Crockpot Orange Chicken

Name: Crockpot Orange Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces); ½ cup orange marmalade; ¼ cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar; 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon dried); ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; ¼ cup water; chopped green onion (for optional garnish); white sesame seeds (for optional garnish)

This crockpot orange chicken is slow cooked in your crockpot smothered in a flavorful orange sauce.

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Table of Contents

Crockpot Orange Chicken Ingredients
How to Make This Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe
How to Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This crockpot orange chicken is a takeout copycat that’s easy to make at home. It features an irresistible, tender chicken covered in a sweet, tangy glaze that’s made from sweet orange marmalade.

Our sesame chicken and firecracker chicken are two more Asian-inspired dishes that you will be craving once you try them.

close up shot of a bowl Crockpot Orange Chicken garnished with sesame seeds and green onions then served over white rice

Crockpot Orange Chicken Ingredients

Crockpot Orange Chicken raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1½ pounds boneless skinkless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon dried
¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water

For garnish (optional)

Chopped green onions
White sesame seeds

For serving (optional)

4 cups white, brown, or fried rice

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

CHICKEN: Instead of chicken breasts you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this delicious orange chicken recipe. These turn out super tender and are a great alternative! Just be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces before adding them to your slow cooker.

RED PEPPER: Add more or less red pepper depending on how spicy you’d like your meal to be. Adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper gives the chicken a little bit of a spicy kick (which we love).

VINEGAR: If you don’t have rice wine vinegar on hand, any white vinegar is tasty in this recipe.

How to Make This Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe

STEP ONE: Place chicken into the crockpot.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, stir together the orange marmalade, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper until sauce ingredients are combined.

PRO TIP:

If you like some extra spice add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus a couple of pinches more. This will give the chicken some spicy heat but not overpower the other flavors of the sauce.

STEP THREE: Pour the orange sauce over the chicken pieces in the crockpot, coating it evenly.

Crockpot Orange Chicken process shot of sauce poured over chicken in a crockpot

STEP FOUR: Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. The chicken should be cooked through.

STEP FIVE: Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the water and cornstarch. Pour mixture into the crockpot during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Replace the lid so that the sauce comes up to a slight boil and starts to thicken. If your crockpot is set to low, turn it to high for these 10 minutes.

Crockpot Orange Chicken process shot of cornstarch mixture added to the crockpot

STEP SIX: Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion (optional). The flavors taste best when served immediately. If needed, you can keep the chicken in your crockpot on the ‘warm’ setting for up to 1 to 2 hours until ready to serve.

PRO TIP:

As you’re serving your chicken there will be some sauce left at the bottom of your slow cooker. Don’t forget to spoon this out and drizzle it over your chicken and rice!

How to Serve

Pair this with better than takeout fried rice, Instant Pot brown rice, or cauliflower fried rice and you’ll have a homemade meal that you’d find on the menu at Panda Express.

Crockpot orange chicken is also tasty served over rice like jasmine rice or basmati rice. An easy side dish that goes well with this meal is steamed veggies: broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower to make this a complete meal. As you serve your chicken, you can drizzle the tangy orange glaze over your rice and veggies for a tasty topping.

MORE CROCKPOT RECIPES

Soups & Stews

Crockpot Beef Stew

Chicken Dinner Ideas

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: This crispy orange chicken can be kept for up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze cooked chicken safely for up to three months. Defrost before reheating by using the defrost setting on the microwave or leave overnight in the refrigerator.

close up shot of Crockpot Orange Chicken in a crockpot and on a spoon

This easy crockpot orange chicken recipe is the best because it’s simple: there’s no frying or breading and the ingredients list is short. Skip the takeout next time you have a busy night and enjoy this flavorful, homemade alternative instead for a new family favorite.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in this recipe?

Chicken thighs would also be delicious in this tangy orange chicken recipe.

Is this recipe spicy?

The level of spice in this slow cooker orange chicken recipe will depend on the quantity of red pepper flakes that you add. You can opt to leave the red pepper flakes out and it will still be delicious and flavorful.

Can I freeze leftover orange chicken?

Crockpot orange chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.

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Crockpot Orange Chicken

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This crockpot orange chicken is slow cooked in your crockpot smothered in a flavorful orange sauce.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings

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Ingredients

1½ pounds chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
½ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water
chopped green onion for optional garnish
white sesame seeds for optional garnish

Instructions

Add chicken pieces to crockpot.
In a bowl, stir the orange marmalade, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, soy, ginger, and red pepper flakes together until combined. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
Mix the water and cornstarch together. Pour mixture into the crockpot during the last 10 minutes of cooking, replace the lid so it comes up to a slight boil and thickens. (If you are cooking on low, switch over to high for the last 10 minutes).
Serve over rice and garnish with white sesame seeds and green onion.

Notes

TIP: If you like some extra spice add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus a couple of pinches more. This will give the chicken some spicy heat but not overpower the other flavors of the sauce.

TIP: As you’re serving your chicken there will be some sauce left at the bottom of your slow cooker. Don’t forget to spoon this out and drizzle it over your chicken and rice!

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Rhadonda Sedgwick Creative Director
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Andra Willits Writer + Editor

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