Description
A simple and delicious Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts cooked low and slow with colorful bell peppers and pineapple chunks, tossed in a tangy and sweet homemade sauce. Perfect for a hassle-free weeknight dinner served over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice, undrained
Sauce
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Cut the chicken breasts and bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Open the pineapple can but keep the chunks in the juice. This ensures all the components are ready for cooking.
- Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the chicken, red and green bell peppers, and the entire can of pineapple chunks with juice into the 5-6 quart slow cooker. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper for basic seasoning.
- Make the Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together cornstarch, honey, apple cider vinegar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, and ground ginger until smooth. This mixture forms a tangy and sweet sauce that will thicken during cooking.
- Add Sauce to Slow Cooker: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, ensuring even coverage for flavor infusion.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1.5-2 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and tender. At the halfway point, gently stir the chicken and sauce to promote even cooking and sauce distribution.
- Final Seasoning and Thickening: Once cooking is complete, taste the sweet and sour chicken and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired. The sauce will thicken further as it cools slightly.
- Serve: Serve the sweet and sour chicken hot over cooked rice, garnished with sliced green onions for a fresh, mild bite.
Notes
- Cut chicken and vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking.
- For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium soy sauce and adjust salt accordingly.
- Stir gently halfway through cooking to prevent chicken from breaking apart.
- If sauce is too thin after cooking, you can thicken it further by removing chicken and simmering sauce on stovetop.
- Can be prepared a day ahead; flavors improve with time. Reheat gently before serving.
Keywords: slow cooker sweet and sour chicken, crockpot chicken recipe, easy sweet and sour chicken, slow cooker dinner, crockpot dinner recipes, sweet and sour chicken with pineapple