Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken
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With just 10 minutes prep you can have the most amazing Sweet and Sour Chicken for dinner. This recipe is a staple in our house and is my go-to recipe for busy weeknights. Dump the simple ingredients in the crockpot in the morning and let the crockpot do the work for you. It comes out perfect every time.
This Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Can’t Be Beat
This Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe is perfect for busy families who crave Chinese take-out without leaving home. We make it super simple too – you just dump all the ingredients and set the crockpot. In a few hours, you’ll have a delicious dinner that you’re family will love as much as mine does. This is one of our popular go-to week night meals that we put on repeat.
Plus, this recipe uses common pantry ingredients, making it not only easy but also budget-friendly.
Why My Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Homemade sauce – This wouldn’t be the best sweet and sour chicken without the perfect flavors in this easy homemade sauce. They tie this dish together, making it a restaurant-quality meal.
- Easy dump recipe – Crockpot recipes, aka dump recipes, are the perfect answer when you want a hearty meal but know you’ll be running short on time. Just dump everything into the pot and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work for you.
- Meal prep – One of the keys to ensuring I can have a home cooked meal most nights of the week is to do a little meal prepping on the weekends. This crockpot recipe for sweet and sour chicken is perfect for that because leftovers taste even better the next day, and they reheat beautifully!
Sweet and Sour Chicken Crock Pot Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- Boneless chicken thighs – Juicy and tender, perfect for slow cooking without drying out.
- Onion – Adds a mild sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Red pepper – Bright and slightly sweet, it brings color and crunch.
- Green pepper – Earthy and crisp, balances the sweetness of the dish.
- Canned chunks of pineapple in juice – Sweet and tangy, with extra juice to flavor the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar – Adds a zesty tang that balances the sweetness.
- Soy sauce – Brings a savory, salty depth to the sauce.
- Brown sugar – Sweetens the sauce and adds a little richness.
- Garlic clove – Fresh, bold flavor that rounds everything out.
- Ground ginger (or fresh ginger) – Warm spice that pairs perfectly with the sweet and sour flavors.
- Corn starch – Thickens the sauce so it clings to the chicken beautifully.
- Water – Helps create the perfect sauce consistency.
- Salt and black pepper – Basic seasonings to bring out all the flavors.
How to make Sweet and Sour Chicken in Crock Pot
Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Slice the peppers and onion.
- Place chicken pieces on bottom of crock pot. On top of the chicken, add onion and peppers. You can use a crockpot liner to help make clean up a cinch.
Make the Sauce
- In small bowl, drain pineapple chunks, keeping the juice. Set the pineapple chunks aside.
- In medium-sized mixing bowl add pineapple juice, vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Mix well until everything is combined.
- Pour sauce on top of vegetable and chicken mixture and then set crockpot to low heat for 7-9 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, add pineapple chunks.
- Serve over a bed of white rice with extra sauce.
Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken Variations
- Vegetables – You can add just about any fresh vegetables you prefer. Try adding baby corn, carrot slivers, white onion, water chestnuts or some red chili peppers.
- Toppings – It you’re looking for a finishing touch for your dish, you can add thinly sliced green onions or sesame seeds to the top of the chicken before serving. Both works well with the other flavors in the recipe.
- Starch – Typically, you will serve this chicken over cooked rice. But you can serve it with brown rice or rice noodles. Cauliflower rice or Palmini noodles are great alternatives if you want a lower carb option.
- Chicken – Instead of the skinless chicken thighs you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or even pieces of boneless pork loin instead.
- Spices – If you like a little heat with your sweet and sour sauce, you can add a few red pepper flakes or sriracha to the crockpot with the other sauce ingredients.
- Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar gives the sauce a little bit of tanginess, but you can substitute it with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar in equal parts.
- Sweetness – Brown sugar and pineapple combine in this recipe to make the sticky sauce you’re looking for. A great alternative is to use apricot preserves in place of the pineapple or even in addition to the pineapple. The little pieces of apricot tastes so good coating the chicken. Another great alternative is to use honey instead of the brown sugar.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: To store leftover Sweet and Sour Crockpot Chicken, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days
- Freeze: Place in an air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Place the desired portion in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan with a splash of water to maintain its moisture. Heat until it’s hot.
Sweet and Sour Crockpot Chicken FAQs
This is totally a personal preference. Even though crockpots are intended to cook meat and veggies from a raw state, you can certainly give everything a quick sauté first if you prefer.
Both orange chicken and sweet and sour chicken are famous in Asian cuisine and have similar flavors, but there are some differences.
The biggest difference between the two is orange chicken uses mainly oranges, hence the name, to make the sauce and it has a slightly spicier flavor.
Sweet and sour chicken uses pineapple juice that is thicken with corn starch and it is a little more on the sweet side.
Slow cooker chicken can become rubbery for a few reasons:
Overcooking: Leaving chicken in the slow cooker for too long, especially on high heat, can lead to overcooking and result in a rubbery texture. Chicken should be cooked until it reaches the recommended internal temperature (165°F) and not beyond.
High Heat: Cooking chicken on high heat throughout the entire slow cooking process can cause it to become overcooked and rubbery. It’s often better to use the low heat setting for longer cooking times to ensure tender and juicy chicken.
Lean Cuts: Lean cuts of chicken, such as boneless, skinless breasts, are more prone to becoming rubbery compared to cuts with higher fat content like thighs. To prevent this, consider using bone-in, skin-on chicken or adding fats like olive oil or butter to the slow cooker.
Lack of Moisture: Insufficient liquid in the slow cooker can lead to dry and rubbery chicken. Be sure to include enough liquid (broth, sauce, or other liquids specified in the recipe) to keep the chicken moist during cooking.
To avoid rubbery slow cooker chicken, follow the recommended cooking times, use the appropriate heat setting, and ensure there is enough moisture in the cooking environment.
Slow cooker chicken may taste dry if it’s cooked without enough liquid or if it’s left in the slow cooker for an extended period. Adding sufficient liquids and not overcooking can help prevent dryness and retain moisture.
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Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs approximately 4 thighs
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 green pepper sliced
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice 1 can
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 2 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Put chicken thighs on bottom of crock pot. On top, add onion and peppers.2 pounds chicken thighs, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper
- In small bowl, train the pineapple chunks, keeping the juice. Set the pineapple chunks aside.20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice
- In medium-sized mixing bowl add pineapple juice,vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon ginger, 2 Tablespoon cornstarch, ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Pour mixture on top of chicken and vegetables and set crockpot to low for 7-9 hours, or high for 4-5hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, add pineapple chunks.
- Serve over white rice.
Nutrition
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The sloop Joe recipe looks good with chicken and I might try that that sounds good to me. Thank you for your idea of the sloop Joe recipe.. Dawn White