Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
This Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe offers a simple and flavorful way to enjoy tender chicken simmered with bell peppers and pineapple in a tangy, honey-sweetened sauce. Perfect for a hands-off meal, the slow cooker method allows the dish to develop rich flavors while keeping the chicken juicy and tender. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions for a delicious family dinner.
- Author: Mary
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours on low or 1.5 to 2 hours on high
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American-Chinese
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
To Serve
- Cooked rice
- Sliced green onions
- Prepare and layer ingredients: Place the cut chicken pieces, red and green bell peppers, and the entire can of pineapple (including the juice) into a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste to start building the base flavor.
- Make the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, honey, apple cider vinegar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, and ground ginger until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This will be your thick, tangy sweet and sour sauce.
- Add sauce to slow cooker: Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, ensuring everything is well coated for even cooking and flavor absorption.
- Cook the dish: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for 1.5 to 2 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and tender. Midway through cooking, gently stir the chicken and sauce to redistribute heat and flavors.
- Final seasoning and thickening: Once cooking is complete, taste the sauce and add additional salt and pepper if needed. The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools and sits.
- Serve and garnish: Serve the sweet and sour chicken hot over cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions for added freshness and flavor contrast. Enjoy your hearty and comforting meal!
Notes
- Cut chicken into uniform pieces for even cooking.
- For extra vegetable variety, add sliced onions or snap peas if desired.
- If the sauce is too thick after cooking, stir in a little water or pineapple juice to loosen it.
- Use reduced-sodium soy sauce to control salt levels.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
Keywords: sweet and sour chicken, crockpot chicken recipe, slow cooker chicken, easy chicken dinner, pineapple chicken, honey chicken