This Crockpot Orange Chicken is a healthier, homemade version of one of our favorite takeout meals! It has the most flavorful sauce!
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We are in that loooooong stretch of winter before spring comes, and I’m readying myself with all the easy, cozy crockpot meals.
Easy crockpot meals are what are going to get me through the next 3 months, so I wanted to boost up my inventory here on The Recipe Rebel so that we all have plenty of options 😉
Since we live essentially in the middle of nowhere (we’re a few miles out of a town of about 500 people), we don’t have a lot of access to restaurants.
Granted, there is a Subway across the highway from us, and a Chinese restaurant in the next town over about 10 minutes away, but when you grow up in the country (as a child, we lived even further from any small town than we do now), you just get used to not eating out.
That being said, we do love our Asian food.
And even though I am (obviously) not Asian, and I don’t really know what authentic Asian cuisine really is, this here is my interpretation. Because around here? This is what our Asian restaurants serve, and we love it!
(Now that I’ve added that in we can just skip all of the hate mail, right??)
This Crockpot Orange Chicken is sticky, sweet, and tangy and perfect over rice with a side salad or veggies! I’ve included freezer directions and tips below — it’s a great recipe for stashing away for a crazy day!
Looking for a stove top version? Find my Easy Orange Chicken recipe here.
What I love about this Crockpot Orange Chicken:
- It’s pretty simple to make — the most labor intensive part is browning the chicken and you can skip that part if you need to!
- It’s packed with flavor.
- It’s great for making ahead.
- It’s pretty healthy, and definitely much healthier than what you would get at your favorite takeout joint!
- Crockpot meals make me feel like a champ when I’m not rushing around at 5:00pm to get dinner on the table.
Tips for making this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken:
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but be sure to double check all of your ingredients (especially the soy sauce!).
- This recipe is naturally dairy-free, but again, you’ll want to read your labels carefully.
- If you run out of time or are just plain lazy, you can skip the browning. The corn starch and browning just adds a bit of a crust like you would get at your usual “Asian” restaurants, without allllllll of that heavy breading. It’s the perfect compromise if you ask me!
- If you are browning your chicken, be sure to cut your chicken in equal sized pieces and not to overcook them in the pan so they don’t dry out.
How to freeze this Crockpot Orange Chicken — two ways!
How to freeze Orange Chicken before cooking:
This recipe makes a great freezer meal! To prepare ahead of time to cook in the slow cooker later, simply brown the chicken and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Whisk together your sauce ingredients and pour into a large freezer bag or container with your chicken.
Freeze up to 3 months.
To cook, thaw and continue with the cooking process as listed.
How to freeze Orange Chicken after cooking:
You can make a big batch for dinner and freeze half for another time if you prefer!
Simple place the chicken with the sauce into a large freezer bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, simply thaw and reheat — stove top, crockpot and microwave all work fine 🙂
Crockpot Orange Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup corn starch divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 1 cup unsweetened orange juice
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ¼ cup corn starch, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer (do two batches if necessary) and brown lightly on each side (don’t overcook or it will be dry)
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together marmalade, juice, soy sauce, broth, honey, remaining ¼ cup corn starch, vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.
- When chicken is browned, add it to a 2.5-4 quart slow cooker and pour the sauce over top.
- Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, just until chicken is done and sauce has thickened. If sauce is too thin for your liking, combine an addition tablespoon of corn starch and water and add to the sauce before serving.
Nutrition Information
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Sheryl says
If I’m short on time, can I cook on high for one hour?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sheryl, I haven’t tested it out myself, so I am unsure. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Pat Ryan says
Absolutely delicious, my first time making, my family loved it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Pat!
Laura says
Can i use my instant pot as a slow cooker?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Laura, only if you have the slow cooker function on your instant pot.
Jen says
Hi – If I wanted to double the recipe could I use a 6 quart crock pot and cook it the same amount of time?
Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jen, I’d say yes but I would double check the internal temperature of the chicken at 2 hours. Enjoy!
William says
If you skip the browning of the chicken do you still need to coat the chicken or do you just add it to the other ingredients? Also will you need to cook it longer in the slow cooker? Thanks
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi William, yes I supposed you could skip the step of coating and browning the chicken. It would not change the cooking time in the slow cooker but you might need to add more cornstarch to thicken the sauce in the end. Enjoy!
Cassie says
Can I skip the browning part?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Cassie, you probably could but I’ve only tested it the way it is written. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes.
susan says
Made this last night..used 1/2 cup OJ and 1/4 Soy sauce as that was what I had on hand. Also used thigh meat. Cooked on low 2.5 hrs.
Excellent dish and will definitely make it again.
Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kelly says
Can I use ground ginger instead of minced?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kelly! You probably could but it would not be a 1:1 substitution.
M says
I made this for supper tonight….it was to die for!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi M! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
James Wild says
Is there anything besides rice that this matches with? Some sort of Pasta?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi James, I’m sure you could pair it with anything you’d like! It’s really up to you!
Matthew Cafiero says
Try quick chow mein-style noodles: egg noodles or rice noodles boiled until barely soft, then tossed with the sauce, some chilli oil, and/or sesame oil. Worst case? Get a 50¢ pack of ramen and drain the broth (or freeze it for later!).
Enjoy.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great idea! Thanks!
Katie Burris says
Can I sub olive oil for the canola oil?
Ashley Fehr says
Yep 🙂
Sheryl says
I already have frozen chicken chunks in my freezer. About how many pounds would equal the 4 chicken breasts do you think?
Ashley Fehr says
I would probably use 1.5-2 lbs
Jennifer says
Hoping to make this, I would like to know what type of vinegar do you use?
Ashley Fehr says
Just white vinegar
Wanda says
Hi Ashley,
Making this now and wondering if I can toss the broccolli and rice in with it?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Wanda! I wouldn’t recommend it as broccoli and rice and chicken have different cook times and liquid requirements
Kevin says
How can I make this recipe without the slow cooker ?
Ashley Fehr says
I have a skillet recipe here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/easy-orange-chicken-recipe/
Leah says
This looks delicious! Can I make it with thighs instead of breasts?
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely! Chicken thighs will be extra juicy and flavorful 🙂
Cheryl Patrick says
This was better than any takeout orange chicken I have ever had and I have had a many. It is extremely flavorful, sweet, tart, and ohhhh so good. I accompanied it with rice and steamed broccoli and the kids loved it as well. They are asking for it again already. It looks just like in the photos above and it is a winner for sure. Only variation was I added 2 pinches of red pepper flakes instead of one because we like a little more spice. Other than that I made it exactly like the recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cheryl! I’m so happy to hear that it turned out well and everyone enjoyed it!
L says
In the crockpot as I type this! Is it really 2-3 hours on low to cook? I’ve seen several recipes where it’s the same amount of time but on high. I’m trying freshly squeezed oj and cut up several oranges to put in the sauce, instead of using marmalade. I once went to a restaurant that had fresh oranges in their orange chicken and it totally blew my mind. Thank you for the recipe!!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! Small pieces of chicken cook very quickly in the slow cooker. I hope you enjoy it!
Betty says
I don’t see what is in this recipe to make the sodium level so high.
Ashley Fehr says
Unfortunately the nutrition information calculated by the recipe card is not always 100% — I’ve found that the sodium is often unnecessarily high! I would recommend plugging the recipe into your own calculator if sodium is a concern to you.