Even though modern cooks are using their trendy air fryers and Instant Pots for a lot of their meals, the slow cooker continues to be a timesaving appliance that can be utilized for hundreds of dishes with no monitoring. Modern slow cookers cook at a slightly higher temperature than the old ones – warm is the old low, and low is the old high – which means that even though it’s a “slow” cooker, it is faster than decades ago. The following Slow Cooker Chinese Take-Out Chicken Stir-Fry is an example of how cooks can take advantage of slow cooking in a shorter time. Busy cooks can do other things while the chicken cooks, and have dinner on the table fairly quickly. Start the rice about 30 minutes before you want to serve dinner. The sauce will remind you of Kung Pao, which is quite spicy – you can add fewer peppers for a milder dish.

This easy dish tastes just like Chinese take-out, but it is quick to put together. Although it calls for diced zucchini and red pepper for color, you can substitute a package of stir-fry vegetables and add them after the sauce has thickened; the heat from the sauce will warm them up and they will stay crisp-tender. You can also substitute any vegetables you have sitting in the fridge, such as green peppers, jalapenos, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, etc. You can also substitute cashews or almonds for the peanuts.

6 Servings


1 1/2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of any veins, fat, etc. and cut into 1" chunks

2/3 cup roasted peanuts
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into squares
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 to 4 dried red chiles
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Place the chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bullet blender or whisk together and pour it over the chicken.
3. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the chicken is almost cooked through.
4. Stir the chicken and add the peanuts, bell pepper, and zucchini.
5. Mix the water and cornstarch and stir until smooth; stir it into the slow cooker.
6. Turn the slow cooker to high and let cook an additional 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the zucchini and peppers are crisp-tender. Serve with rice.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 262 Calories from Fat 92
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 35% Protein 22% Carb. 43%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 24 mg
Sodium 1259 mg
Total Carbohydrate 28 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 14 g

Vitamin A 29% Vitamin C 45% Calcium 0% Iron 8%