Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

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Published: September 19, 2022Author: Camille Beckstrand
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Enjoy a little spice for dinner with this slow cooker Kung Pao chicken recipe. It is such a simple dinner recipe, filled with great flavor and hearty with chicken, vegetables, and served over rice!
Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

If you love quick and easy dinner recipe, this slow cooker Kung Pao chicken dinner is what you need! It really can not get easier than this slow cooker chicken recipe. 

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe in a bowl served over rice

It is perfect for an easy dinner, but you’ll feel like you’re eating a takeout recipe at home. Basically it’s like having Panda Express Kung Pao chicken, but without the price tag and drive thru line. 

This easy slow cooker recipe is great for when you want something simple during the weekend when you just want a dinner you don’t have to do much for. It does have a little bit of spice, but our kids still like it. 

Slow cooker Kung Pao chicken has even become a favorite family dinner recipe, especially when I serve it with some Hawaiian Luau Fried Rice, Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables, and you cannot go wrong with M&M Cookie Pie for dessert!   

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Ingredients Needed For This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Kung Pao sauce (THIS is the kind we used)
  • Red bell pepper
  • Green bell pepper
  • Green onions
  • Water chestnuts
  • Peanuts

How To Make This Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe:

Begin by getting out your slow cooker and spray it down with nonstick cooking spray to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom. 

Once the slow cooker is prepped, place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. 

Chicken breast in slow cooker with Kung Pao Sauce on top

Then, pour the bottle of the Kung Pao sauce on top of the chicken in the slow cooker and turn the cooker on low for 5-6 hours or high for about 3-4 hours. 

All ingredients for Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken inside the Slow Cooker

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, turn the slow cooker on high if it isn’t already and then add in the diced bell peppers, water chestnuts (drained), and peanuts and mix it all together. 

Chicken cut into bite size pieces in a glass dish

When that is done cooking, remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and cut it into bite-sized pieces. 

Once all the chicken is cut, return it to the slow cooker and stir it all back together until it is all covered in the tasty Kung Pao sauce. 

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken in a white bowl served over rice

Then serve it over cooked white or brown rice and enjoy! 

To Make This Easy Slow Cooker Recipe You Will Need:

  1. Slow cooker
  2. Cutting board
  3. Knife
  4. Serving spoon
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DIY Kung Pao Sauce:

For this recipe we tried to make it super simple by using the Panda Express bottle of Kung Pao sauce but you are more than welcome to make your sauce instead. 

If you choose to make your own, give the Kung Pao sauce recipe from China Sichuan Food in it’s place and let us know how you like it!

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We Have So Many Amazing Chicken Slow Cooker Recipes, Make Sure to Give Them A Try:

Serves: 5

Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Enjoy a little spice for dinner with this slow cooker Kung Pao chicken recipe. It is such a simple dinner recipe, filled with great flavor!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 6 hrs
Total Time 6 hrs 10 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 18.75 ounces Kung Pao sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 bunch green onions diced
  • 8 ounces water chestnuts drained
  • ¼ cup peanuts optional

Instructions

  • Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and place chicken inside.
  • Pour bottle of Kung Pao sauce on top and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. For the last 30 minutes of cooking*, turn the slow cooker to high (if it isn't on high already) and add diced bell peppers, water chestnuts, and peanuts.
  • After finished cooking, remove chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir until chicken is completely covered in sauce.
  • Serve over white or brown rice if desired.

Notes

If you would like to make this as a freezer meal, place all the ingredients (you can choose to add the peppers at this time or wait until right before serving) together in a resealable Ziploc gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal the bag and place in the freezer until you are ready to use. About 24 hours before serving, remove bag from freezer and let thaw in the fridge. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and then add contents of bag. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces, add chicken back to sauce in slow cooker and mix well. Serve over rice.
*You can add the peppers in at the beginning and let them cook all day, but they tend to get pretty soggy. I prefer the peppers to be tender but still have a little crunch to them, which is why I add them at the end.

Nutrition

Calories: 219 kcal · Carbohydrates: 13 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 6 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 58 mg · Sodium: 8459 mg · Potassium: 855 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 7 g · Vitamin A: 921 IU · Vitamin C: 53 mg · Calcium: 67 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Serving Spoon

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken served over rice in white bowl

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  1. IrisM says:
    May 11, 2014
    It looks deliiiiicious! :)
  2. Carly says:
    May 11, 2014
    How exciting! I am looking forward to the clothing items! Camille, I LOVE your crockpot recipes! They are always so good! Keep up the great work!
  3. Liz says:
    May 12, 2014
    Thank you for the nice recipe and congrats.
  4. Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says:
    May 12, 2014
    We had Chinese take-out for Mother's Day and I'm craving more! Looks wonderful. Very exciting news about the clothing line! Can't wait to see what you'll have to offer :)
  5. Jessica says:
    May 14, 2014
    Do you add the green onions to the slow cooker when you add the peppers or do you just put them on top when it's done?
  6. Cyd says:
    May 15, 2014
    We added the green onions at the end as a garnish!
  7. Carolyn G. says:
    May 15, 2014
    Made this for dinner last night and it came out great. I left my chicken breasts whole when serving and used half a white onion instead of green onions and no peanuts. Cooked mine on high for 3hrs. Family loved it!!
  8. Camille says:
    May 19, 2014
    Carly, thank you SO much. I really appreciate your kind words!! Have a wonderful day!
  9. Camille says:
    May 19, 2014
    Thanks so much Valerie! :)
  10. Camille says:
    May 19, 2014
    Ha ha!! And I promise that it tastes pretty dang good too! :)
  11. Camille says:
    May 19, 2014
    Thanks Liz!!
  12. Shawna says:
    May 31, 2014
    I love Kung Pao Chicken and can't wait to try this! I would like to try adding zucchini to it as well. Do you think I would just add at the same time as the peppers? I am hoping it is not too spicy for my kids, who don't like anything spicy.
  13. Lindsey says:
    June 9, 2014
    I made this recipe a few weeks ago and loved it!! However, it's a little spicier than the rest of my family likes. Do you have any suggestions as far as different sauces I could use instead to make it a tad less spicy? Thanks!!
  14. Patty Everett says:
    February 17, 2015
    What are your suggestions for making this a freezer friendly meal? Would you put it in the crock pot frozen... or defrosted? And all together, even tho the peppers get soggy? Looks yummy and I want to make this for my upcoming freezer meal swap!
  15. Cyd says:
    February 23, 2015
    I would defrost slightly before sticking in the crock pot as a freezer meal. I would mix it all together.
  16. Katie says:
    March 13, 2015
    I made this for the first time last week - and then I made it again because it was so yummy! My chicken certainly didn't end up looking quite so nice and cubed; it was definitely more of a pulled chicken consistency. I added the green onions in with the bell peppers and peanuts, and I omitted the water chestnuts. It turned out sooo good! It was quite spicy, but my husband and I love when our food has some kick. This is definitely getting added into our meal rotation! P.S. It may say that the peanuts are optional, but you should include them! They really add an amazing texture to the dish, and it really wouldn't be as good without them.
  17. Brittney says:
    March 29, 2015
    Is this spicy? I want to make it for my family and we have a 20 month old. thanks!
  18. Cyd says:
    March 30, 2015
    The Kung Pao sauce had a little kick to it, but our kids still ate it. We used Panda Express brand, you could try another brand.
  19. Joanna says:
    June 3, 2016
    I thought this might not be great because of using a bottled sauce. It was delicious though and had a lot of flavor. This recipe goes together fast and is perfect. Everyone in our family ate it including the two picky boys.
  20. Bill says:
    September 23, 2016
    Why would want to feed this to a BABY?!
  21. Tara says:
    November 1, 2016
    Is there a recommended recipe for making your own kung pao sauce?
  22. Cyd says:
    November 3, 2016
    We always buy our Kung Pao Sauce. You can find recipes for it on the internet, but you need so many ingredients that we found it was easier to just buy it already made.
  23. Erica says:
    February 24, 2017
    She said 20 month old not 5 lol. The baby is almost 2 years old.
  24. Kayci says:
    November 10, 2018
    Do you cook it all before freezing or freeze the chicken raw ?
  25. Cyd says:
    November 16, 2018
    For a freezer meal, you make the recipe and then place it in a good freezer bag. Pull it out and thaw and then cook in the slow cooker. So easy!
  26. Ali says:
    March 3, 2022
    I’m preparing to put this in the slow cooker tomorrow. I’m trying the DIY Kung Pao sauce, but the only problem is that the recipe only yields like 4 oz as opposed to the 18 oz bottle called for. I need to figure out how to make up the liquid deficit. I’ll let you know!
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