Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
This Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe delivers tender, flavorful chicken cooked slowly with vibrant bell peppers, onions, and pineapple chunks all coated in a tangy and sweet homemade sauce. Perfect for an effortless, comforting meal ready with minimal hands-on time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours (low) or 2-3 hours (high)
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes to 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
Sauce
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
Thickening (Optional)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Water (quantity as needed to dissolve cornstarch)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Cube the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, chop the green and red bell peppers, and dice the onion. Gather one cup of pineapple chunks ready for use.
- Assemble in Crockpot: Place the cubed chicken, chopped bell peppers, chopped onion, and pineapple chunks into the crockpot bowl, spreading them evenly.
- Mix Sauce: In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ketchup thoroughly to create the sweet and sour sauce.
- Add Sauce to Crockpot: Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken and vegetable mixture in the crockpot.
- Cook: Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Thicken Sauce (Optional): If a thicker sauce is desired, dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir it into the crockpot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Replace the lid and allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve: Once cooked and sauce is thickened as desired, serve the sweet and sour chicken hot over rice or noodles as preferred.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken thighs for breast for juicier meat.
- Adjust brown sugar to reduce or increase sweetness based on your preference.
- If you prefer a gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce.
- The sauce can be thickened completely on the stovetop after slow cooking if preferred instead of in the crockpot.
- Serve with steamed rice or stir-fried noodles for a complete meal.
Keywords: sweet and sour chicken, crockpot recipe, slow cooker chicken, easy chicken dinner, pineapple chicken, homemade sweet and sour sauce
