Here is an easy crockpot orange chicken recipe to make that cooks on it’s own in your crockpot. Heathy and easy to make, even my kids love this one!
Enjoy our favorite crockpot orange chicken recipe that’s easy to make. This is one of our favorite crockpot recipes. There’s no breading with a thick sweet sauce that cooks itself in the slow cooker! (originally published 10/13, affiliate links present)
Orange Chicken Recipe Crockpot
It’s our favorite Panda Express meal when we go out to eat! We have tried it in the freezer section to cook at home in the oven, and now we have our own recipe that is healthier.
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….
- This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
- If you just want to serve a few appetizers you should get this one that sit side by side one another.
- I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.
Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉
You can choose to use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs. The latter to me comes out much more tender and is cheaper to buy as well.
Since you are cubing the meat they both come out quite nicely. Of course you can make a homemade orange chicken sauce, but I tend to just use these 3 ingredients. If you’d like to try them both just:
Mix together:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3/4 c. rice vinegar
- 1/4 c. chicken stock or broth
- Just 1/4 c. soy sauce
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch to thicken it up a bit
Use up to 1/2 c. orange peel depending on how intense of a flavor you want.
Healthy Orange Chicken Recipe
You’d whisk these together and use them instead of the marmelade and bbq sauce listed below. Use same cook time and such in the printable recipe card. Add a bit of salt and pepper + orange peel and/or chives when serving.
I tend to buy what is on sale at the time and just go with that really. That preference is up to you but know that you have the choice of either one.
This is probably one the cheap easy crockpot meals we make.
We are a busy family of 5 and both work full time, so I am always on the lookout and creating something quick.
But I also want something healthy that everyone will love.
If you make it this way without any breading it is healthier than the fried version for sure. Everything in moderation of course.
That is up to you if you’re making it homemade. Add chili powder or red pepper flakes for heat or leave mild as we did here.
The flavors are just amazing and quite refreshing. Just sweet enough with a thick sauce that coats every piece. You don’t need a whopping amount to get your fix.
Put all of the ingredients in your crockpot for about 6-8 hours on low. I use a smaller crockpot so the juices are really soaked up, a 6 qt. crockpot like this one is great for this recipe.
Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Chicken – boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Barbecue sauce
- Orange marmelade
- Optional
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Diced green onions
- Sesame seeds on top
- Red pepper flakes for some heat
Before putting the chicken in cut it into large bite sized pieces, or use chicken tenders and put in whole.
Pour everything else in and stir so everything is mixed together. I have used a bit of soy sauce as well for added flavor at times.
Will be done in just a few hours (if you want it to cook longer use a larger crockpot and put full size chicken breasts in and it will take longer to cook) and really sucks up the sweet goodness in that time.
Crockpot orange chicken recipe
- I use a rice cooker because it is fast and I use one with a steaming basket on top so it cooks the rice and veggies at the same time in about 20 minutes.
- If you don’t have a rice cooker like this you can grab one here...or if you have a pressure cooker you can make our Instant Pot white rice on the side.
If you want this meal in just 4 minutes try our Instant Pot orange chicken recipe. OR now you can make air fryer orange chicken.
Here’s a quick step by step but there is a printable version below in the recipe card as well:
Time needed: 6 hours.
Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Add ingredients
Place 2 c. barbecue sauce, soy sauce, marmelade jam and cornstarch in slow cooker stir together with diced chicken so they’re coated nicely.
Use only 1/8 c. marmalade if you just want a hint of orange. - Cook
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. or high for 4 hours but honestly it is 10x better on low. If you are cooking on high cube chicken before placing in crockpot.
- Thicken
An hour before the final cook time, mix some of the hot bbq sauce in your crock with cornstarch into a small bowl. Pour this into your crock and allow to simmer for a little while to thicken the sauce.
Serve over rice or quinoa for a great meal.
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If you love slow cooker recipes our 5 ingredient Crockpot chili is a favorite too.
Slow cooker orange chicken
Crockpot Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 c orange marmalade buy whatever brand is on sale
- 2 c barbecue sauce honey style
- 2-4 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Place all ingredients above in your slow cooker (use 1/8 c. marmalade if you just want a hint of orange)
- Turn crockpot to low for 6-8 hrs. or high for 4 hours but honestly it is 10x better on low.
- If you are cooking on high cube chicken before placing in crockpot.
- Before you’re ready (and hr. before is good) mix some of the hot bbq sauce in crock with cornstarch into a small bowl and then empty that into your crock to simmer for a little while and thicken sauce.
- Serve over rice for a great meal.
Denise Severino
Tuesday 21st of April 2020
i love it
Frank M. Laqua, Jr.
Sunday 2nd of June 2019
Would like to try on diced potatoes, sweet potatoes, HAM, maybe TURKEY, but mostly making mouth water is CHICKEN COR DON BLUR ?. I would soak peels in Triple Sec, or use instead of Orange juice.
haleyawarren21
Friday 4th of September 2015
I'm trying this tonight! We'll see how it goes!!
The Typical Mom
Friday 4th of September 2015
woohooo enjoy!
Marily
Tuesday 16th of September 2014
I LOVE this recipe!! I do change a few things I start by using a crock pot liner and then spray it with Pam. I double the orange marmalade to 1 1/2 cups and the honey BBQ sauce to 1 1/2 cups add 1 T chopped garlic and 1 T chopped ginger. When the meat is cooked I remove the meat to the side and pour off the sauce and reduce it by at least 1/2. Stir the meat back into the sauce and serve over buttered rice and garnish with diagonally sliced green onions.
E.R. White
Monday 14th of July 2014
Simple, and good. My two favorite things in a recipe. If, like me, you use crock pot liners, go through the same process as you would without them. Spray the liners with Pam.... whatever. Cook this wonderful chicken recipe, enjoy, and ..... no clean up.