Guest post by Debra Worth, Worth Cooking
I am so excited to be here today sharing a simple, and healthy, chicken recipe. So, thank you, Kelly, for having me over!
In keeping with this month’s slow cooker series, I’m sharing one of my family’s personal favorites! This Asian-style Chicken Wraps recipe is super simple. (Since I have a 5, 3, and 1 year old, easy meals are my friend!) So this recipe takes just five minutes to assemble for cooking in the slow cooker. Then, right before serving it, you’re looking at about another 10 minutes to prep the sauce and shred the chicken.
I use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this dish vs. the more common chicken breast for several reasons. The two main reasons are – it keeps the dish moist and it shreds quicker.
An easy tip for shredding chicken … Simply squeeze the cooked chicken thighs with tongs and it breaks into perfect shreds. This method takes just a few seconds to do the entire batch. (No battles with two forks and dry chicken breasts.)
It’s important to note that the seasoned chicken by itself is not the most flavorful. The reason I kept the seasoning simple is because sometimes chicken thighs release a lot of juices, and therefore, most of my attempts at flavoring the chicken ended up in the liquids rather than on the chicken.
So be sure to not skimp on the sauce! That’s where the delicious savory-sweet flavor comes in. With coconut aminos (a soy sauce substitute), toasted sesame seed oil, spices, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup – this flavorful sauce really is what makes the dish come alive!
Layering everything in a boston lettuce cup makes for a tasty texture, and healthy dish. I do recommend serving with an Asian-themed vegetable dish (such as this Sesame Broccoli Salad) to up the vegetable content as well as the bulk of the meal.
Note from Kelly: A special thank you to my sweet friend Debra for sharing this delicious and healthy gluten-free dinner recipe with us. I highly recommend putting this incredibly flavorful dish on your next meal plan! And I also recommend popping over to check out Debra’s site at Worth Cooking. She’s a wonderfully talented home chef with a wealth of family-friendly whole food recipes that are as tasty as they are healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Zest of two oranges (save the oranges for serving)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this instead of soy sauce)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon + a pinch real salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon starch (arrowroot or tapioca) mixed with 2 teaspoons water
- 16 leaves of Boston lettuce (from about two heads)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- Orange wedges (use the oranges zested for the sauce)
- Optional: Sesame seeds, chopped chives and cilantro
Instructions
- Mix the seasonings together. Sprinkle on the chicken. Put in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- If there is a lot of liquid in the slow cooker when the chicken is done, remove the chicken to a bowl and shred (discard juices, or save the juices for another use). If there is just a little juice, shred right in the slow cooker. The easiest way I've found to shred chicken is to squeeze it using kitchen tongs.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the orange zest, coconut aminos, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, starch and salt. Set aside.
- In a small skillet, add the garlic powder, ginger powder, five spice seasoning and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium. Stir and toast until the spices increase in fragrance and smell toasted (approx. 3 minutes).
- Add the orange-maple liquid mixture. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a gentle boil. Boil the sauce for 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Turn off the heat.
- Add the starch-water mixture and whisk well. Remove sauce from heat.
- Put a small amount of chicken in the lettuce cup, pour sauce on, and then top red pepper, other desired toppings, and a little squeeze of orange juice.
Debra Worth is first and foremost a daughter of the King of kings. She resides in central Missouri with her husband of 6 years and three young kids. She is passionate about serving her family nutritious and delicious foods, especially after needing to cut out many foods due her family’s food intolerances. In March, she started the blog Worth Cooking where she shares her healthy, delicious, and allergy-friendly recipes.
These look delicious (& easy!), Debra – thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks Dena!
Thanks again for having me!
Hello Debra! We love these, thank u! Can you clarify when the starch is added and to what? Want to make sure I and doing it correctly :). Thank u!