on your preference or availability, but a majority of your liquid should be the bulgogi marinade. 

Set your crockpot on high for 5 hours, flipping the chicken around the halfway point. After five hours, remove from the crockpot and shred the chicken, returning it to the pot. Leave the pot on low or warm and serve when ready.

This meal goes really well served on rice and with a fried egg on top and onions to garnish. 

Enjoy!