Description
This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is a flavorful, easy-to-make takeout-style dinner featuring tender chicken, spicy peppers, crisp veggies, and a savory-sweet sauce—served best over rice.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 6-10 dried red chili peppers (split and seeds removed)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup peanuts
- Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- Rice (for serving)
Instructions
1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until browned on all sides. Place the browned meat in the slow cooker, along with the dried chili peppers.
2. Combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Pour over the chicken and peppers in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3. Combine the cornstarch and water. Whisk until smooth. Add this mixture to the chicken at the end of its cooking time, and let warm through for 5-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken.
4. While the sauce is thickening, sauté the red pepper and zucchini in oil, until softened, but still crisp. Add the peppers, zucchini and peanuts to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve immediately, over rice, if desired.
Notes
For more or less heat, adjust the number of dried chili peppers. Add the veggies near the end to keep their crispness. Leftovers reheat well and taste even better the next day.