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My slow cooker is my saving grace during a busy work week. I use it on a regular basis throughout the year. From soups to stews, I’m always coming up with new recipes and ways to have dinner ready when I get home. Otherwise, it’s too easy to order take-out or just call dinner a bowl of cereal. To stay on top of eating healthy and making sure my family eats healthy I have to be prepared. This week, I failed at this and the result is that nobody feels as good. When we fuel our body with good foods, everyone is happier.
Next week, I’m getting back on track and making plans to fire up the crock pot and have a healthy dinner ready for my family each night of the week. No more take-out! And one recipe on my grocery list for next week is sweet and sour chicken. I like to serve this over whole grain rice and with steamed broccoli. It’s also makes for a delicious lunch the next day! Here is my recipe but I’d love to hear from you. What is your favorite slow cooker recipe for busy weeknights?
If you’re like me and you like to use your slow cooker, check out these 20 healthy slow cooker recipes for some inspiration and please share your recipes in the comment section! The more the merrier! Although, I have to admit, I also love Asian, and making use of my favorite rice cooker is also a must!
Ingredients:
- 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breasts ( I like to use organic or free range chicken)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon of fresh ginger, minced
- ¼ cup chicken broth (and you can make your own)
- ⅓ cup of tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce – if you do not have this simply use ½ teaspoon of brown sugar instead.
- 3 tablespoons of honey (can also use brown sugar)
- 1-tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- sea salt to taste (optional)
- 1-cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
Sauce slurry
- 3 tablespoons of cool water
- 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch
Directions:
- Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick coating spray.
- Place chicken inside the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, vinegar, tomato paste, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and push chicken down making sure chicken is covered with sauce.
- Cover slow cooker with lid and cook chicken on low heat for 5-7 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours.
- Tear or shred chicken with two forks into chunks if you are using whole chicken breasts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour in to slow cooker and whisk gently with chicken mixture. Gently fold in pineapple chunks and bell pepper.
- Cook mixture on high for an additional 20 minutes until sauce thickens and the pineapples and bell peppers are slightly tender.
- Season to taste with salt
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and green onions if desired
- Serve over brown rice or quinoa.