Tag Archives: broccoli

Slow Cooker Chicken & Broccoli

by

Restaurant style Chinese Chicken & Broccoli made easily in the slow cooker.

wp-1486154366464.jpg

Mmmmm…. Chinese food – take out – don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight kinda meal.  About once a week I go through the “I don’t know what to make” or “I don’t feel like cooking tonight” phase.  When days like that hit we spend more time deciding where to go or what to order than it would have taken me to actually make a meal!  And that’s okay – except when nothing sounds good or no one agrees… but that’s another story for another day 🙂

We love Chinese food and order take out every few weeks but the addition of MSG usually causes a headache for me (even if I ask for food without it, do they really keep it out??) and don’t even get me started on how many calories are in some of the items you can order – and if we’re being honest here – I’m not a huge fan of spending $30+ on food that I could have made at home for less than $5-10.

So, on days I don’t feel like cooking or have zero ideas about what to make – I can whip this little baby together in less than 10 minutes and not worry about the anxiety inducing decisions and disagreements about what to eat or where to go – win win!

You can serve this with rice or noodles – which really isn’t cooking at all!  And If we want a more “authentic” take out meal, I might even pop a few frozen egg rolls in the oven or make my own on days I DO feel like cooking 😀

Slow Cooker Chicken & Broccoli

  • 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 medium onion, yellow or white, sliced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger*
  • 2 tsp. instant minced garlic*
  • 2 tbsp. corn starch
  • 1/4 cup cool water
  • 1 head broccoli, chopped*
  1. Slice the chicken and onions, place them in the crock pot.
  2. Mix the broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl and pour over the chicken and onions.
  3. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 4 hours.
  4. After 4 hours, mix the cornstarch with cool water in a small bowl and add to slow cooker.  Also toss in the chopped broccoli.
  5. Cover and cook for an additional hour or until broccoli is to your desired tenderness.

Recipe Notes:

  • I don’t typically keep fresh ginger on hand – but if you do, use 1/2 to 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger.  You can omit it altogether if you’re not a fan of the taste.
  • Again, I don’t usually keep fresh garlic on hand – so I use the minced garlic in jars – If you prefer fresh, use 4 minced or pressed cloves
  • I usually only use the florets of the broccoli bunch (saving the steams for my dogs) but feel free to chop up the stems if you’d like.  You can use frozen broccoli – again, check the tenderness, frozen broccoli will cook quicker.

Prep time: 10 minutes     Cooking time: 5 hours     Servings: 4

Estimated Calories per Serving – based on 4 servings – 235.  Recipe only, does not include rice or noodles.