Name: Crockpot Orange Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 310 min
Total time: 320 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts ((about 4 medium breasts)); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup reduced-sugar orange juice; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves); 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste); 3 tablespoons cornstarch; Prepared brown rice (for serving); Sliced green onions (optional for serving); Sliced or slivered toasted almonds ( and/or toasted sesame seeds optional for serving)

Crockpot Orange Chicken

This simple Crockpot Orange Chicken takes the Chinese restaurant favorite, gives it a healthy makeover, and turns it into an easy, hands-off slow cooker meal. Instead of sugary ingredients like orange soda or marmalade, this healthy crock pot recipe uses natural sweeteners and everyday ingredients.

dinner plate of healthier orange chicken, made in a crockpot

You can make it with chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks and add sesame if you are feeling fancy, and the sweet, sticky, fruity sauce turns every bite into fork-licking gold (like the sticky sauce in both Bourbon Chicken and Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken).

My food-loving husband has a longstanding weakness for Chinese fast food (specifically General Tso Chicken). We used to live within walking distance of a Panda Express, and on weeks when he’d had a rough time at work, he’d sweet talk me into heading over there for lunch or dinner.

^^I’m not going to pretend like this was hard to do—I’m a sucker for sweet, tender bites of chicken in sticky sauces as much as the next sane individual, as this Healthy Orange Chicken, this Crock Pot Cashew Chicken, this Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken, and this Pineapple Chicken (and this similar but non-chicken Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli) can all attest.

slow cooker full of homemade orange chicken

A Delicious Recipe for Simple Crockpot Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is a staple on many Chinese takeout menus. It typically consists of chicken that is breaded, deep fried, and tossed in a sticky, sweet orange sauce.

While a favorite of many, I’ve found most I’ve tasted (even on those fun runs) to be overly sugared and unnecessarily heavy on calories.

This crockpot orange chicken recipe is my healthier, lightened-up version. The sweet, citrusy flavor is reminiscent of a crockpot orange chicken with Panda Express sauce, but the ingredients are far better for you.

It’s also much more economical to make your own orange chicken at home instead of ordering out.

Your wallet AND your waistline are going to thank you for making this healthy crockpot orange chicken recipe!

skinny (healthy) plate of orange chicken made in a slow cooker

Skip the Marmalade for Skinny Orange Chicken

Almost every other recipe I’ve read for an easy version of homemade orange chicken calls for copious amounts of orange marmalade. Don’t get me wrong; I adore orange marmalade.

I also know that dumping an entire jar of it into the slow cooker would likely send me into a sugar coma and detract from my goal of making this a healthy orange chicken recipe.

Instead of orange marmalade, this is a recipe for crockpot orange chicken with a few simple ingredients.

Orange Juice. Nothing like a real orange for some real-deal orange chicken.
Soy Sauce. The salty counterpoint.
Rice Vinegar. For balance and punch.
Honey. Sticky sweetness, done more naturally.
Lots of Garlic and Ginger. To make the crockpot orange chicken sing and zing!

The orange juice mixture makes the chicken flavorful and fall-apart tender, then thickens into that signature sweet and sticky orange chicken sauce, a.k.a. the reason you were likely craving it in the first place.

plate of healthy orange chicken made in a crock pot

Recipe Adaptations

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Drumsticks. Swap the breasts for chicken drumsticks. Remove the skin from the drumsticks, then place the drumsticks in the slow cooker. Stir to coat with the sauce, then cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone, 2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW. Reduce the sauce as directed.
Slow Cooker Orange Sesame Chicken. After the sauce is reduced (Step 3), stir 1 teaspoon sesame oil into the sauce. Sprinkle the finished chicken with toasted sesame seeds.
Crockpot Orange Chicken Thighs. Swap the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat, 2 on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW.

Tools Used to Make This Recipe

Programmable slow cooker
Oversize measuring cup (great for stirring together marinades. No need to dirty another bowl!)

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