Sweet and Spicy Crockpot Chicken

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 04/3/19
Sweet and Spicy Crockpot Chicken

Rommel Gonzalez / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This simple recipe for sweet and spicy crockpot chicken combines sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce, and chicken in a five-ingredient recipe with a fabulous flavor. The chicken becomes meltingly tender when cooked in a slow cooker.

You can add any other vegetable to this recipe; I added a chopped green bell pepper the last time I made it. A combination of different colored peppers would be wonderful in this dish. Sliced carrots, zucchini, or any Asian vegetable would be delicious too. The nice thing about cooking recipes like this one is that they are very tolerant. That means you can change things around and the recipe will still work. But be careful to follow the proportions of the basic recipe. If you add a lot of other ingredients, you'll need to increase the sauce amounts too.

This recipe can be as mild or as spicy as you'd like. If you like it mild, use a mild barbecue sauce. Make sure that you taste the barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce before you use it so you know that you like the flavors. If you like food spicy, use a spicy barbecue sauce, and add some minced jalapeño or habanero peppers to the crockpot. You can also add crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Use as much or as little as you like.

Serve this easy recipe over hot cooked rice or hot cooked pasta. To complement the flavors of the dish, add a mild green salad or a fresh fruit salad for a cooling contrast. For dessert, something light is nice. An ice cream pie or a fruit dessert would be perfect.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (sliced into strips)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup purchased sweet and sour sauce
  • 3/4 cup purchased barbecue sauce
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch (if needed)
  • 2 tablespoons water (if needed)

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine the chicken, garlic, onion, sweet and sour sauce, and barbecue sauce in a 3 to 4-quart slow cooker and stir gently.

  2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked to 165 F.

  3. If you'd like a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to the liquid in the crockpot; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes until thickened. Serve over hot cooked rice or couscous.

Tip

  • Remember, if you have a newer crockpot that cooks hotter, check the chicken at 6 or 7 hours. If your food burns, it was cooked too long. You must know if your crockpot cooks ​hotter before you start cooking.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
549 Calories
21g Fat
46g Carbs
42g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 549
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 127mg 42%
Sodium 980mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 42g
Calcium 96mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)