Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken is an easy takeout-style dinner with tender chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, onion, and a tangy sweet sauce. I like this recipe when I want something that feels fun and flavorful, but still has the ease of a slow cooker meal. The sauce gets mixed first, then everything cooks together until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are soft. It is a dependable slow cooker dinner to serve over rice with plenty of sauce on top.

If you are planning more cozy slow cooker dinners, Slow Cooker Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches, Green Chili Ranch Chicken with Potatoes & Carrots, and Slow Cooker Alfredo Tuscan Chicken are all good recipes to keep nearby.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients and Why They Matter

Chicken breast: Cubed chicken breast cooks in the sauce and makes this a filling dinner.

Cornstarch and apple cider vinegar: These start the sauce and help give it that sweet and sour base.

Garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, and brown sugar: These ingredients build the sauce with savory, tangy, and sweet flavor.

Pineapple chunks and pineapple juice: The pineapple adds sweetness and the reserved juice goes into the sauce.

Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow onion: These vegetables add color, flavor, and texture.

Cooked white rice: Rice is used for serving and soaks up the extra sauce.

For another saucy chicken dinner over rice, Hawaiian Chicken and Coconut Rice is a good one to keep in rotation.

Ingredients List

• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 1 yellow onion, cubed
• 1-2 cups cooked white rice, for serving at the end
• 10 oz canned pineapple chunks, reserve ½ cup of the juice

A full ingredient list with exact amounts is available in the recipe card below.

If you are building a simple rice dinner week, Chicken Taco Rice, Italian Chicken and Rice, and Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet are all practical recipes to keep nearby.

Swaps & Substitutions

• Use cooked white rice for serving as written, or serve over another plain rice if needed.
• Keep the pineapple juice amount the same because ½ cup of the reserved juice goes into the sauce.
• Use low sodium soy sauce as written so the sauce does not get too salty.
• Cut the chicken, peppers, and onion into pieces so they cook evenly in the slow cooker.

About What This Costs

Estimated total cost: $13-17
Servings: 4
Estimated cost per serving: About $3.25-4.25

This estimate is based on average US grocery prices and may vary depending on location, store, and seasonal pricing.

This is a practical dinner because chicken, rice, peppers, onion, and pineapple stretch into a full slow cooker meal.

How To Make Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card, which can also be printed to save for later.

1. Make the sauce first.
2. To a small bowl, add the cornstarch and apple cider vinegar.
3. Whisk to combine the ingredients.
4. Add the minced garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice.
5. Whisk the sauce well.
6. Add the sauce into your slow cooker with the chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, and onion.
7. Stir well.
8. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
9. Serve the sweet and sour chicken over cooked rice with lots of the sauce over the top.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken Variations

• Serve over white rice as written for a simple dinner.
• Add extra cooked rice if you want to stretch the meal farther.
• Top with sliced green onions if you have them.
• Serve with steamed broccoli or green beans on the side.
• Use leftovers in rice bowls for lunch the next day.

For another easy slow cooker chicken meal that works well over rice or noodles, Chicken Noodle Pasta is a good recipe to save.

4.72 from 39 votes

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

By: Julia Pacheco

This slow cooker sweet and sour chicken is tangy, sticky, and perfectly balanced—just like takeout, but easier.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 5 hours hrs

Total: 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
• ▢ ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ▢ ⅓ cup ketchup
• ▢ 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cubed
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, cubed
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, cubed
• ▢ 1-2 cups Cooked white rice , (for serving at the end)
• ▢ 10 oz canned pineapple chunks , (reserve 1/2 cup of the juice)

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Instructions 

• Make the sauce first. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and apple cider vinegar until combined.
• Add the minced garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Whisk the sauce well.
• Add the chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, and onion to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the top and stir well.
• Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Serve the sweet and sour chicken over cooked rice with lots of the sauce over the top.

Notes

• Reserve ½ cup of the pineapple juice before adding the pineapple chunks.
• Add the pineapple chunks to the slow cooker with the chicken, bell peppers, onion, and sauce.
• Whisk the sauce well before adding it to the slow cooker.
• Serve over cooked white rice with plenty of sauce.
• Store leftovers separately from rice for best texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 1037mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 1231IU | Vitamin C: 74mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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