Description
This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish combining tender chicken pieces, crunchy peanuts, and a spicy, tangy sauce. Perfect for a hands-off dinner that brings authentic Chinese-inspired flavors to your table 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 skillet: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering to brown the chicken.
- Coat the chicken: Toss the bite-sized chicken pieces with ¼ cup cornstarch until evenly coated to help achieve a light crust.
- Brown the chicken: Quickly brown the coated chicken in the hot skillet just until it develops color on all sides. Do not cook through, just sear for flavor.
- Add to slow cooker: Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker, spreading it evenly.
- Add vegetables: Add the cubed red bell pepper, zucchini, and sliced dried red chilies to the slow cooker with the chicken.
- Mix 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.
- Pour 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
- For extra heat, keep some chili seeds or add additional dried chilies.
- You can substitute peanuts with cashews if preferred.
- Serve the Kung Pao Chicken over steamed rice for a complete meal.
- Do not skip browning the chicken; it adds great flavor and texture to the dish.
- The apple cider vinegar provides tanginess, but you can use rice vinegar as an alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: Thirty six grams
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
