Want an indulgent takeaway that you can make at home, that tastes just as good? My slow cooker sweet and sour chicken recipe is healthy and incredibly easy to make. This fakeaway recipe will allow you to toss all the ingredients into your slow cooker, forget about it for a few hours, and return with delight to find your dinner prepared.
The slow cooker recipe with chicken thighs, an ingredient I have only been using for the last year or so. I always thought I did not like them, but in a dish like this, the meat falls apart and is succulent. I love slow cooker recipes that have no prep and that are healthy. There’s nothing better coming home after work, or a day exploring, to the warming smell of a beloved Chinese fakeaway.
Fakeaway recipes slow cooker UK
So, what will you need to make the slow cooker sweet and sour chicken recipe? Of course, a slow cooker is essential, and it is always recommended that you pre-heat it before you start assembling the ingredients.
Do not let the number of ingredients put you off. It looks scarier than it actually is, and you will have the majority of the herbs and condiments in your store cupboard staples.
What if the sauce is too runny?
If you find that the sauce is too runny or thin for your liking you can thicken it up with cornflour or organic arrowroot. Or put the slow cooker on high and take the lid off for about 30-45 minutes so the excess moisture can cook off.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pre-heat your slow cooker. See your manufactures recommendations.
- Add the chicken, onion, carrot, peppers and leek to the pot.
- Put the cornflour in a bowl and gradually whisk in the pineapple juice to make a paste. Whisk in the tomato puree, Chinese 5 spice, vinegar, and soy sauce.
- Add the pineapple mixture to the pot with the passata, garlic, ginger and the stockpot.
- Replace the lid and cook for 5-6 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low.
- 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add the bamboo shoots and pineapple * (and give it a good stir).
- Discard the star anise, divide and serve.
I recommend serving this with an egg fried rice, or as pictured, beansprouts and noodles with a tablespoon of oyster sauce.
It can be frozen and reheated if you are batch cooking as long as the chicken has not been previously frozen. It is recommended that you only keep it for up to 3 months. Make sure you use freezer-proof food storage containers.
* By adding the pineapple and bamboo shoots towards the end, they warm through but retain some crunch. I am lazy, and add them at the same time as the other vegetables. It still tastes incredible.
Are slow cooker recipes healthy?
So, slow cooking is a very healthy way to cook. Cooking “slow and low” in a sealed chamber helps to keep the moisture and the nutrients in your food.
Slow cooker recipe Slimming World
I follow Slimming World**, and this sweet and sour chicken is definitely ideal for a healthy eating lifestyle. Ditch the takeaway and tuck into this easy to make. Fakeaway recipes on Slimming World are really popular. The sweet and sour recipe works out at 2 Syns each and is packed with speed foods.
** The slow cooker sweet and sour recipe is in no way connected, affiliated or endorsed by Slimming World. Every effort has been made to give you the correct Syns and information, but I would encourage you to double-check these for yourself.
