Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

This 'slow cooker orange chicken' is the easiest orange chicken ever and there’s no breading, browning, or frying involved. Your slow cooker does all the work for you.

The chicken is so tender, juicy, and layered with complementary flavors from the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and green onions.

Along with rice and steamed broccoli and peapods, my family loved this meal and it couldn’t be any easier for me. I used a slow cooker liner and cleanup was as easy as tossing the liner.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe

This is the easiest orange chicken ever and there’s no breading, browning, or frying involved. The chicken is so tender, juicy, and layered with complementary flavors from the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and green onions. There’s plenty of cooking sauce leftover in the bottom of the slow cooker which I spoon generously over the chicken. I love the sweet-and-tangy, savory flavor. I used a slow cooker liner and cleanup was as easy as tossing the liner.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted if desired (add to a dry skillet and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds or until fragrant)
• 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thin for garnishing
• orange slices, optional for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. Line a 3 to 6-quart slow cooker with a liner if using one. I prefer to use liners for easy cleanup.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over bottom of the liner or slow cooker.
3. To a large, gallon-sized ziptop plastic bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, salt, pepper, seal bag, and toss to coat chicken evenly. Add chicken to slow cooker, evenly distributed; set aside.
4. To a 2-cup measuring cup or medium bowl, add the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger (I prefer 1 teaspoon but some people are sensitive to ginger), garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to combine.
5. Pour mixture over the chicken, using a spoon to distribute the sauce as necessary, making sure all pieces are coated.
6. Cook covered on high for about 2 hours or on low for about 4 hours. If cooking on high, start checking at 90 minutes and if cooking on low, start checking at 3 hours. All slow cookers vary so cook until chicken is done (reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer).
7. Add chicken to a plate with as much extra cooking sauce spooned over the top as desired, garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, optional orange wedges, and serve immediately. Chicken is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe Adapted : Slow Cooker Orange Chicken @ averiecooks