The Best Slow Cooker General Tso's Chicken

What could be better than a delicious General Tso's chicken dish cooked at home? Think it's way too much work?

How about a version cooked in the slow cooker?

This one only requires a few minutes of preparation and the slow cooker takes care of the rest.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 to 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (about 2 or 3), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ** 4 to 5 dried red peppers (optional)
• Toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)

Sauce (feel free to double the amount)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce 
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 1/2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper garlic paste 

Cornstarch

• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water

Preparation

1. In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, mix the chicken, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Shake vigorously to coat the chicken well.
2. In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients, set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce on top.
4. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 to 4 hours or on high intensity for 1 1/2 to 3 hours. 
5. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and gently stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
6. Add the crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on high intensity for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Serve as is or on rice or quinoa and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.

Alternatives

To accommodate different food allergies or dietary types, here are possible substitutions: 

• You can replace cornstarch with arrowroot or almond flour for a Paleo and ketogenic version.
• Olive oil can be replaced with coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee.
• For the sauce, here are some substitutes for hoisin sauce and ketchup: 
  • Gluten-free Tamari sauce and coconut aminos.
  • Hoisin sauce is also available gluten-free and you can simply omit it for a ketogenic version.
  • You can replace ketchup with concentrated tomato paste and honey.