Set it and forget it!! That’s my slow cooker motto! This Slow Cooker Orange Chicken recipe is perfect to throw in the crock pot for a busy weeknight meal.
This Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe creates a healthier version of the Chinese delivery dish right at home in your slow cooker!
Here is another slow cooker recipe for busy people. A healthier version of the beloved Chinese delivery dish, this modification of Orange Chicken does not bread or fry the chicken.
The sauce is light, but flavorful and always filling. You are also free to add as many vegetables as you’d like.
Make sure you PIN Slow Cooker Orange Chicken!
While I like just onions and broccoli, you can also add those little mini corn ears, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts or bell peppers.
By using Orange Marmalade, you will get an intense orange flavor, even more so than the Chinese dish, which sometimes doesn’t even taste like orange, if we are being honest. You will also get rid of all the work of creating a fabulous sauce. Presto!
The best part? Only 10 minutes to assemble in the slow cooker!
Set it and forget it will forever be my goal when it comes to slow cooker recipes!
I try to make it so there is minimal prep work and most of the work is done by the slow cooker.
Everything gets dumped in the crock pot and cooked until it’s ready! What more could you hope for?
I generally use a minute rice to pair with my slow cooker meals, but if you can also make my super easy restaurant style fried rice.
If you don’t feel like buying Chinese 5 Spice Powder, if you can either omit it or make your own! Just blend together 1 teaspoon of ground anise seed and cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel, pepper and clove.
More easy slow cooker recipes:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Jambalaya
- Slow Cooker Apple Balsamic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
Slow Cooker Cowboy Chicken Recipe
Crock Pot Apple Balsamic Chicken recipe
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 cup orange marmalade , preferably one with orange zest
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes , optional
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder*
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 32 ounce bag frozen broccoli
- 1 bunch scallions , chopped at an angle
- 4 cups jasmine or white rice , cooked
Instructions
- You know the drill. Dump chicken through Chinese Five Spice Powder into the crock pot. Literally everything except corn starch, frozen broccoli, scallions and rice.
- Stir to combine ingredients the best you can.
- Set the timer for either 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- About 30 minutes before serving, ladle out a small amount of sauce. Whisk with cornstarch and return to the crock pot, stirring to mix.
- Add frozen broccoli and stir again. Cover and continue to cook for the remaining time.
- When you are ready to eat, spoon chicken mixture over hot rice. Top with sliced scallions.
About how many lbs of chicken? I have tenders I want to use up. Recipe looks great, can’t wait to try it!
About 1 pound! But you can honestly use a little or a little less and it will be fine.
This looks delicious and easy…which means I’m a fan!!! 🙂
– Brooke –
Thank you, Brooke!
This recipe looks great! Thanks so much for linking up with the Let’s Get Real hop. We hope you’ll link up again this week.
Of course! Thank you for swinging by!
Sweet and delicious! I love orange chicken! My two sons and husband wanted me to cook orange chicken at home, I can try this for them someday!
Let me know how it goes, Joyce! This is also a good recipe because it is much lower in fat and calories than our Chinese food favorite. The sauce is not as “sticky” as take-out and the chicken isn’t fried. It isn’t exactly like the restaurant, but a good competitor!
This is just so eye-catching and lovely! Thanks for the information on Chinese 5 spice. I don’t have any, but we do have a great bulk section at our local Winco where I buy spices, so I’m sure I can make my own for pennies. I can’t wait to try this out. Thanks for linking it up to Let’s Get Real! (shared on my personal profile and my page today)
Nicole, thanks so much for visiting! I rarely use Chinese Five Spice and with the short shelf life, it is much easier to use a combination of things to make your own. If you do purchase a bottle, keeping it refrigerated can help it stay flavorful longer!
Jessica this looks incredible. I love all of those ingredients and seriously need to try this soon.
Thanks, Britni! It is super simple- I even throw all of the ingredients in the pot the night before, put it in the fridge and then the next morning all I have to do it set it in the base and turn it on. Perfect for busy days!
This dish looks really colourful and delicious.
Thank you! Both things I strive for!
This looks great!!! Pinning!!! Stopping by from DBB!
Thanks so much!
Wow, that sounds good! How can I adjust the recipe to cook it without a crockpot, since I don’t have one?
Of course! Any recipe can be adapted from a crock pot. I suggest using a large, heavy or enamel Dutch oven. Load it all in just the same, close the lid on tight and place it on the lowest setting your cook-top will allow. This is still hotter than a crock pot temp, so divide the time in half to about 2 hours. Cook-top temps vary, so cooking time will as well. The most important part is that the meat is cooked through, so check a piece before serving.
Thanks! I’ve seen other crockpot recipes and wondered how to convert them! Now if I could just plan ahead enough…