Slow Cooker Orange Chicken with Fresh Asian Slaw
With a sweet and tangy citrus sauce, this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken is the healthier version of your favorite takeout! Enjoy this crockpot orange chicken over a bed of rice, topped with fresh Asian slaw for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
for the orange chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken thigh boneless, skinless
- 2 pounds chicken breast cut into 3 pieces each, boneless skinless
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- ¾ cup orange juice from about 3 large oranges, divided, freshly squeezed
- orange divided, zest from 3 large
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ c. stir fry sauce or substitute hoisin sauce, Trader Joe's General Tsao
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 cup onion red, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced, fresh
- 2 tablespoons ginger fresh, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- green onion sliced
- sesame seeds
- orange fresh, slices
- black pepper freshly ground
for the fresh Asian slaw:
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups vegetable red bell pepper, and red onion, plus a little bit of minced Fresno chile pepper, thinly sliced fresh vegetables, e.g. carrots
- 2 cups carrot red bell pepper, and red onion, plus a little bit of minced Fresno chile pepper, thinly sliced fresh vegetables, e.g. carrots
Instructions
- For the orange chicken: Place chicken thighs and breast pieces in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the marmalade, 1/2 cup of the orange juice, the zest from 2 oranges, soy sauce, stir fry sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken and gently combine to coat the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, stirring a couple times to incorporate.
- Use a tongs or large spoon to remove the chicken pieces from the slow cooker to a cutting board. With two forks, shred the chicken into bite size pieces. The chicken should be very tender.
- Transfer the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Return the shredded chicken to the warm slow cooker. Bring liquid in saucepan to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of orange juice with the cornstarch, and then whisk the orange slurry into the boiling liquid. Cook until the liquid reduces a bit and thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining orange zest and then pour sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Serve orange chicken over rice with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, fresh orange wedges for squeezing over the top, and fresh Asian slaw. A couple grindings of black pepper are lovely, too.
- For the fresh Asian slaw: In a medium bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Add thinly sliced mix of vegetables and toss to combine.
- This can be made a day ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and is actually better when the flavors have a chance to mingle for at least a few hours before eating. I like the contrast of crunchy tangy vegetables in this slaw with the sweet and tender orange chicken. But this slaw is completely optional, and the orange chicken is perfectly wonderful without it.
Notes
- from a farmgirl’s dabbles
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 471
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 471kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 47g | 16% |
| Protein | 46g | 92% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Cholesterol | 157mg | 52% |
| Sodium | 752mg | 31% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 31g | 62% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.