If you haven’t thought about using your slow cooker during summer, you’re not alone. I used to believe slow cookers were only for cold nights or heavy meals. But after making sweet and sour chicken in mine on a warm Sunday, I changed my mind. The kitchen stayed cool, and the chicken was juicy and packed with flavor. It had the perfect mix of tangy and sweet, with extra pineapple chunks for a fresh touch. Nutrition experts say slow cooking keeps more nutrients in your food because it’s cooked low and slow. You can start it in the morning and have dinner ready without heating up the house. Try this recipe and see how easy and tasty summer slow cooking can be.
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts, cut into larger bite sized pieces
- Salt and pepper to season
- ½ cup of cornstarch
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- Pineapple chunks, optional
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour sauce
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- ¼ cup of soy sauce
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients
- In a separate bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper then stir in cornstarch and eggs
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken until light golden brown (about 4-5 minutes)
- Transfer the chicken to your crockpot and cover with the sweet and sour sauce
- Stir to evenly coat the chicken, then let it cook on high for 3 hours (or low for 6 hours)
- Serve over rice and garnish with green onion or sesame seeds
Notes
I found that cooking this on high, while getting the job done, burns the edges of the chicken because of the brown sugar in the sauce. So, if you can, cook it on low for the afternoon.
