Description
This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken recipe combines tender chicken, crunchy vegetables, and a flavorful homemade sauce with peanuts and dried chilies. Perfect for an easy and delicious dinner that requires minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 2 pounds chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 1 red bell pepper cubed
- 1 zucchini cubed
- 8 dried red chilies seeded and sliced
Coating
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil
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 bite-sized chicken pieces with ¼ cup cornstarch until well coated.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the chicken pieces until they have color, but do not cook them through.
- Combine in Slow Cooker: Add the browned chicken to the slow cooker along with the cubed red bell pepper, cubed zucchini, and sliced dried red chilies.
- Make 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 ⅓ cup peanuts. Stir well to combine.
- Add Sauce and Cook: Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Serve: Once cooked, stir the Kung Pao Chicken and serve hot over rice or your preferred side.
Notes
- Seeding dried chilies reduces heat; leave seeds in for extra spiciness.
- Peanuts can be substituted with cashews if preferred.
- Make sure to brown chicken quickly to maintain tenderness and add flavor.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix a little cornstarch with water and stir into the slow cooker during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
