Kung Pao Chicken

‘Tis the season…for comfort food! Everyone loves Kung Pao Chicken at a restaurant, but this recipe is a super easy and delicious at-home version made in the slow cooker. Scroll down for more pictures, hope you enjoy!

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable or seed oil
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
6-10 dried red chili peppers, split and seeds removed (I didn’t have, so I used crushed pepper flakes)
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
½ medium white onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Peanuts or cashews, to top
Green onion, to garnish
Rice, to serve

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and sauté until browned on all sides (about 4 minutes), then transfer to slow cooker.

Add in chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and hoisin sauce to slow cooker and stir. Then add chilis, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir again. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours (do not peek or stir!).

30 minutes before it’s finished, combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, whisking together until smooth. Add mixture to pot and mix well. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. During this time, make the rice.

Once ready, serve the Kung Pao Chicken over rice, topped with peanuts green onion to garnish. Enjoy!