Slow Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups chopped red bell pepper

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons lower-sodium Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

3/4 cup unsalted ketchup, divided

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons sliced scallions

Add chicken, bell pepper, chicken stock, onion, carrots, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sambal oelek, and 1/2 cup ketchup to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken shreds easily with a fork, about 7 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Shred chicken, and cover to keep warm.

Whisk together pineapple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Increase slow cooker heat to high; slowly stir in pineapple juice mixture and remaining 1/4 cup ketchup. Cook, uncovered, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes. Stir in chicken. Serve over rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.