This easy slow cooker recipe is the second post in my sassy slow cooker series.
I’ll be sharing 3 comforting easy slow cooker recipes that you can whip up in your slow cooker.
It all kicked off with this easy slow cooker recipe – Spicy Eggplant Curry!
Sweet and sticky with just a little bit of heat, today we are making one of my personal fabs, General Tao Chicken!
When eating out, when I was trying to lose weight and eat healthier, there was one food that I had a hard time letting go of – General Tso Chicken.
There is just something about this dish that I can’t resist. After losing weight I vowed to myself to make a healthier copy cat at home.
Now I know what you’re thinking….
I thought she didn’t eat meat?!
In complete transparency although I eat mostly plants occasionally I do enjoy meat such as chicken or fish.
If I felt like I needed a bit of a cheat day, and were to make something with meat, it would be this easy slow cooker recipe.
Check out my video on You Tube for the easy step by step tutorial!
Now let’s dive into meat for a hot second.
Many animals for human consumption just aren’t raised the way that they used to. Years ago chickens and cows were grazing happily along in open fields, munching on nice luscious greens and grains, basking in beautiful sunshine. That idyllic picture is sadly far from reality in most countries today.
In a nut shell some [not all] animals are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics.
My stance on meat is that you focus on quality not quantity. Not all meat is bad so that’s not the takeaway here.
If you do decide to consume animal protein PLEASE make sure that it is organic if possible, has been raised in a humane way and has been fed a natural diet ie grass-fed. When purchasing meat, some identifiers to look for are: organic, grass-fed, pasture raised, free range, or wild caught.
As a culinary nutritionist I’m a firm believer in celebrating your favourite foods in a healthier way. I don’t believe in deprivation and think that every food and beverage can be enjoyed in moderation.
I don’t care what Chinese food restaurant I go to, I ALWAYS want General Tso chicken.
This dish satisfies my craving for take-out in a much healthier way.
In this version we’re switching up a couple of things to make it healthier. Instead of cornstarch we’ll use arrowroot flour. Cornstarch is typically used to thicken gravies and sauces and is made from corn. However almost all cornstarch is made from corn that has been genetically engineered.
Arrowroot flour is gluten free which makes it easier for your body to digest and is a healthier GMO free alternative to cornstarch.
I’ve used coconut palm sugar instead of granulated sugar which is lower on the glycemic index, which means that it will have a gentler effect on your blood sugar levels.
Finally I’ve switched out canola or vegetable oil with coconut oil instead. Coconut oil is a great healthy fat that is converted into energy in your body.
I promise with these switches that you’ll still get all the flavour, and the long, slow cooking time in our crockpot will help to develop those flavours in this easy slow cooker recipe.
Serve it with brown rice, steamed spinach, broccoli or bok choy.
Easy Slow Cooker General Tso Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts cut into cubes (organic, or grass-fed is best)
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds for serving optional
- Green onions for serving optional
Instructions
- Add cubed chicken and arrowroot flour to a large ziplock bag. Give that baby a good shake to coat the chicken with arrowroot flour.
- Add oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
- Brown chicken by cooking for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown on both sides. (Chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked, let your slow cooker do the rest of the work ) Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl add hoisin sauce, vinegar, coconut palm sugar and sesame oil. Whisk until combined. Add sauce to the chicken in the slow cooker, stirring to coat the chicken.
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds.