Description
A weeknight favorite that delivers sweet-savory, slightly spicy flavors with minimal hands-on effort, featuring tender chicken and crunchy peanuts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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 vinegar
- 1/4 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 (for slurry)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 zucchini (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for finishing sauté, optional)
- 1/3 cup peanuts
- Green onions (chopped, for garnish)
- Rice (for serving)
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine chicken, vegetable oil, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers.
- Mix cornstarch with water and stir into the slow cooker.
- Add bell pepper and zucchini, stirring to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 4–6 hours or high for 2–3 hours until chicken is tender.
- Serve over rice, garnished with peanuts and green onions.
Notes
For a slightly caramelized edge, sear the chicken and vegetables briefly in a skillet after slow cooking. Optional: Use thighs for juicier results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 360 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: slow cooker, kung pao chicken, easy dinner, Chinese food, comfort food, weeknight meals