The versatile combo of tamari (or soy sauce), fresh ginger, orange zest, brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and sherry forms both a cooking and flavoring medium for chicken thighs on the bone in this incredibly easy slow cooker recipe. A final thickening with cornstarch, a bowl of steamed rice, and dinner is done.

  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 4 hrs 25 mins 
  • Active: 15 mins 

Ingredients (11)

  • 1 cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 6 large skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup dry sherry
  • Steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

  1. In the crock of a slow cooker, stir together the tamari or soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, orange zest, star anise, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the chicken, making sure to submerge it in the liquid. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 4 hours, or until the chicken is soft and nearly falling off the bone.
  2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a warmed serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and set aside.
  3. Pass the cooking liquid through a medium-fine strainer into a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sherry until you don’t see any lumps. Using a wooden spoon, immediately stir this slurry into the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently with the wooden spoon, until the sauce thickens and reduces slightly, about 8 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken on the serving platter and transfer the rest to a small serving bowl to pass at the table. Serve with steamed rice.