There’s something irresistibly cozy about recipes that simmer away all day, filling your home with mouthwatering aromas. This Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe is one of those gems—simple, flavorful, and hands-off. Trust me, once you taste the sticky, savory sauce balanced with just the right kick of spice, you’ll be making it over and over again.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I honestly can’t recommend this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe enough. It’s one of those easy, no-fuss meals that delivers big flavor with minimal effort, perfect for busy weekdays or lazy weekends when you want a satisfying meal without hovering over the stove.
- Hands-off cooking: Just toss ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the magic while you go about your day.
- Perfect balance of flavors: The ginger, soy sauce, and black pepper create a sticky, salty-sweet, and mildly spicy sauce that’s incredibly addictive.
- Textural contrast: Adding red peppers and spring onions near the end keeps some crispness, giving each bite a wonderful freshness.
- Customizable heat: You can easily dial up or down the spice according to your taste, making it a crowd-pleaser or a fiery treat.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe has a role that builds layers of flavor and texture, complementing each other perfectly. From the tender chicken to the aromatic five-spice and zing of ginger, it’s a well-rounded dish that’s as satisfying as it is simple.
- Chicken breast: Lean and tender when cooked low and slow, it soaks up all the rich sauce flavors beautifully.
- Ginger puree: Adds a fresh, warming zing that complements the salty soy and sweet ketchup.
- Tomato ketchup: Brings subtle sweetness and a hint of tang to the sauce, rounding out the flavors.
- Soy sauce: The salty, umami backbone of the dish; just be mindful of salt additions here.
- Chinese five spice: Infuses the chicken with fragrant notes of star anise, cloves, and cinnamon for a subtly exotic touch.
- Chilli flakes: A gentle heat that you can adjust; adds warmth without overpowering.
- Garlic granules: Concentrated garlic flavor that melds into the sauce without any raw bite.
- Brown sugar: Balances the saltiness with caramel sweetness, helping the sauce get that sticky finish.
- Black peppercorns: Crushed for bold peppery heat—switch to Sichuan peppercorns for a numbing twist!
- Red peppers: Added last for crunch and color, keeping the dish lively and fresh.
- Spring onions: Their mild onion flavor brightens the dish and adds textural contrast.
- Cornflour: Thickens the sauce at the end to perfectly coat every piece of chicken.
- Sea salt: Used sparingly and adjusted to balance the soy sauce’s saltiness and your palate.
Make It Your Way
I love how adaptable this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe is. Whether you want to turn up the heat, sneak in more veggies, or make it gluten-free, you can tweak it easily to suit your mood and pantry.
- Variation: I once swapped in Sichuan peppercorns instead of black peppercorns for a fun, numbing spice that wowed my guests. If you love bold flavors, give it a try—it changes the character of the dish deliciously.
- Dietary tweaks: For gluten-free, just swap soy sauce for tamari. If you need it even lighter, using skinless chicken thighs instead of breast works beautifully and keeps the meat juicy.
- Seasonal adjustments: Feel free to add chopped mushrooms, snap peas, or baby corn during the last 30 minutes for extra nutrition and crunch.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
Step 1: Prep and Layer Your Ingredients
I start by chopping my chicken into bite-sized chunks to ensure even cooking and easy eating. Then, into the slow cooker goes the chicken, ginger puree, ketchup, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, chili flakes, garlic granules, brown sugar, and crushed black peppercorns. Give everything a good stir to combine—all those flavors get to mingle right from the start.
Step 2: Cook Low and Slow
Cover your slow cooker and set it on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours. I usually go for LOW so I can leave it unattended for the day, freeing me up while it works its magic. You’ll notice the kitchen filling with that lovely blend of spices and soy sauce as the chicken tenderizes and soaks up the sauce.
Step 3: Thicken and Freshen It Up
Once your slow cooker timer goes off, it’s time for the magic thickening step. Take about a tablespoon of cornflour and stir it into a small bowl with some of the cooking liquid until smooth (we call this a slurry). Pour that back into the pot, add diced red peppers and spring onions, then stir gently.
Cook on HIGH for another 30 minutes. This finishes tenderizing the chicken while keeping the peppers crunchy and the sauce luscious and sticky.
Top Tip
After making this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe several times, I’ve realized a few tricks that make a big difference in flavor and texture. These tips help you avoid common pitfalls and get this dish just right every time.
- Use fresh cracked peppercorns: Crushing your own peppercorns adds a depth of flavor and aroma that pre-ground pepper can’t match.
- Add peppers late: Tossing red peppers in during the last 30 minutes instead of slow-cooking preserves their crunch and brightness—don’t skip this step!
- Adjust salt slowly: Since soy sauce is salty, add sea salt gradually to avoid over-salting. Taste as you go.
- Don’t skip the cornflour slurry: It transforms the sauce from thin to gloriously sticky, which is the hallmark of this dish.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
Garnishes
I like to finish this dish with sliced fresh red chillies for a vibrant pop of color and an added gentle heat. Spring onions left in the dish work as a perfect mild garnish, but for extra effect, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds adds a nutty crunch and makes it restaurant-worthy at home.
Side Dishes
My go-to sides here are fluffy steamed rice or my homemade egg fried rice, which soaks up all that sticky sauce beautifully. Sometimes I like serving it with simple stir-fried greens like bok choy or tender stems of broccoli for a fresh balance.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, I like to serve this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe in colorful lettuce cups—lettuce wraps always elevate the meal and add a refreshing crispness. Alternatively, a bed of coconut rice makes a subtly sweet backdrop that pairs beautifully with the salty-spicy chicken.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I always find the flavors deepen overnight, making the next day’s meal even tastier. Just give it a good stir before reheating.
Freezing
This recipe freezes wonderfully—just cool completely, portion into freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to enjoy it again, thaw overnight in the fridge for best results.
Reheating
I reheat leftovers gently on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking. Adding a splash of water or stock helps loosen the sauce if it’s thickened too much. Microwave works fine for a quick fix but stirring halfway is key to even heating.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Chicken thighs are juicier and more forgiving in slow cookers. Just cut them into chunks as you would with breasts, and cook the same amount of time. You might find the meat a little more tender and flavorful.
The recipe has a gentle heat thanks to the chili flakes and black pepper. You can easily increase the spice by adding more chili flakes or using fresh chilies in the garnish. Conversely, reduce or omit chili flakes for a milder dish.
Yes, you can! To adapt, cook the chicken and sauce ingredients in a covered pan on low heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and spring onions near the end and thicken with the cornflour slurry as directed.
The key is the cornflour slurry added at the end of cooking. Make sure to mix the cornflour with a bit of cooking liquid before adding it back to the pot to prevent lumps. Then cook on high for 30 minutes to let the sauce thicken beautifully and coat the chicken.
Final Thoughts
When I first made this Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe, I was blown away by how effortlessly a few simple ingredients created such a crave-worthy meal. It’s the kind of recipe that brings comfort and flavor together, without stress, and that’s why I keep coming back to it. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do—it’s a perfect dish to fold into your regular rotation and impress friends and family with a tasty, fuss-free dinner.
Print
Slow Cooker Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This Slow Cooker Salt & Pepper Sticky Chicken is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring tender chicken breast cooked in a savory blend of ginger, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, and a touch of sweetness from brown sugar. Finished with fresh red peppers and spring onions, it's perfect served over rice or noodles for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 800 g chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon ginger puree
- 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 6 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
- Sea salt, to taste
Vegetables
- 2 red peppers, diced
- 6 spring onions, cut into long pieces
Thickener
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
To Serve
- Rice
- Sliced red chillies
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Place all ingredients except the red peppers, spring onions, and cornflour into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine, then cover with the lid.
- Cook Chicken: Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Make Slurry: In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with enough liquid taken from the slow cooker to form a smooth paste (slurry).
- Thicken Sauce: Pour the slurry back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Add Vegetables: Add the diced red peppers and spring onions to the slow cooker. Season with sea salt to taste.
- Final Cook: Cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften slightly while retaining some crunch.
- Serve: Serve the sticky chicken hot over rice topped with sliced red chillies if desired.
Notes
- Pepper: For authentic flavor, try substituting Sichuan peppercorns instead of regular black peppercorns.
- Serving Suggestions: This dish pairs well with rice, egg noodles, or fried rice, and goes great with chilli sauce and prawn crackers.
- Peppers: Adding peppers at the end keeps them crunchy, but you can cook them longer if you prefer them softer.
- Salt: Adjust sea salt carefully to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce and your taste preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
Leave a Reply