Description
A flavorful Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken recipe that combines tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and a tangy, spicy sauce with peanuts for a perfect homemade Chinese-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil
Vegetables
- 8 dried red chilies seeded and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cubed
- 1 zucchini cubed
Sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup lite soy sauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ cup peanuts
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Toss the cut chicken pieces with ¼ cup of cornstarch until evenly coated, which will help thicken the sauce and give a slight crisp texture.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the chicken pieces in the pan until they develop a golden color, but do not cook through completely.
- Add ingredients to slow cooker: Transfer the browned chicken into the slow cooker. Add the cubed red bell pepper, cubed zucchini, and sliced dried red chilies on top of the chicken.
- Prepare the sauce: In a mixing bowl, combine ⅓ cup water, ⅓ cup lite soy sauce, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, minced garlic, ground ginger, and peanuts. Stir well to mix all ingredients.
- Cook the dish: Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, allowing flavors to fully develop and chicken to become tender.
Notes
- For a spicier version, leave the seeds in the dried red chilies or add more chilies.
- You can substitute chicken thighs for a juicier texture instead of chicken breasts.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add extra cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking.
- Serve this dish with steamed rice for a complete meal.
- Adjust sugar and vinegar to taste for your preferred balance of sweet and tangy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
