Slow Cooker Gochujang Chicken and Tomatoes

By Ali Slagle

Updated Aug. 7, 2025

Slow Cooker Gochujang Chicken and Tomatoes
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 6 hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
6 hours
Rating
5(741)
Comments
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In this straightforward slow cooker recipe inspired by dakdori tang, you’ll be rewarded with a tomato-braised chicken that’s light enough for summer but hearty enough for winter. The balance comes from the interplay of cherry tomatoes and gochujang: The tomatoes burst into a tart, light broth that’s deepened with warming heat and fermented savoriness from the chile paste. Serve the chicken with plenty of the sauce and tomatoes over rice, rice cakes, udon or ramen noodles, roasted sweet potatoes or grits. Garnish with any combination of toasted sesame seeds, lime wedges, cilantro or thinly sliced scallions or serrano chiles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry
  • Salt
  • 1½ pounds cherry tomatoes
  • 1(3-inch) piece of ginger, halved lengthwise and smashed with a knife
  • 1 to 3tablespoons gochujang, depending on heat preference
  • 2tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, plus more as needed
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1tablespoon honey, plus more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

341 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 922 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, lightly sprinkle the chicken all over with salt. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, ginger, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil and honey until coated. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is very tender and most of the tomatoes have burst, 5 to 6 hours. Taste the broth and season accordingly with more honey (if too tart, salty or spicy) and soy sauce (if too sweet or muted).

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Ratings

5 out of 5
741 user ratings
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Comments

WeeknightCook

I can't say how it compares to the slow cooked version, but 12 minutes in a pressure cooker worked for me. I added a 1/4 cup water at the start.

J

I made this in a slow cooker today as described in the recipe. Used 3T of gochujang, because we like it, and 2 pints of cherry tomatoes. It was very easy and (we found it to be) tasty. I will make it again when I need something waiting for us in the evening. Served with udon noodles and garnished with scallions and sliced fresh jalapeños.

MmeFab

Yum! Used maple syrup in place of honey 1 heaping Tbsp of Trader Joe’s gochujang. Served over ramen noodles. Lime juice to finish was key. Looking forward to trying over sweet potatoes, and maybe topped with chopped peanuts for texture.

Lisa in Los Angeles

Sauce was a bit too thin for our taste, and even with 2 TBS of the Gochujang and a LARGE piece of ginger, it wasn't spicy enough. Needs to be thicker to complement the udon. Not sure what went wrong, or how to fix it.

Nancy

This was shockingly fantastic. it's the easiest thing I've ever made in my entire life. PLUS It's fantastic flavor, healthy & low calorie, I doubled the recipe, but I didn't have enough cherry tomatoes, so I added a can of San Marzano tomatoes. I also added a bit of garlic and used minced ginger since I didn't have it raw. I used the max suggestion on the Gochujang. Served over sweet potato which was such a perfect accompaniment.

Anne

This recipe was very easy to prepare. But the flavor profile was not to my family’s taste. We like Spicy so I thought this could be a hit. It wasn’t bad, but just kind of meh and boring.

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