I’d heard the virtues of slow cooker cooking for awhile, but didn’t even know where to begin. Then I got my first slow cooker and a whole world of cooking unveiled itself to me. A world where you can throw everything in a pot and just let it cook for hours.
Here’s one recipe that has quickly become popular here. We love General Tso’s chicken but frying the chicken for it isn’t always time-friendly (or healthy for that matter.) I decided that there had to be another way to get that great spicy General Tso’s flavor.
It’s kind of funny to cook Chinese style food in a slow cooker. Chinese food purists probably wouldn’t approve, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that while this might not be “authentic”, it’s still pretty good General Tso’s chicken. (Not to mention, that technically, General Tso’s chicken isn’t really even Chinese, but that’s a whole other story.)
Just throw everything into a slow cooker and let it cook.
Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- 4 tsp. minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. dried ginger
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce can be low sodium
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
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Cut chicken into ~1 inch cubes.
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Put chicken into the crockpot.
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Then add the garlic, honey, dried ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.
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Give it a good stir so the chicken is coated with the sauce.
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Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
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Serve and enjoy!
True to slow cooker recipes, you can add all the ingredients into the pot, give it a stir, then let the slow cooker do the rest. With 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, this has a little kick but it isn’t too much. For spicier General Tso’s add more red pepper flakes and for a kid-friendlier version (no spice) you can reduce or eliminate as desired.
You can serve this Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken with white/jasmine or brown rice (or even hash browns – don’t laugh, it’s been requested since we were out of rice. Apparently it’s better than General Tso’s chicken with spaghetti.) (OK, you can totally laugh because I don’t know which is funnier – General Tso’s Chicken with Hash Browns or General Tso’s Chicken of Spaghetti.) 🙂
Our recipe for Chinese Style Green Beans would also be a great side with this. Alternately, you can add some frozen veggies to the slow cooker during the last hour of cooking to make it more of a stir-fry type of dish.
Have you ever cooked Chinese food in a slow cooker?
I need to make this recipe! GT is a hit in our home but I tend to avoid it as it must have a a lot of sugar.
The honey in this recipe is a great way to add a hint of sweetness without it being too sweet. 🙂 Let me know if you decide to give it a try!
Sounds yum!! Will do!
I love Chinese food and can’t wait to try this recipe along with Chinese-Style Green Beans. I’m always looking for recipes to use in my slow cooker.
Here’s 25 crock pot freezer recipes – http://bit.ly/10hr0aM
This recipe looks great. i will have to try it!
So, dried ginger? Do you mean ginger (standard powdered spice from the grocery store) not crystallized ginger? Or do you mean something else entirely?
Oh yummy!! This looks awesome. My hubby is a fan of this at resturaunts I will have to try it.
I think this would wind up a favourite in our home as well! 🙂 Will definitely be giving this one a go …thanks!
My kids love chinese food, I will have to try this for a cheaper way than eating out! thanks so much
I’d use fresh ginger, myself. Rice. Rice. Rice. Looks yummy & easy. Thanks.
I’ve been wanting to try making General Tso’s Chicken for ages now and never get around to it! I’ve gotta try this recipe, though, so easy in the slow cooker! Mmmmm!! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
General Taos chicken is my favorite. Thank you for the slow cooker recipe. It sounds a lot healthier and easier to make.
Yummy
This sounds delicious! I love my crock pot, and this would be something a bit different.
I love general tso chicken by the way this is for the ipad surface giveaway.
No I never thought of cooking chinese in my crock pot. We love chinese food here in my house and I keep trying to find new recipes to make at home. This is one I am going to make but I may go a bit less with the hot peppers. thanks
I love this! It is my favorite but it is typically a real pain and a mess to make. I’m so excited to see this, I can’t wait to make it!
Thank you for this. My daughter Loves General Tsos chicken. To make this in the slow cooker is a plus. I’ll definitely be making this.
Carol L
WOW! This looks so good!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I made this tonight and it was very yummy although mine did not turn out that nice dark color , but like I said still very good! Thanks for sharing