Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
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This Slow Cooker Orange Chicken is a takeout-inspired favorite that’s easy to make at home! The crockpot does most of the work and leaves you with a saucy and satisfying meal for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- Hands-off: The slow cooker takes care of all the cooking for you!
- Family favorite: Not only is this easy recipe perfect for busy weeknights, but also kids and adults alike can’t resist the juicy pieces of chicken covered in the homemade orange sauce.
- Tastes like takeout: This crockpot orange chicken has the same zippy, punchy flavors as the orange chicken on your takeout order.
Table of Contents
Orange chicken is one of my favorite Chinese-American meals that I make at least a few times a month. I can never get enough of the juicy chicken bites glazed in the citrusy and tangy orange sauce.
Just like my Instant Pot orange chicken, this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken recipe takes most of the work out of this family favorite meal. The 10-minute prep is easy, and the crockpot does the rest! Start this recipe mid-day and by dinnertime, you’ll have a citrusy and satisfying meal that gives the takeout classic a run for its money.
Ingredients
Chicken – This recipe works with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Whichever you choose, remember to dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces before adding them to the crockpot to help them cook evenly and quickly.
Orange juice – I recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice. That way, you can zest the oranges and give the sauce a bright burst of orange flavor.
Soy sauce – Or use tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
Broccoli – I like serving orange chicken with broccoli florets because they add some extra nourishment and are easy to cook in the slow cooker with the chicken and orange sauce. Feel free to omit the broccoli or swap it with the veggies of your choice.
Cornstarch – It’s mixed with water to create a thickening slurry for the sauce. Without it, the sauce will be too loose and won’t stick to the chicken. Arrowroot starch should work as a substitute.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
How to make orange chicken in a slow cooker
Step 1: Make orange sauce. Whisk the orange sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) together in a glass measuring cup. Pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Step 2: Cook. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Add the broccoli to the pot during the last 30 minutes, then whisk the cornstarch and water together and pour the slurry into the slow cooker.
Step 3: Serve. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and the broccoli is tender-crisp. Serve the orange chicken over rice and top with green onion. Enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- Frozen chicken breasts or thighs work here, but you’ll need to thaw them fully first.
- You can deepen the flavors here by marinating the chicken pieces in a mix of soy sauce, fresh orange juice, garlic, and a pinch of sugar for 30 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Take the orange flavors up a notch by stirring a generous spoonful of orange marmalade into the sauce.
- Feel free to swap the broccoli for cauliflower florets, green beans, or edamame.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
You really can’t beat the bright, citrusy pop from freshly squeezed orange juice here! Ditch the store-bought cartons of orange juice and use a citrus reamer or juicer to squeeze the juice from 1 or 2 Valencia oranges instead.
The sriracha sauce does give the orange sauce a subtle warmth, but the spice is very mild. If you’re craving more heat, increase the sriracha to 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Top the saucy chicken pieces and broccoli over a bed of fluffy white jasmine rice, brown rice, or coconut rice. Or, for a lighter spin, serve with cooked quinoa or cauliflower rice instead. I like orange chicken with sliced green onions on top, but you can also add fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.
Storage
Refrigerator: Once the leftovers are cool to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze leftover orange chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Microwave individual servings or reheat the whole batch in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes or until it’s warmed through.
More takeout-inspired dinners
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. chicken breast or thighs, diced
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 broccoli crown, chopped into florets
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2.5 tbsp water
- Green onion for garnish
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Add chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker.
- In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk the remaining ingredients together, then pour over the chicken.
- Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Thirty minutes before the chicken is done, add the broccoli. Then in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together, then add to your slow cooker. Continue cooking for 30 more minutes until the sauce has thickened and the broccoli is cooked.
- Serve over rice, top with green onion and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This was good! couldn’t really taste the orange. I like that in using the slow cooker you don’t need to use all the oil you would have to if you made this by stir frying
I’m 86 my son 66, said I can make anytime. First time making an oriental dish.
I’m so glad you both liked the chicken!
Such a lifesaver on busy nights.