Slow Cooker Mahogany Chicken Legs

These slow cooker mahogany chicken legs are braised in a mixture of two kinds of soy sauce, along with spices, vinegar, and rice wine, resulting in a deliciously moist and glistening chicken dish. 

These Mahogany chicken legs are cooked using the technique called "red cooking" or "red braising."

What is red cooking?

It's basically slow braising using two kinds of soy sauce, light and dark, along with rice wine, rock sugar (or brown sugar), and an assortment of spices. 

The flavor is hard to describe. It's sort of savory sweet, and the chicken is just fall-off-of-the-bone tender. You will need to eat it with a fork. Serve it with sticky rice and a vegetable.

Dark Soy Sauce:

The dark soy sauce is essential for red braising. The first time I bought it was to make these chicken legs and now I always have a bottle (and a back up) on hand. It's thicker and sweeter, and most importantly, darker, than regular soy sauce. 

It adds a deep rich color to dishes such as stir-fried Mongolian lamb, for marinating Chinese barbecue pork, and stir-fried beef and broccoli. A little bit goes a long way. 

It's usually sold in Chinese markets. If you don't have one nearby, you can also find the soy sauce online. 

The recipe also calls for Shaaoxing rice wine and Chinkiang vinegar. If you don't have them, you can substitute balsamic vinegar and dry sherry. 

Other ingredients include ginger, star anise or anise seed, hoisin sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Finish with a teaspoon of sesame oil and garnish with sliced scallions. 

You will love the gorgeous dark color and the amazing flavor. 

You will quickly brown the chicken legs in a skillet and then nestle them in a slow cooker. 

Next, you bring the braise ingredients to a boil and then pour the mixture over the legs. Cook the legs on high for three to four hours, or on low for six to seven hours. 

I actually made these legs for a potluck at work once. I assembled everything in the slow cooker, took it to work, plugged it in, and the legs were ready when it was time for lunch. 

This week the From Our Dinner Table Group's theme is Seriously Good Slow Cooker Recipes. I'm excited to check out what everyone is sharing. 

Seriously Good Slow Cooker Recipes

• Chilindro - Slow Cooker Spanish Red Pepper Stew from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken from Palatable Pastime
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Broccoli Sauce from The Spiffy Cookie
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Soup from Blogghetti
• Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Slow Cooker Hamburger Stroganoff from Books n' Cooks
• Slow Cooker Mahogany Chicken Legs from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker Vegan Whole Moong Masala from Magical Ingredients
• White Chicken Chili from That Recipe

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Slow Cooker Mahogany Chicken Legs

Yield: 10 chicken legs

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 20 M

These slow cooker mahogany chicken legs are braised in a mixture of two kinds of soy sauce, along with spices, vinegar, and rice wine, resulting in a deliciously moist and glistening chicken dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 chicken legs
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1 cup regular soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
• 3 T balsamic vinegar or Chinkiang vinegar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 3 slices of peeled ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
2. Sear the chicken in the oil in batches for about two minutes per side.
3. Arrange the chicken legs in the slow cooker so that all of the legs are in a single layer.
4. Combine the soy sauces, sherry, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, hoisin, mustard, garlic, ginger, and anise seed in a saucepan or the frying pan and bring to a boil.
5. Pour the mixture over the chicken legs, cover, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours.
6. When the chicken is done, move the legs to a serving platter, sprinkle with the sesame oil, and top with the scallions.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

602.16

Fat (grams)

27.03

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.69

Carbs (grams)

13.91

Fiber (grams)

1.22

Net carbs

12.69

Sugar (grams)

6.32

Protein (grams)

66.91

Sodium (milligrams)

3200.63

Cholesterol (grams)

327.71

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2013/04/slow-cooker-mahogany-chicken-legs.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

chicken, slow cooker

Main course

Chinese

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This is an updated post, originally published in April 2013.