Sticky Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces)
• 1 cup cornstarch, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• ⅓ cup vinegar (white distilled or apple cider)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
• Green onions, chopped, to top
• Rice and broccoli, to serve

1. Combine ¾ cups cornstarch, the salt, and the pepper in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture to coat, shake off excess, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces. It should take less than 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
3. In the slow cooker, combine the sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne. Stir to mix well.
4. Add the chicken to the crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. Check 20 minutes before serving and make sure your sauce is thick enough. If not, take the remaining ¼ cup of cornstarch and mix it with ¼ cup cold water until a slurry forms. Then, gently mix it into the chicken and sauce, being careful not to scrape the cornstarch coating off of the chicken. Cook for another 20 minutes, and then serve over broccoli and rice. Top with chopped green onion.