Slow Cooker Orange Chicken. This recipe is perfect when you want a no-fuss takeout meal without all of the extra calories! This easy orange chicken recipe is gluten-free, has no extra sugar or MSG, and is perfect for the entire family! My kids absolutely love this orange chicken!
Serve with my veggie loaded fried rice to make it a meal!
Take out dishes are some of my favorite recipes to make at home, especially this tasty Slow Cooker Orange Chicken. It’s so much easier to control the spice level, saltiness AND calories when you make Chinese takeout recipes at home. This orange chicken is a family favorite! My kids love it! It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and has so much flavor. The chicken turns out super juicy thanks to a technique called “velveting“. I toss the cubed chicken in cornstarch then pan fry it over high heat to caramelize the outside and seal in the juices. This will seriously give your favorite takeout orange chicken a run for it’s money!
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Why this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken is the BEST!
- It’s healthier than takeout! Asian Takeout food is usually loaded with MSG and extra sugar. There’s no need for all of that! Making it yourself means you can choose better ingredients.
- It’s easy to make! This easy Orange Chicken recipe takes literally 10 minutes to throw together. 10. Minutes. You could start your coffee in the morning, throw this together, and by the time your coffee is ready to drink, dinner is ready to cook!
- It uses a slow cooker. Slow cookers are hands down my favorite kitchen appliance because they really bring out the meal’s flavors and cooks meat to an oh-so-tender perfection. Fail-proof deliciousness. Every. Single. Time!
- There’s no deep-frying! In this recipe, we just sauté the chicken in a little oil, cutting the calories in half, and then add it to the slow cooker. The chicken comes out extra juicy, tender and loaded with flavor!
How do I make this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken?
- Prepare the chicken: Add the cornstarch, salt, pepper and chicken to a ziplock bag and shake it until the chicken is well coated with the other ingredients.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok and sauté the chicken for 2 minutes until it’s golden brown. It won’t cook all the way through – that’s the slow cooker’s job!
- Next add in the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add the chicken and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Meanwhile add sauce ingredients to small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the pan the chicken was cooked in to deglaze the pan. This extracts so much flavor and helps to remove the extra “fond” off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the sauce to the chicken in the slow cooker and toss to combine. Cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Add a quick cornstarch slurry to the crockpot and cook for a couple more minutes then serve!
Frequently asked questions
What do I serve with this easy orange chicken dish?
I love having this with fried rice, noodles or even cauliflower fried rice to keep it low carb!
Can I turn the spicy heat up or down a notch?
Absolutely! If you want more heat, add some Sriracha sauce to your portion after it’s served. To turn the heat down, just completely skip the crushed red chili flakes when you make the sauce. This is great for feeding the whole family – no heat for the kids, extra spice for the grown-ups!
How do I store this Slow Cooker Orange Chicken?
Fridge: Store this orange chicken dish in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating in a pot on the stove.
Can this be made in the Instant Pot?
Yes! Simply brown the chicken as directed in the Instant Pot then add all of the sauce ingredients to the instant pot and pressure cook for 5 minutes then allow it to naturally release.
Here are more slow cooker recipes to enjoy!
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Easy Slow Cooker Broccoli Beef
- The BEST Slow Cooker Korean Beef
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
- Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag. Toss to coat the chicken.
- Heat oil to a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.Add in chicken in two batches and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.Add in garlic and ginger and cook for an additional minute. Transfer the chicken and garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
- Meanwhile mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the skillet the chicken was cooked in and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes making sure to scrap the brown bits (fond) off the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the sauce to the slow cooker and toss to coat the chicken.Cook on low for 2-3 hours. (Mine took 2 hours exactly)
- In a small bowl combine 1 tsp of cornstarch with 1 tbsp of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker. Add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and all the chicken to cook for an additional 5 minutes.Serve immediately with sesame seeds for garlic, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Did You Make This?
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Jane
We love the Asian foods but I have to watch sodium more than in my younger years. Is there a way of making this even lower in sodium? I really want to try this recipe and can enjoy this if I do not eat anything else for the day…. Any suggestion would be great. I substitute Lemon juice and vinegar for sodium in a lot of recipes, would that work here?
Kelley Simmons
Hi Jane!
You could replace some of the low sodium soy sauce with water or all of it with coconut aminos. Coconut aminos has a lot less sodium and a great flavor similar to soy sauce.
Let me know how you make out! Thanks and enjoy,
Kelley