Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Tangy, balanced sweet and sour chicken with crisp-tender peppers and juicy pineapple. No neon jarred sauce, and the vegetables stay bright.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4 15

Total Time 4 30

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 340

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (900g) cut into bite-size pieces
0.75 cup pineapple juice (180ml) reserved from the canned pineapple
0.33 cup packed brown sugar (65g)
0.33 cup rice vinegar (80ml)
0.25 cup ketchup (60g)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 tsp salt
2 bell peppers (red and green), cut into 1-inch chunks added late
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges added late
1.5 cups pineapple chunks (250g) one 20 oz can, drained, juice reserved
2 tbsp cornstarch
0.25 cup cold water (60ml) for the slurry

Equipment

6-quart slow cooker

Method

Whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, and salt.
Add the chicken pieces and pour the sauce over them, stirring to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 3.5 hours.
Stir in the bell peppers, onion wedges, and pineapple chunks. Cover and cook 45 minutes more on LOW, until the peppers are crisp-tender.
Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth, stir into the pot, and cook on HIGH 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and glazes the chicken.
Taste and adjust with a splash more vinegar or a spoonful of sugar if needed. Serve over steamed white rice.

Notes

Tips: Add peppers and pineapple late or they turn mushy. Save the pineapple can juice for the sauce instead of using water. Taste before thickening to dial in your sweet-sour balance.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezes up to 3 months, though peppers soften after freezing.

Nutrition is estimated: about 340 calories per serving.