Crock Pot BBQ Chicken (Asian Char Siu)

Relax and enjoy your day when using a crock pot for making a small meal for the family or a large meal for a party. This recipe is adapted from the sauce used to create the popular Char Siu dish served in Asian restaurants.  Cooking does not require the entire day to prepare a meal and a crock pot is also a tool to tenderize meat. For a family on a tight budget, a crock pot is a good way to buy inexpensive meats and turn them into moist, tender, and delicious meals. Most crock pot recipes are simple and so is this one.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. chicken thighs
Sauce ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 knob (2 tsp) fresh ginger, minced
1/3 cup total of blackstrap molasses, ketchup, and honey
1 tbs dry sherry
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp five spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions:
Cut chicken into big pieces.

Place chicken into the crock pot.

In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and pour it over the chicken. 

 Cover the crock pot, set temperature to low, and cook for 6 to 8 hours, or set temperature to high and cook for 3 to 4 hours. (Regardless of temperature setting used, remove the crock pot cover halfway through the cooking time to allow enough time for the sauce liquid to evaporate.

 Because of the characteristic or variety of crock pot used, you might have more sauce than needed.)For a healthier meal, use boneless, skinless chicken or remove the skin from the chicken thighs.