Like Shredded Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken Breast, this Asian shredded chicken is ideal to toss through noodles, in a stir fry, pile into buns, use in salads or serve over rice! Instructions included for making this in a slow cooker or on the stove.
Slow Cooker Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken
“Slow cooked juicy shreds of chicken soaked with Chinese flavours with brown crunchy bits? Yes please!” I think this is a great example of a dish that uses just a few ingredients and can transform into something sensational and quite unique. This chicken is braised in classic Chinese flavours, the base of which is Chinese cooking wine. Chinese cooking wine is available in large supermarkets in Australia but I really recommend you go to an Asian grocery store because it is far cheaper. I bought a 750ml/25oz bottle for just $0.99! If you don’t have Chinese cooking wine, you can substitute with sherry. Be sure to use a dry one, not a sweet one, otherwise it will be far too sweet!
In addition to the Chinese cooking wine, the braising liquid has other classic Chinese flavours, including garlic, ginger and sugar. It also has vinegar in it, to balance out the sweetness. I used black vinegar, which is a Chinese vinegar (you can also get it at supermarkets but is much cheaper at Asian grocery stores!) but you can substitute with any other vinegar other than balsamic vinegar. Preferably a brown vinegar but white will also work.
The braising liquid is fantastic as it is infused with the flavour of the slow cooked chicken so is essential an incredible stock. Serve it on the side with the chicken or use it as a stir fry sauce which is what I did for a Crispy Shredded Chicken Noodle Stir Fry. If you add a splash of vinegar, it is also brilliant used as a salad dressing. “One chicken will serve 10 to 12 people. Shredded meat always goes so much further than I expect.” This recipe makes ALOT. Any recipe where the meat is shredded seems to make more than you expect. Ordinarily, I would say a 4 lb / 2 kg roast chicken would serve 6 people. But when you shred it, it will easily serve 8 to 10 people, or up to 12 if you use it for things like stir fries and salads. My favourite way of serving this is simply piled high on a plate, scattered with shallots / scallions, with plain rice and some steamed vegetables on the side. This Slow Cooker Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken freezes extremely well and is very versatile so it’s really handy to have on hand for quick meals. Here are some other ideas for things you can make and ways to serve it:
Stir fried noodles – stir fry the chicken with noodles and vegetables using the braising liquid as the sauce. Like this Crispy Shredded Chicken Noodle Stir Fry; Serve with rice and a side of vegetables, like this Restaurant Style Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce; Fried rice; Salad – toss with leafy greens and/or vermicelli noodles. Add a splash of rice vinegar (or any other vinegar) to the braising liquid and use it as the dressing; Pile onto steamed buns, drizzle with braising liquid; and Roll up spring roll wrappers, spray with oil and bake until golden.
Love to hear what you think! If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments section below and I’ll be sure to answer them. Happy cooking! – Nagi SaveSave
