Description
Sweet and savory pineapple garlic chicken with a sticky soy glaze, slow-cooked until tender and perfect over rice and broccoli.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp cornstarch (divided)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice (or orange juice)
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- Chopped green onions (for garnish)
- Steamed rice & broccoli (for serving)
Instructions
- Coat the Chicken: In a bowl, combine ¾ cup cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Toss chicken pieces until evenly coated.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Lightly brown the chicken (about 2 minutes per side). Set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In your slow cooker, combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne. Stir well. Add browned chicken and coat gently in the sauce.
- Slow Cook: Cook on LOW for 4 hours. 20 minutes before done, check sauce thickness. If needed, mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water to create a slurry, then stir into sauce to thicken.
- Serve: Spoon chicken over rice and broccoli. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
You can swap pineapple juice for orange juice for a slightly different flavor. For extra spice, add more cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: pineapple chicken, slow cooker chicken, crockpot asian chicken, sweet and savory chicken