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Slow cooker sweet and sour chicken served over white rice with bell peppers and pineapple garnished with green onions and sesame seeds

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

A dump-and-go slow cooker dinner with tender chicken, colorful bell peppers, and pineapple simmered in a tangy-sweet homemade sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Calories: 326
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lbs Chicken Breasts cut into uniform bite-size pieces
  • 1 Medium Onion peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 0.5 cup Ketchup
  • 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced or 2 tsp minced garlic from jar
  • 0.5 tsp Ground Ginger fresh grated ginger also works
  • 0.5 cup Honey
  • 0.5 cup White Wine Vinegar do not substitute plain white vinegar
  • 3 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup Cold Water must be cold for smooth slurry
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper cut into large pieces
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper cut into large pieces
  • 1 Yellow Bell Pepper cut into large pieces
  • 15 oz Pineapple Chunks in Juice reserve juice for sauce, do not drain

Equipment

  • Slow cooker (Crock Pot)
  • Small mixing bowl
  • whisk

Method
 

  1. Add the chicken pieces and onion to your slow cooker. Pour in the ketchup, soy sauce, minced garlic, ground ginger, honey, white wine vinegar, and the juice from the pineapple can. Stir to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking.
  3. About 40 minutes before serving, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps.
  4. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker along with the red, green, and yellow bell peppers and the pineapple chunks.
  5. Cover and cook on high for 30 to 40 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the peppers are just tender with a slight bite. If sauce is still thin, stir in one extra tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in one tablespoon of cold water and cook 10 more minutes.
  6. Serve warm over white or brown rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Use thawed chicken only for food safety. Chicken thighs can replace chicken breasts. Add peppers at the end for a firmer texture or at the beginning for softer peppers. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and freeze well for up to 3 months.
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