Crockpot Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe

This Crockpot Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe is a classic Chinese take out recipe that can be made at home in your crockpot. Tender chicken covered in a delicious Asian orange sauce. This recipe is full of amazing flavor and the perfect meal for busy weeknights.

Having a big family with a lot of different hats to juggle can demand a lot on a person. The busy weeknights take over quickly, as I am running kids to different activities and church events. This is where I have learned that slow cooker recipes and instant pot meals can come in so handy!

I have learned over the years to work smarter, not harder! I have found that some of our favorite meals, like panda express orange chicken–which is a family favorite–can easily be turned into a no fuss crock pot meal!

You will find this meal uses simple ingredients making this delicious orange chicken meal one of the best slow cooker meals. You can easily add some brown rice, white rice, rice noodles, or even cauliflower rice as an added filling side dish. I always like to add some bell peppers and a side of broccoli to complete the meal!

What is the Sauce on the Chicken Made of?

The sauce ingredients are basic to make this sweet orange sauce! You will need orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and some chopped garlic! All mixed up this tangy orange glaze will give the juicy chicken just the flavor it needs to remind your whole family of panda express!

Can I add Vegetables?

Adding vegetables would be a great addition to this recipe! I would add some chopped red peppers or broccoli during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking! Green beans would also be a great option if you are looking to add more greens into this easy orange chicken recipe.

Tips for Making this Crockpot Orange Chicken

• I do enjoy using fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts for this slow cooker orange chicken recipe. You can also substitute for boneless skinless chicken thighs as well, just be sure to cut them up in bite-size pieces like you would the chicken breasts.
• If you deal with allergies you can also substitute the sesame oil for olive oil or vegetable oil. You can skip the sesame seeds for garish as well. My kids adore mandarin oranges so every now and then I’ll add some to the dish!
• If you don’t have an orange marmalade on hand, you can always use half serving of orange juice concentrate. In a small bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, a bit of salt, 3 tablespoons of ketchup, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken and cook like you would in the recipe below!

Ingredients Needed

• Avocado oil—you can easily use another kind of oil if needed
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts—Be sure to cut them up in chunks
• Cornstarch—this ingredient is important so make sure you don’t skip it.  I know some people who have used arrowroot and it works just as well!
• Salt
• Pepper
• Orange marmalade—this ingredient is a game changer!  You can easily find this with the jams and jellies at your local grocery store
• Soy sauce—If you want to use coconut aminos, it works just as well.
• Rice wine vinegar
• Sesame oil—this oil gives the perfect toasted Asian flavor
• Ground ginger—if you prefer fresh grated ginger, that can easily work as well.
• Garlic—Chop it or mince it!  I like to buy the already minced garlic from the store.
• Sesame seeds—For sprinkling on top!
• Green onions—diced for garnish more than taste, so if you have to skip it, it’s not a deal breaker.

How to Make Chinese Orange Chicken

1. Pour 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil into the bottom of the crockpot.
2. In a large ziploc bag, add in the chicken pieces, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Shake until all of the chicken is coated evenly with the cornstarch mixture.
3. Add the coated chicken to the bottom of the crockpot.
4. In a large bowl add the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and chopped garlic. Stir well to combine.
5. Spoon the orange mixture over the chicken making sure to cover every piece.
6. Cook on low for 4 hours. Your chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. 
7. Serve the orange chicken over a bed of rice and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions

Be sure to store your leftovers in an airtight container for easy warm up the next day! Here’s a tip for warming up your leftover rice: add a bit of water and cover with plastic wrap before warming up. The water will give your leftover rice extra moisture for another round of a perfect side dish to go with your chicken!

While tangy orange chicken is one of our favorite Chinese takeout dishes, turning it into an easy slow cooker recipe has been one of the best things I have done! We haven’t sacrificed any of the taste, but instead are able to join around the table at home in the midst of the busy to enjoy dinner together—and it saves quite a bit of money!