Description
A flavorful Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken recipe combining tender chicken pieces, crunchy peanuts, dried red chilies, and a savory, tangy sauce. This easy slow cooker dish brings the classic spicy and sweet Chinese favorite to your table with minimal prep.
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 cubed chicken pieces with ¼ cup cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the coated chicken pieces until they develop some color but are not fully cooked through.
- Assemble in slow cooker: Place the browned chicken into the slow cooker. Add the cubed red bell pepper, zucchini, and sliced dried red chilies on top.
- 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 peanuts. Stir well to combine.
- Add sauce and cook: Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until chicken is tender and flavors meld.
Notes
- Seeding and slicing dried red chilies reduces the heat while maintaining flavor; adjust amount to your desired spice level.
- Browning the chicken before slow cooking adds flavor and improves texture, but can be skipped for quicker prep.
- You can substitute peanuts with cashews or omit nuts for a nut-free version.
- The sauce can be adjusted for sweetness or tanginess by modifying brown sugar and vinegar amounts to taste.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
