Slow cooker sweet and sour chicken
This is a really easy family-friendly supper. Frying the chicken and onion before adding it to the slow cooker brings a depth to the dish and it only takes a few minutes. I’ve used chicken breasts here to keep things simple but swap for thighs if preferred.
Ingredients
- 432g tin pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
- 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 3 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- small pinch dried red chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3–4 chicken breasts (around 500g/1lb 2oz), skin removed, boneless and cut into 2.5cm/1in chunks or 500g/1lb 2oz chicken thigh fillets (see Tips)
- 1 onion, cut into thin wedges
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 25g/1oz fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
- 2 peppers, any colour, seeds removed and cut into roughly 2.5cm/1in chunks
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- freshly cooked rice or noodles, to serve
Method
Put the pineapple and its juice, carrots, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, vinegar and chilli flakes, if using, in a slow cooker pot and stir well together.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat and stir-fry the chicken for 3–4 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly. Transfer to the slow cooker pot and stir well. Scatter the peppers on top of the other ingredients but do not stir. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 3–4 hours.
Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl to make a smooth, runny paste.
Stir the cornflour mixture gently into the chicken and vegetables, taking care not to break up the chicken. Cover and cook for a further 5–10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
Serve with the rice or noodles.
Recipe Tips
Choose good-quality large chunks of tinned pineapple for the best results. If you can’t get hold of any, use pineapple rings instead and cut into chunky pieces.
You can use 500–600g/1lb 2oz–1lb 5oz chicken thigh fillets instead of breast if preferred. Cut each one into 3–4 pieces, depending on size. They won’t look quite as neat as the breast pieces, but won't dry out as much during the long cooking time.
If you don’t have white wine or cider vinegar, use malt or red wine vinegar instead. Tinned pineapple can vary in sweetness, so be prepared to add a few more drops of vinegar at the end of the cooking time if your sauce doesn’t have quite enough ‘tang’.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, you may need to add an extra teaspoon of cornflour.
A slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints works best for this dish.