Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

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Make Orange Chicken at home! Super tender chicken drenched in a sweet tangy glaze that rivals any take out place.

White plate with orange chicken and rice

Top Four Reasons We Love this Recipe

It’s an easy no-fuss recipe.
It’s made with pantry stapel ingredients that you can buy at most grocery stores.
The chicken turns out moist and fork-tender.
It’s a great recipe for a crowd…just double or triple the ingredients to make a larger batch (see the recipe card below).

Ingredients

Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Chicken thighs would also be a good choice.

Rice Wine Vinegar – I find that rice wine vinegar is sweeter and lighter than white vinegar which tends to be stronger and bolder.

Soy Sauce – I always use low sodium soy sauce in recipes that call for soy sauce.

Garnishes (not shown in photo) – mandarin orange slices (from a can), green onions, black and white sesame seeds.

Let’s Make Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Preheat the slow cooker to the desired temperature – high or low.
Add orange marmalade, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger to the slow cooker and stir.
Cut the chicken into cubes and toss the cubed chicken pieces with the cornstarch.
Cook the chicken chunks in extra virgin olive oil until they are browned on all sides. You will need to do this in batches.
Pour the browned chicken with juices directly into the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
Serve with rice and garnish with mandarin orange slices, green onions, sesame seeds.

three images showing the steps to make orange chicken in the slow cooker

Why do I need to use cornstarch?

The cornstarch serves to seal in the juices of the chicken and help maintain moisture. It also works as a barrier so the meat doesn’t burn quickly. And probably one of the most important functions of this recipe is that it thickens the sauce as the meat and sauce cook together in the slow cooker.

How do I make this recipe in the oven?

Follow all of the steps until you get to the point where you start adding ingredients to the slow cooker. Preheat the oven to 375° and cook the chicken and sauce in a shallow baking dish for 45-50 minutes.

Is it really OK to put raw chicken into a slow cooker?

It’s absolutely fine to put raw chicken into a slow cooker. The chicken will be cooked fully in this recipe when cooked for 2 hours on high and 4 hours on low heat.

What type of ginger did you use?

I used refrigerated dried ginger pieces. You can buy this product in the produce section of your grocery store. I find that it’s a more robust flavor than ground ginger. You can also use diced pieces of fresh ginger

What size slow cooker do you have?

For everyday use and for this recipe I used a 4-quart slow cooker. I also have an 8-quart size that I use when I’m making food for a crowd. And I have a three-unit slow cooker that I use for dips and appetizers for parties and family get-togethers.

Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips

I recommend always spraying the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray to make clean up easy and fast. To spray any baking dish, open the door of your dishwasher, place the baking dish (slow cooker bowl in this case) on the door and spray the non-stick cooking spray. This method avoids cooking spray going all over the countertop. The cooking spray on the dishwasher door will wash away when you run the dishwasher.
Don’t skip the step to preheat your slow cooker to get the benefit of the full cooking time.

white plate with orange chicken and rice and chop sticks

More Easy and Delicious KKM Recipe

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Baked Turkey Empanadas
BLT Salad with Creamy Mayo Dressing