Crockpot Orange Chicken
The ultimate comfort food, Crockpot Orange Chicken is a flavorful, easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love. Sweet, tangy, and deliciously sticky, this dish is perfect for those busy days when you want a satisfying meal without the hassle. Make it tonight for your family!
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- ¾ cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2-3 Tbsp Orange Zest use 3 Tbsp if you want extra strong orange flavor
- ⅔ cup Orange Marmalade
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 3-4 cloves Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 inch Ginger, peeled and minced
- ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper, more or less to taste
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- ⅓ cup Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 package Frozen Broccoli Florets, approx. 12 oz. bag
Instructions
- Add all of the orange sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
- Add the cubed chicken to a gallon sized plastic ziplock bag. Add the salt, pepper, and cornstarch and toss well to evenly coat the chicken on all sides. You can whisk the cornstarch, salt, and pepper together first for more even distribution of salt and pepper if desired.
- Spray the bottom and sides of the slow cooker pot lightly with oil and add about 1/4 cup of the orange sauce to the bottom of the crockpot and spread it out evenly. Add the chicken over top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over top of the chicken to cover. It's ok if the chicken is not 100% submerged into the sauce.
- Set to LOW HEAT and cook for about 2-4 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Add in the frozen broccoli florets and cook on low another 30 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Set to warm until ready to serve.
- Serve over rice and top with chopped green onions, extra orange zest, and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Cooking on Low: I only recommend cooking on low heat for this recipe as cooking the chicken on high can dry out the chicken very easily.
- Uniform Size: I use a 6 qt. slow cooker, and it sometimes takes a bit less than 2 hours for some of the smaller pieces to reach 165°F, so making sure the pieces are large enough and uniform in size is ideal.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. This recipe freezes well. Allow it to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.