Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Pork Bites
The following recipe was created in collaboration with Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry.
This delicious dinner can be made in one pot! Slow cooker meals are a favorite in our household because you can throw them together in the morning and by the time dinner rolls around it’s ready to be served.
These sweet & spicy pork bites are a meal all on they’re own, but if you want to make it a more complete dinner, try adding a serving of my homemade cauliflower fried rice.
My cauliflower fried rice is made in one skillet and takes only minutes to prep. With a couple bags of Heinen’s frozen cauliflower rice, peas and corn, you can quickly create the perfect base for this flavorful pork.
Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.
Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Pork Bites
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Sweet & Spicy Pork Bites
- 6 Heinen’s boneless pork chops
- 1 can pineapple chunks with unsweetened juice, don't drain
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 4-6 habanero peppers, stems removed
- 3/4 white onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 tsp. ginger, minced
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Huy Fong Foods chili garlic sauce
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. corn starch
For the Cauliflower Fried Rice
- 4 cups Heinen’s frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 cup Heinen’s frozen peas
- 1 cup Heinen’s frozen corn
- 1/4 medium white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Spicy Gnar Gnar Cleveland Kraut
- 4 large Heinen’s cage-free brown eggs
- 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. ginger
- 4 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1/2 Tbsp. mirin, optional
- 1 Tbsp. Huy Fong Foods chili garlic sauce
- Fresh basil and green onions, for garnish
Instructions
For the Sweet & Spicy Pork Bites
- In a slow cooker, add the white onion, red bell pepper, carrot and half of the pineapple chunks. Place the pork chops on top.
- Mix together ginger, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chili sauce and apple cider vinegar. In a separate bowl, mix together the corn starch and water. Mix the water and cornstarch into the sweet and spicy sauce. Pour over the pork chops.
- Pour the remaining pineapple chunks and juice over top and add the habanero peppers. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- When the pork is done, remove the habanero peppers and either discard them or, if you like extra spice, chop them up and add them back to the sauce.
- Remove the pork chops and cut them into chunks.
- Mix them back into the sauce and cook for another 30 minutes on low.
For the Cauliflower Fried Rice
- In a large, deep skillet, add 4 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over a medium flame and add the eggs. Whisk the eggs in the hot oil and allow them to cook in one lump for a couple minutes. Break the eggs into chunks with a spatula and remove from the pan once firm.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the white onion and kraut and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add frozen cauliflower, frozen peas and frozen corn and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the frozen vegetables are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, mirin, chili sauce and sesame oil. Pour over the cauliflower rice and toss to combine.
- Add the eggs back into the skillet and toss again.
- Serve as a base for the sweet & spicy pork bites and garnish with fresh basil, green onions or Heinen’s pre-sliced red cabbage for an extra pop of color.
