17 Delicious Crockpot Chinese Recipes That Beat Takeout
Introduction
Skip the takeout menu and revamp your weeknight dinners with these 17 Delicious Crockpot Chinese Recipes. Each dish is loaded with vibrant flavors and homemade comfort, all while the crockpot does the heavy lifting. Crowd-pleasing and simple to prep, these recipes let you enjoy the dynamic tastes of classic Chinese cuisine—without the fuss or time crunch of traditional methods.
Why These Crockpot Chinese Recipes Will Win Over Everyone
Harnessing your slow cooker means you achieve the deep, developed flavors of Chinese food—like tender meats steeped in rich sauces—with minimal effort. Crockpot cooking ensures proteins stay juicy, vegetables are never overdone, and sauces meld together perfectly. Batch-cooking these recipes also makes them ideal for meal prepping and feeding a crowd, so you’ll always have a delicious answer to “What’s for dinner?”
17 Crockpot Chinese Favorites to Try This Week
From savory meats to veggie-forward feasts, these standouts will keep dinner exciting:
1. Crockpot Orange Chicken
2. Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
3. Honey Garlic Chicken
4. Mongolian Beef
5. Crockpot Kung Pao Chicken
6. Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
7. Sweet and Sour Meatballs
8. Ginger Sesame Chicken
9. Chicken Lo Mein
10. Asian Pulled Pork
11. Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken
12. Vegetable Stir-Fry
13. Char Siu (BBQ Pork)
14. Szechuan-Style Beef
15. Hot and Sour Soup
16. Lemongrass Chicken
17. Egg Drop Soup
How to Build Flavor in Your Crockpot Chinese Recipes
Start with the right aromatics: garlic, ginger, and scallions will infuse every recipe with unmistakable Chinese depth. Use staples like soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin, and rice vinegar. Brown sugar or honey add that ideal touch of sweet, while crushed red pepper or Szechuan peppercorns offer a gentle heat. Toss ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning and come home to irresistible aromas and ready-to-serve dishes.
Packing and Serving Your Crockpot Chinese Dishes
These dishes are great for family-style feasts or lunchbox meal preps. Serve with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, or noodles and garnish with sesame seeds or sliced green onions for that restaurant finish. Most recipes freeze well, making leftovers as tasty as the first day.
Nutritional Information and Serving Ideas
Each recipe can be tailored for gluten-free or low-carb needs by swapping soy sauce for tamari or using cauliflower rice. Many dishes feature lean proteins and plenty of vegetables, ensuring you get balanced, nourishing meals all week long.
Ingredients
For basics across these recipes, consider having:
– 2-3 lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts
– 1 lb flank steak or beef sirloin
– 1-2 lbs pork tenderloin or pork shoulder
– 1-2 cups carrots, chopped
– 2 bell peppers, sliced
– 1-2 cups broccoli florets
– 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
– 1 bunch scallions, chopped
– 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
– 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
– 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
– 2 tbsp rice vinegar
– 1 tbsp sesame oil
– 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
– Optional: cornstarch for thickening sauces
💡Meal Planning Tip: Save these recipes to generate a categorized shopping list in seconds—sorted by store aisle! Seamless for planning a Chinese-themed week or prepping for a dinner party.
Instructions
- Choose your recipe and prep the necessary proteins and vegetables according to directions.
- Mix your chosen sauce ingredients (soy, hoisin, honey, ginger, garlic, etc.) in a bowl. Pour over meat and veggies in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours, until meats are tender and vegetables are cooked through.
- If a thicker sauce is desired, stir 1-2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water and mix in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Serve hot with rice or noodles, garnishing as desired.
Weekly Meal Planning
Master meal prep with minimal effort by saving and scheduling these crockpot Chinese recipes for the week. Create custom plans based on your family’s favorites, and generate smart shopping lists that tally exactly what you need for all 17 dishes or just your top picks.
Planning Benefits:
– Automatically totals overlapping ingredients (like soy sauce or scallions)
– Organized shopping lists by grocery aisle
– Reduces waste by using up staple ingredients across several dishes
– Easily adjust serving sizes and see updated totals instantly
Pro tip: If you know you’ll want leftovers or freezer meals, schedule your batch-cooking days to double up recipes and streamline your meal prep even further.
Cook and Prep Times
Prep Time: 10–20 minutes per recipe
Cook Time: 3–8 hours (varies based on dish, most are “set and forget”)
Total Time: As short as 3.5 hours—let your slow cooker do all the work!
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These 17 Delicious Crockpot Chinese Recipes prove you don’t need a wok or hours at the stove to capture the flavors of your favorite takeout—just a slow cooker, the right ingredients, and a little planning!
