Well, most of you know my husband, niece and I were in a fairly bad car accident last June. Car totaled and for me, back totaled! It wasn't till a few months ago, that a specialist finally got me fixed! WHOOP! Meanwhile back at the ranch, a lot of things got put to pasture. EEP! Not the best of years for our family. BUT! now that I am feeling better, my brain can focus on the things I love to do best, creating, cooking and writing! So, there you have it, now, let's get down to business.
I was looking for a slow cooker chicken recipe a few years ago and came across one that sounded pretty good. I gave it a whirl and it was good, but not what I would consider great. The sauce was too much of a "one note" wonder. I few tweaks here and there and Ta-Da! I have not only a great slow cooker chicken recipe, but also a sauce that is great on: Meatballs, Kielbasa, Little Smokies, Salmon and Pork. You will see I used chicken legs in my photo's, but you can use your favorite chicken cut. I really love this recipe on wings. The beautiful sticky sweet molasses gives you a depth of flavor you won't get when using the brown sugar that other recipes call for. The sriracha and dijon mustard add a tangy kick, keeping the sauce from being too sweet and adding just one more layer of "You Won't Be Sorry" goodness!
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| My new Crock~Pot! Isn't she pretty? |
Another thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't have a lot of ingredients. Maybe more then some recipes, however, all things that most of us already have in our kitchen. If not, then also know that every ingredient is common/easy to find and can be used in more then this recipe. NO REALLY! they will not sit in your pantry for years! Don't you hate buying an ingredient for a recipe that you only need a smidge of and having the rest just sit and go to seed? I DO! So, curious as to what these ingredients are? Well here you go:
"You Won't Be Sorry"! Sweet and Spicy Sauce
- 1/2 C. Ketchup (I use Del Monte Ketchup which is lower in sugar then Heinz)
- 1/2 C. Molasses
- 1/2 C. Apricot Preserves or Jam
- 2 TB. Soy Sauce
- 1 TB. Dijon Mustard
- 1 TB. Sriracha Sauce *A wee bit more if you like REALLY spicy, less if you are a tender tongue*
- 1 TB. Minced Garlic
- A smattering of Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Yields 1-Pint, ~Will keep in refrigerator for 30 days~
Instructions? Easy Peasy! Mix all ingredients together and pour over 4-5 lbs. of whatever meat you have chosen for you slow cooker. If you want to get crazy, you can even marinade overnight and then dump the whole shabang into your cooker in the morning. For chicken, slow cook on low 6-8 hours, high 4-6 hours. During the last hour of cook time, remove lid (and if cooking on low adjust temp to high) to allow sauce to reduce down. Baste exposed pieces of meat every 15 minutes. Adjust cook time for whatever protein you use. Pre-Cooked meatballs or pork, will not need as much time.
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| Into the pot and blanketed with sauce. |
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| Almost done! Time to baste. |
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| Dig in, I ate three! |
If you are preparing this sauce to gift or have in refrigerator, read to go, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a low boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before refrigerating.
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| Prettied up and ready to gift. |
*As noted in ingredients, adjust the sriracha to your personal taste. As it is listed, I promise, this is NOT super spicy, I would classify it as mild*
I hope you enjoy this simple, scrumptious recipe. If you want to try a different variation, sub out a different flavor of jam or preserves. I have used blackberry and peach with GREAT results!
Please feel free to share with your family and friends. I only ask that you credit recipe as written and photo's to "Cobwebs To Cookies", they are the fruits of my heart and mind. Thank YOU!
