Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

This Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is a lightened-up version of the takeout favorite — tender chicken cooked in a sweet, spicy, and savory sauce with fresh veggies and roasted peanuts or cashews. It’s healthy, easy to make, and full of classic Kung Pao flavor without the deep frying or heavy oil.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love this recipe because it turns a Chinese restaurant classic into a healthy, simple, and flavorful slow cooker meal. With juicy chicken, crisp veggies, and a tangy-sweet sauce that’s lighter but just as satisfying, this dish makes the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep option. It’s lower in calories, naturally gluten-free friendly, and bursting with protein and color.

Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken

If you love takeout but want something healthier, this Skinny Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken is the perfect answer. It’s the same delicious blend of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors you crave — but made lighter, simpler, and entirely at home in your slow cooker.

Traditional Kung Pao Chicken is stir-fried in a wok with plenty of oil and sugar. This version keeps all the iconic flavor but uses wholesome ingredients, lean protein, and minimal oil for a cleaner, guilt-free meal that still hits every note of that signature Kung Pao taste.

The sauce is the heart of this dish — a perfect mix of low-sodium soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger, with a touch of chili heat to keep it authentic. It’s glossy, rich, and coats the chicken beautifully after slow cooking.

Cooking it in the slow cooker means the chicken turns tender and juicy without overcooking, while the veggies — red bell peppers and zucchini — stay crisp and colorful when added at the end. The flavor builds as it simmers, resulting in a sauce that’s slightly sticky, perfectly balanced, and incredibly satisfying.

This is a “skinny” version of Kung Pao Chicken because it uses olive oil instead of heavy stir-frying oil, relies on honey instead of refined sugar, and adds fresh vegetables for texture and nutrition. It’s light but never bland.

One of the best parts? It’s set-and-forget easy. Just toss in your ingredients, let the slow cooker do the work, and come back to a kitchen that smells amazing. It’s a dream for busy nights or make-ahead meal prepping.

The addition of roasted cashews or peanuts brings crunch and that signature Kung Pao nuttiness, while the dried red chili peppers infuse the sauce with heat without overwhelming it. You can easily adjust the spice level to your taste.

It’s also versatile — serve it over jasmine rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. You can even turn it into a lunch bowl with quinoa and steamed greens for a healthy weekday meal.

This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken has everything: texture, color, nutrition, and comfort. It’s bold and flavorful enough to satisfy your takeout cravings but clean enough to fit into any healthy eating plan.

Once you make this version, you’ll never need to order Kung Pao again — it’s that good, and that easy.

Servings & Time

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3–4 hours (LOW setting)
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken & Vegetables

• 1 – 1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2–3 pieces), cut into bite-sized chunks

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 3–4 tbsp olive oil

• 4–6 dried red chili peppers (to taste)

• 2/3 cup roasted cashews or peanuts

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1 medium zucchini, chopped into halves

Sauce

(Double if you prefer extra sauce)

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1/4–1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes (adjust for spice)

Cornstarch Slurry

• 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

• 2–3 tbsp water (plus more as needed to thin sauce)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken:

   • Season chicken chunks with salt and black pepper.

   • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly sear chicken until golden on the outside (about 2 minutes per side). This helps lock in flavor.

2. Make the sauce:

   • In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, hoisin, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth.

3. Combine in the slow cooker:

   • Add the chicken to the slow cooker.

   • Pour the sauce mixture over it and stir to coat.

   • Add dried red chili peppers for heat.

4. Cook:

   • Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 1.5–2 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

5. Add vegetables:

   • During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add red bell pepper and zucchini. Stir and let them cook until just tender but still crisp.

6. Thicken the sauce:

   • In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to make a slurry.

   • Stir into the slow cooker and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until sauce thickens.

7. Finish & serve:

   • Stir in roasted cashews or peanuts just before serving.

   • Serve warm over rice, quinoa, or noodles.

Tips

• Control the heat: Use fewer chili peppers for mild heat or add extra flakes for spice lovers.

• Healthier swaps: Substitute olive oil with avocado oil for an extra-light option.

• Protein variation: Try shrimp or tofu for a pescatarian or vegetarian twist.

• Make-ahead friendly: Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days — perfect for meal prep.

• Serve smart: Top with chopped scallions or sesame seeds for garnish and freshness.