Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
User Reviews
4.4
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Description
The recipe starts by coating chicken breast chunks with cornstarch, salt, and pepper, adding them to a slow cooker greased lightly with olive oil. The orange sauce combines marmalade, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and olive oil, poured over the chicken evenly. Cooking on high for about 2 hours or low for 4 hours yields fully cooked and tender chicken.
The sauce produces a balance of sweet from the marmalade and savory depth from soy sauce and garlic, complemented by the subtle heat of ginger and the nutty fragrance of sesame oil. Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions add texture and freshness as garnish, while optional orange slices enhance the citrus presentation.
This dish is well suited for serving over rice or with vegetables. The slow cooker makes the recipe convenient for hands-off cooking. The recipe includes storage tips: cooked chicken can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months, allowing easy meal prep and leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces, boneless skinless
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup soy sauce low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground ginger or to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder finely minced, or 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds lightly toasted if desired (add to a dry skillet and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until fragrant)
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced thin for garnishing
- Orange slices optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Optionally, line a 6-quart to 7-quart slow cooker with a liner if using one. I prefer to use liners for easy cleanup but it's optional.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over bottom of the liner or slow cooker.
- To a large, gallon-sized ziptop plastic bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, salt, pepper, seal bag, and toss to coat chicken evenly. Add chicken to slow cooker, evenly distributed; set aside.
- To a 2-cup measuring cup or medium bowl, add the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger (I prefer 1 teaspoon but some people are sensitive to ginger), garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture over the chicken, using a spoon to distribute the sauce as necessary, making sure all pieces are coated.
- Cook covered on high for about 2 hours or on low for about 4 hours. If cooking on high, start checking at 90 minutes and if cooking on low, start checking at 3 hours. All slow cookers vary so cook until chicken is done (reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer).
- Add chicken to a plate with as much extra cooking sauce spooned over the top as desired, garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, optional orange wedges, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze leftovers in suitable containers for up to 3 months to preserve quality.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 359kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 44g | 15% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 739mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 500mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 32g | 64% |
| Vitamin A | 88IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 58mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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