Ooooh wow, my house smells like a spice market!
While working on a freelance project this week, I came across this Five Spice Chicken cooked in a rice cooker, and it looked so good that I decided that I had to try it out myself, except in a slow cooker because I don’t yet own a rice cooker.
I fell in love with five spice powder last year when I was writing my cookbook, where I used it to make a quick spice rub for pork chops. It’s a heady combination of anise, cloves, cinnamon, and other spices that have both sweet and savory appeal. You can add it to just about anything for an instant boost of intoxicating flavor. I bought my five spice powder at my regular grocery store in the ethnic food aisle, but I’ve also seen it among more expensive spices in the spice aisle.
I changed up Daily Cooking Quest’s original recipe a bit by adding a little soy sauce and brown sugar to the five spice blend and cooked it for four hours in the slow cooker, which left the meat fall off the bone tender. After the meat spent four hours stewing in the spices, I finished it off with a few minutes under the broiler to get that nice brown crispy skin.
I paired the chicken with my favorite Yellow Jasmine Rice and had a meal fit for a queen! I’m going to be experimenting with a salad to go along with the two this weekend, so stay tuned!
Slow Cooker 5 Spice Chicken
Servings 10 1 piece eachIngredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated ($0.22)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.04)
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.26)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.06)
- 2 Tbsp 5 spice powder ($0.60)
- 4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken pieces ($7.22)
- 1 medium onion ($0.36)
- 2 Tbsp rice wine** ($0.27)
Instructions
- To make the spice rub, combine the garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and 5 spice powder in a small bowl. Stir until combined. (Grate the ginger using a small holed cheese grater, or mince with a knife.)
- Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken pieces, getting between the skin and meat whenever possible.
- Dice the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the rice wine over the onion, then layer in the chicken pieces. Make sure the chicken pieces are closely packed in the cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours.
- After four hours, the chicken will be very soft and tender. Use tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the liquid in the slow cooker and place them on a baking sheet. Adjust your oven rack so that the top of the chicken will be 5 inches from the broiler (the broiler’s heat element is usually on the roof of your oven). Broil the chicken on high for 5 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crispy. Keep a close eye on the chicken while it’s under the broiler because every broiler is slightly different and it can burn quickly.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Pictured with Yellow Jasmine Rice.
How to Make 5-Spice Chicken – Step by Step Photos
First make the five spice rub by combining 2 cloves of minced garlic, about 2 inches of fresh ginger (grated on a cheese grater or minced with a knife), 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp of brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp of Chinese five spice powder.
For reference, here is the five spice powder that I used and the toasted sesame oil. This really isn’t the best five spice powder, but it works. I found it in the ethnic foods aisle at my local grocery store, but you can sometimes find it among the fancier spices in the spice aisle. Toasted sesame oil has a deep brown color and a VERY strong, toasty aroma. If it’s clear, it’s not toasted.
I used four pounds of chicken pieces, which was 6 drumsticks and four thighs. I could have bought a split chicken and had two breasts, two thighs, two wings, and two drumsticks for the same price, but I preferred the thighs and drumsticks.
Coat the chicken really well in the spice rub. If the skin is lifting in some parts, try to smear it between the skin and meat.
Dice one yellow onion and add it to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour two tablespoons of rice wine over the onions. If you don’t have rice wine, you can use a dry white wine or even a little chicken broth. The liquid helps make a flavorful steam to infuse the chicken.
Layer the seasoned chicken in the slow cooker, making sure the pieces are tightly packed. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours.
As they cook, the chicken pieces will give off quite a bit of moisture. The chicken stews in the liquid and becomes super tender and juicy. YUM.
But, you don’t want the skin to be soggy, so carefully lift the chicken pieces out of the slow cooker using tongs. Place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet (I used cooling racks on top of the sheet, but it wasn’t really necessary). Adjust your oven rack so that the top of the chicken will be about 5 inches away from the broiler.
Set the broiler to high and broil the chicken for about 5 minutes, or until it’s deep brown and a little crispy. Watch the chicken closely, because it’s easy to burn things under the broiler (plus, every broiler is just a bit different).
And then you have gorgeous brown, flavorful, and tender chicken! I ate one right out of the oven… couldn’t wait!
As mentioned earlier, I served this with my Yellow Jasmine Rice. A perfect pair!
This smelled amazing cooking, but tasted surprisingly bland. I may try it again with additional salt worked in somewhere.
I made this tonight and it gets a thumbs up – or two – from the whole family, thanks Beth! I used chicken stock instead of the rice wine but otherwise exactly as listed, and then air fried the pieces for 10 mins before serving. Absolutely delish, this is definitely a keeper.
Four hours on high left the chicken mushy but fairly bland. Most of the skin left on the chicken separated in the crockpot and the appearance was not particularly appealing.
I used this recipe to do slow roasted chicken. Best chicken ever. I like mine a little more well cooked, so I roasted covered on sheet pan at 350 for 1.5 hours, then uncovered and raised temp to 450 for 30 minutes. Delicious.
Honestly was so excited for this but it came out super dry, actually inedible. I wanna try again with a shorter cooking time but it may not be worth it.
Chicken is pretty expensive nowadays, so I got chicken quarters for 38 cents/lb and cut them into smaller pieces at home. They’re a little scary looking but I got over it lol.
I think the blandness comments on this recipe are due to needing more salt. 2 tbsp soy sauce isn’t enough for the amount of chicken— I would add a teaspoon or so to the spice rub next time. I ended up boiling about a cup of the leftover broth with some cornstarch and extra salt to make a glaze, and brushed that onto the chicken after broiling.
The jasmine rice recipe with this was wonderful, by the way.
Chicken came out a bit bland as others have mentioned. Any tips on getting more flavor into the chicken?
You could try seasoning the chicken with the spices a few hours or overnight before cooking.
I was really looking forward to this dish however it turned out rather bland.I went with 4 pounds of thigh meat and used chicken broth as the replacement. The rub did not seem like enough for four pounds though I could have made a mistake at some point as well applying it to the chicken?
It smelled great though.
Any pointers?
I also found it to be a bit bland despite all the amazing seasonings. After tasting the broiled chicken, I quickly strained about 1 cup of the broth from the crockpot into a pot and reduced it down a bit adding some salt, soy sauce, and a bit of bouillon paste. I thickened it with corn starch and used it as a sauce over the chicken. It helped a bit but I think next time I’ll season the chicken with salt and pepper and add more soy sauce or even hoisin to the crockpot before adding the chicken. ??
Came out bland even when I doubled the recipe… I love the slow cooking concept but it’s unfortunate that the flavour isn’t there.
Maybe chicken stock might make it better..??
Where are the nutrition facts?
i just bought a 10 pound bag of leg quarter fryers for $5.50 special, and am using your recipe loosely, but in a pressure cooker. i am just taking the chicken from the cooker, and the smell is AMAZING. it’s incredible. i just want to sit and breathe it. i don’t know if i’ll broil it or just eat it as is. fantastic.
This recipe sounds delish! Wondering if you’ve tried this in the Instant Pot (instead of slow cooker), then broil? How long? I’m thinking 10 minutes though I am doubling the recipe.
I haven’t tried this particular one in the IP, but I do bone-in, skin on chicken in the IP often. I usually just do 30 minutes for thigh-sized pieces. And yes, definitely broil afterwards. :)
Yow-za!
Just made this tonight for dinner because I realized I had 2 bottles of five spice powder–so glad I did! I’m looking forward to left overs, if there happens to be any.
Hi Beth! Your 5-spice Chicken recipe with jasmine rice sounds delicious and I am making it tonight! I wondered what do you think would be a nice vegetable to accompany this dish? Thanks!
I would make my Sesame Slaw. :)
I’m excited to try this recipe!
Unfortunately we won’t be around in the afternoon, do you think 8 hours on low would work instead? Or should I do more like 6 or 7 hours on low?
I think 8 hours on low should be fine.
I tried your recommendation for oven-braising and it worked extremely well! It took the full two hours. I used the drippings and water to replace the broth and butter in the jasmine rice recipe and that was also very tasty.
Chicken is $8.00/pound, not sure where you’re buying from or what quality you’re getting.
I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $3/lb for chicken. Usually less for bone-in chicken. Are you shopping in the US?
Doh! Look carefully at the labels on the chicken…
I’ve also never paid more than maybe 4 dollars a pound. I just picked up drumsticks and thighs for 89 cents a pound. That’s conventionally raised…are you buying organic?
Beth, You’ve really outdone yourself with this one. Absolutely amazing. I am so full and yet I cannot stop thinking about this dish. I am floored by the marrying of the flavors…. the crispy skin… the moist chicken…. the (of course) perfect pairing with (I agree) the most delicious rice. My wallet thanks you. My heart thanks you. My belly thanks you. My hips don’t fully appreciate bone-in skin-on but they can just suck it up, they get too much attention as it is.
Hahahah that was a great comment. Thank you. :)
Hey Beth! Quick question please because I have been DYING to make this recipe. If I no longer have my slow cooker (sad face :( ) how could I make this dish? I have a very large pot, but not a slow cooker :(
BTW I absolutely adore your website, and have made at least 10 recipes from your site, with them all being exceptional and heavenly! Thank you SO much for everything you have done in making your website such a great success! I appreciate your time and thank you again!
Because this one doesn’t have a lot of liquid (like a soup or stew would), I would actually use the oven instead. Try to use some sort of oven safe cooking vessel, like a dutch oven or casserole dish that has a lid, to keep the moisture in. If you don’t have an oven safe dish that has a lid, you can try covering tightly with foil. Bake at 250 for an hour or two and then check the consistency of the meat. You want it to be tender enough to fall off the bone. I’m not sure how long it will take at 250 degrees, but that’s the closest you’ll get to the slow cooker. :)
I made this last night using the slow-roasted chicken leg method (on this site) in a deep, oven-safe skillet. I was lazy, though, so I only put the 5-spice rub over the top of chicken thighs. Next time, I will totally marinate the chicken in the rub for an hour before-hand (and get it under the skin like you said). The 5-spice rub is SO GOOD – it just didn’t get into the meat like it would, I imagine, in a slow-cooker. So juicy!!!
Have you ever tried this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
If I could give this dish 10 stars, I would!! Made it by following the instructions carefully, and the result was amazing. Beth, this one’s a keeper and I would definitely check out your other recipes. Both the chicken & rice were a hit with my family and are now on our dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing!
What if you cannot find the 5 spice powder? What can you use instead? Can you make your own?
You can make your own (here is a good recipe, and there are several more out there), but it may require some more obscure spices. McCormick makes a five spice blend, but you might have to go to a larger grocery store to find it. Make sure to check the Ethnic food aisles as well.
Hello, this recipe sounds delicious! I struggle with including onions in recipes as I am not a fan of the flavor. Was the onion flavor strong/noticeable in this recipe? Is there a replacement that you can recommend? Or do you think flavors will still stand without the onions? Thanks!
I didn’t find the onion flavor to be very strong at all. :)
Just made this! I bought a package of chicken thighs on sale at the grocery store last week, remembering having read this recipe. Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
I just made this, and it’s sitting in the slow cooker right now! I can’t wait to eat it :) Also, I noticed a couple typos in the post:
“I changed up Daily Cooking Quest’s original recipe a bit by adding a little soy sauce and brown sugar to the five spice blend and cooked it for (FOUR) hours in the slow cooker, which left the meat fall off the bone tender.”
“2. (RUB) the spice mixture all over the chicken pieces, getting between the skin and meat whenever possible.”
Thank you for catching those!! ;)
Could I let this marinade in The spice mixtures overnight ?
Yep, that shouldn’t be a problem. :)
I made this a few nights ago with the turmeric jasmine rice (which was amazing and made great leftovers). It smelled incredible and the taste was good but the chicken was greasy and soggy. I’m weird about texture and could only choke down a few mushy bites. My SO said it could ‘be tweaked.’ Next time I’ll mix in some breast and rib meat for better texture and check the temp after 2 hours.
Taylor, did you broil the chicken after you took it out of the crock pot as Beth suggests? – try that, if you didn’t the first time. Mine was falling of the its bones, but once broiled for few minutes, it was moist but crispy when consumed.
Could I put it in the George Foreman grill instead of broiling it?
Hmm, that might work! I bet this rub would also be good for meat that goes straight into the grill rather than the slow cooker first.
Hi Beth!
Love your website!! Several of your recipes, including this one, are now in our regular rotation :)
Question for you: do you think the “broth” that this makes could be used for something else? I realize its a bit fattier than normal broth, but it just seems like such a waste to not use it for something else.
I’m super suprised to read that a few people had dry chicken! Ours is always swimming in juices by the time it’s done and just falling off the bone. We do like to use more expensive (even organize if are can swing it) chicken. Which makes this NOT so frugal… But soooo delicious!
Thanks!
Make that *organic chicken!
You probably could, yes! With this recipe it would be heavily spiced broth, but that might not be such a bad thing. :) I would try to capture the juices, then maybe simmer them with vegetable scraps and water for a good long time (or even do it right in the slow cooker), then strain out the debris.
Awesome! Thanks!
Do you have any recommendations for a good vegetable pairing with this?
I think some sautéed greens would be good (kale, mustard, collard) or even some creamed spinach.
We had this with the spiced jasmine rice at the weekend and it was DELISH! I’m finishing the leftovers cold for lunch as I type and it’s soooo yummy.
It smells fantastic and the taste is good but the chicken was kind of like paste by the time it was done… used chicken thighs with the skin on. I will try 7 hrs on low as opposed to 4 on high…
This smelled amazing and had a lot of promise, but it turned out really dry. We cooked it on low for 7 hours (just because of work) instead of on high for 4. Any ideas what went wrong?
Hmm, maybe the chicken was less fatty? Or perhaps the seven on low instead of four on high has a side effect that I’ve not encountered before!
The Five Spice Chicken looks so good, that my mouth is watering right now. Is it possible that I could use chicken thighs only, instead of using both thighs and drumsticks? I LOVE chicken thighs, because of the flavor, and how it hold up in the slow cooker.
How it could hold up in the slow cooker.
Yes, of course. You could really use any type of chicken pieces you’d like. :)
I made this the other night with the yellow Jasmine rice – AMAZING!!! The chicken fell apart. I used Garam Masala for the spice and my house smelled wonderful. Will definitely be making this again!!!
I can only find rice vinegar, is that the same as rice wine? I have a feeling no…
No, they are different. Rice vinegar is much more acidic than rice wine. You can use it, but use half as much (the flavor will still be slightly different, but it should be good).
I was wondering what size slow cooker do you use for all your recipes?
I no longer have the packaging, but I’m guessing it’s about 5 quarts.
LOVED this recipe. I even made a gravy out of the drippings:
1/2 cup of drippings
Heaping tablespoon of AP flour
Some water (to your desired consistency)
Garlic salt (to taste)
The gravy went GREAT with the chicken & yellow rice
Beth,
What type of rice did you make with this recipe?
My favorite rice of all time, Yellow Jasmine Rice: https://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/yellow-jasmine-rice/
I made this chicken a couple days ago. I was running so late for work that morning that I literally threw all (ok, most) of the ingredients in the crock pot and ran out the door. No measuring, no prepping. I’ll tell you, it was the most appetizing smell to come home to at the end of the day and the most delicious chicken I’ve had in a long time!
5 spice is magic! :)
Excellent recipe! I’ve been following your blog for years and this recipe was definitely worthy of a first post! I baked the chicken instead because my slow cooker just broke and then roasted some brussel sprouts in the chicken fat/saucy good stuff. The yellow rice went perfectly with it. I’m happy :) Keep up the good work!
Could I do this for 8 hours on low?
I think with this one you should at least do the first two hours on high to get the meat up to temp in a safe amount of time. Because there’s no liquid to transmit the heat, I think it would take too long on the low setting and could pose a food safety risk.
Bummer– I’m making this today, coincidentally on a day when I will be home all day. However, I’m going to school to be a teacher and I was hoping by this time next year I would have an arsenal of awesome crockpot recipes I could just dump in the pot as I’m running out the door to work so that I wont have to cook much when I get home. I feel like so many of the crockpot recipes out there though require you to actively do something during cooking or the timing is WAY off, so much so that even the automatic switch to warm feature wouldn’t save the meal. Oh well, at least we’ll have something super yummy for tonight!
This looks awesome! Quick question: would it work to use frozen chicken breasts/legs? Or do yet have to be defrosted?
This sounds like such a delicious and easy recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been following your blog for a few years now, but I think this is the first time I’ve commented. Your blog was a life saver when I was in college and never had any money, but didn’t want to settle for sub-par dinners.
Oh my! My chicken is in the slow cooker right now and smells devine. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I plan on also making the yellow jasmine rice. My husband and I thank you so much Beth. My cooking skills have so improved since finding your website.
You HAVE to come up with some use for the drippings. Whatever soup that is, I already want it.
All that needs to be said is Yum, Yum, Yum. Made this last night and talk about good. I also made the Yellow Jasmine rice to go with it. Its a keeper. :-)
Beth, thank you- this was absolutely delicious! I made your yellow jasmine rice to go with it and that too was amazing! My husband also loved it… and so did my cat! We gave her a few bites of the chicken; I figured it was only fair, she had to lay around in the house all day smelling the awesome smells coming from the crockpot while we were at work! ;)
Since I’m almost always cooking for one… do you think this would freeze well? Or, should I do a half recipe for the chicken so I don’t have cooked chicken I can’t finish by end of week?
I think for this one I would just do a half recipe. Although I’ve worked my way through most of the whole recipe myself already! (eating 1-2 pieces per day)
Thanks! :) If I’m doing one piece a meal, I want to make sure I diversify my protein over the week. :)
Feelings on Chicken Leg Quarters vs separate drumsticks and thighs? They’re $.79/lb right now
This might also be really good baked in a clay pot like a Romertopf. You could take off the lid for the last 30 minutes and get a nice crisp skin that way. :-)
This sounds absolutely awesome! I make a white fish recipe with five spice ~ so good, and chicken with a four hour soak in that spice has got to be amazing. I’ll do the broil step; I just wish my stupid oven had a broil option in this RV we live in. It says it broils, but there’s no element up top. Can’t wait to try nonetheless!
Have you tried the drawer underneath the oven? It’s usually a storage drawer but on some models that drawer is the broiler.
Brenna,
I have a gas (propane) oven in my motorhome – if yours is similar you light the oven manually … under the rack and the flame goes off and on after preheat to maintain temperature. The broil setting keeps the flame on and you put whatever on the bottom of the oven, under the flame to broil. I leave the door cracked and keep a sharp eye as it is a flame! The other option, if you have a cast iron skillet is to get the skillet very hot and do a finishing sear in the skillet. I tend to only use the oven broil for browning cheese or some kind of topping and the skillet for meat.
Yes, definitely check the drawer below the oven. I used to think these were just for storage, but on some gas ovens, that’s actually where the broiler is!
Great recipe, made it for dinner with plenty of spare for leftovers! In my area of Florida at least, Publix is selling 4lb+ packs of thighs and drumsticks this week for $1.79/lb so I unknowingly prepared for this with a pretty good deal. :)
I’ve done 5 spice chicken and it IS awesome, but what really grabbed me was the Jasmine rice – I missed your yellow rice post.
Folks practically came to blows this week on thekitchn.com over how to cook basmati rice and get a long, separated “grain”. Your rice is exactly that so I will be trying your technique. I love turmeric and cumin.
a side note…just this morning, I bought 5 spice and garam masala from the bulk bin area at my local…in NW Montana! I bought about 4T of each and priced by the ounce, it was a bit less than 1.80 for both, i.e. an inexpensive way to experiment with both mixes. I use one or the other just on occasion and this works for me. Both blends are available in the jarred spice section but you have to buy more and they are spendy.
I actually have Chinese 5 spice (which I’ve never used) and all the other ingredients (except the chicken which I know I can find)! Both the chicken and the rice look scrumptious. Thanks.
Hi,
This looks so good! Wondering if anyone would know, could the juices left over from the Chicken be used in place of water to cook rice? I’m not a seasoned cook yet……
Thanks!
The juices were quite thick, it was more like melted fat and gelatin, so I don’t think it could be used alone to cook the rice. It could be good added to a soup base, though.
My baby is allergic to sesame. Will it change the flavor too much if I use a different kind of oil?
I think it would be okay just leaving the sesame oil out. If you really wanted, you could try to find a toasted walnut oil, but I’d probably just skip it. It’s the toasted part that gives it so much flavor.
My mom used to do something like this for making BBQ short ribs. She cooked the short ribs in the pressure cooker until they were falling off the bone tender. Then she slathered them in BBQ sauce and ran them under the broiler until the sauce was just the right level of cooked-on stickiness. They were awesome, and a great way to satisfy a BBQ craving in the middle of winter. :)
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts completely fall apart in a slow cooker, no matter the recipe. I’ll bet it would work for chicken breasts that still have the bones and skin. You could probably also do a combination if you are feeding a crowd, since people tend to have strong feelings about dark meat vs. light meat.
Aaaaaand I know what I’ll be making tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, this looks great! How do you think you could adapt it to boneless skinless chicken breasts – just skip the broiler step at the end? Or would the rub not hold very well?
I think I might still broil it for a few minutes. With boneless skinless breasts you might end up with something more along the lines of pulled/shredded chicken, though. :) After the slow cooker the meat is very tender. The bone and skin kind of holds it all together.