Description
This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish that combines tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce. Perfect for a hands-off dinner, this recipe uses a slow cooker to meld all the vibrant flavors together, delivering a classic Chinese-inspired meal with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 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 2 pounds of chicken cut into bite-size pieces with ¼ cup of cornstarch until evenly coated. This helps create a slight crust and thickens the sauce later.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the chicken pieces until they develop some color on the outside. The goal is not to cook the chicken through but to add flavor and texture.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker. Add 1 cubed red bell pepper, 1 cubed zucchini, and 8 seeded and sliced dried red chilies to the slow cooker.
- 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, 4 minced garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅓ cup peanuts. Stir well to blend all ingredients.
- Cook the Dish: Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until the chicken is tender and the flavors are well developed.
Notes
- For extra heat, do not remove all the seeds from the dried red chilies.
- You can substitute the peanuts with cashews if preferred or for allergy reasons.
- If you want a thicker sauce, stir in a slurry of cornstarch and water during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Serve with steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- Make sure to brown the chicken; this step adds essential flavor and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
