What Carolyn Cooks

The other part of our Christmas Eve Chinese Food meal was some really great sweet & sour chicken.  I’ve made other iterations of this dish before, and this recipe is by far the best.  True to great Chinese food, it tastes even better the next day.  I made it in a Dutch Oven, rather than a slow cooker, and used 1/2 white and 1/2 dark meat, rather than all dark meat like the recipe called for.  I completely forgot to add the tomato paste (added at the very end) and it still tasted great.  This sauce has just the right thickness and a balanced flavor.  B wasn’t interested in trying it yet – he preferred his “teriyaki” chicken instead (will post that later) – but Scott and I loved it.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Chicken

serves 6-8

Adapted from Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well and Feel Great by Danielle Walker

INGREDIENTS

1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

1 lb chicken breast, boneless and skinless

1/3 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

1/3 cup honey

2 tbsp orange juice

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp avocado oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (I used Dorot frozen cubes)

1/2 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth (if using a dutch oven)

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim any visible fat from chicken and place in a singer layer in the bottom of the slow cooker, or dutch oven.
2. Place the remaining ingredients (except broth) in a small bowl and mix together to make the sauce.
3. Pour over the chicken to coat, making sure to get both sides.
4. Add chicken broth if using a dutch oven – omit this step if using a slow cooker.
5. DUTCH OVEN – Preheat oven to 350.  Cook chicken, covered, for 30 minutes, or until chicken comes out at 165 degrees.   SLOW COOKER – Cook on low for 4 hours.
6. Remove the chicken and cut into cubes.  Set aside.
7. Spoon any extra fat from the sauce.  Put remaining sauce into to a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat until sauce has reduced by 1/2.  I tested the thickness of the sauce by occasionally dipping a piece of chicken in the sauce, to see how it coated the chicken.  I turned off the heat, once it reached the thickness I preferred.
8. Return chicken to sauce, and keep heated until ready to serve.