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Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.2 from 58 reviews
  • Author: Lily
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: American-Chinese
  • Diet: Halal

Description

This Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe offers tender chicken thighs cooked to perfection in a tangy, flavorful sauce made with pineapple, vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. The addition of colorful bell peppers and green onions gives a fresh crunch, making it an easy, delicious, and comforting meal to serve over rice. Perfect for busy days, this dish requires minimal prep and slow cooking for rich depth of flavors.

Ingredients

Chicken and Coating

  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and sliced in half
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)

Sauce

  • 8 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice (not syrup)
  • ½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Vegetables and Garnish

  • 2 to 3 bell peppers (assorted colors, seeded and chopped)
  • 3 green onions (thinly sliced)

Instructions

  1. Coat the chicken: Place half of the chicken thighs into a large zippered plastic storage bag and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Seal the bag and shake well to coat each piece evenly with cornstarch.
  2. Brown the chicken (first half): Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken pieces and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
  3. Repeat coating and browning (second half): Repeat the cornstarch coating and browning process with the remaining chicken, cornstarch, and oil as done previously, then add to the slow cooker.
  4. Prepare pineapple: Drain the pineapple chunks, reserving the juice. Cover and refrigerate the pineapple chunks to use later in the recipe.
  5. Make the sauce and start slow cooking: In a medium bowl, combine finely chopped onion, rice vinegar, ¼ cup of the reserved pineapple juice, ketchup, honey, soy sauce (or tamari), grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and salt. Pour this sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  6. Add bell peppers and pineapple: Stir the chopped bell peppers into the slow cooker, spoon the reserved pineapple chunks over the top, cover, and continue cooking on high for an additional 30 minutes until the bell peppers are fork tender.
  7. Serve: Spoon the sweet and sour chicken with bell peppers and pineapple over cooked rice. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions for added freshness and flavor.

Notes

  • Using chicken thighs keeps the meat juicy and flavorful in slow cooking.
  • Do not skip browning the chicken as it adds depth of flavor and texture.
  • You can substitute tamari to make the dish gluten-free.
  • Adjust the amount of honey if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
  • The sauce thickens as it sets; serve immediately for the best texture.
  • Serving over steamed white or brown rice complements the sweet and sour flavors.

Find it online: https://dishmelt.com/slow-cooker-sweet-and-sour-chicken-recipe/