This lightened up Slow Cooker Orange Chicken takes the Chinese restaurant favorite and turns it into an easy, hands-off crockpot meal. Serve it over steamed rice for the perfect weeknight dinner!
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Orange chicken, but in the crockpot and lightened up!
Orange chicken typically consists of chicken that is breaded, deep fried, and tossed in a sugar-laden orange sauce. Delicious but not exactly healthy!
Like my Healthy Orange Chicken and classic Orange Chicken recipes, this slow cooker orange chicken is a healthier, lightened-up version that still has the sweet, citrusy flavor you love.
- Almost every other recipe I’ve read for an easy version of homemade orange chicken calls for copious amounts of orange marmalade. Instead, this recipe uses real orange juice.
- The chicken is cooked in the slow cooker, no breading and no deep frying needed!
Thanks to the slow cooker, this recipe requires very little hands-on cooking. Along with this recipe, I love turning to other Asian-inspired dishes like Crock Pot Cashew Chicken, Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken, and Pineapple Chicken for a delicious meal that requires less time in the kitchen!
5 Star Review
“This recipe was such a hit!! It’s hard to make a meal that a baby, toddler, and two adults all like. But this is a winner.”
— Sharon —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Chicken Breasts. Crowd-pleasing, quick-cooking, and packed with protein, chicken breasts are a fabulous choice for recipes like this one. The neutral flavor of the chicken allows the sauce to shine.
- Orange Juice. Nothing like a real orange for some real-deal orange chicken.
- Soy Sauce. The salty counterpoint to the sweetness of the orange.
- Rice Vinegar. For balance and punch.
- Honey. Sticky sweetness, done more naturally.
- Garlic and Ginger. To make the crockpot orange chicken sing and zing!
- Red Pepper Flakes. Add a little or a lot, depending on your preferred spice level.
- Cornstarch. Helps thicken the sauce.
How to Make Orange Chicken in the Crockpot
Make the Sauce. Whisk all of the ingredients together.
Add the Chicken to the Slow Cooker. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Cook. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low. Remove the chicken.
Strain and Thicken the Sauce. Stir the chicken back into the sauce and add toppings. ENJOY!
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.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Rice. Our #1 choice of side dish! We love stovetop brown rice, Instant Pot Brown Rice, white rice, and quinoa with this recipe.
- Vegetables. Try Air Fryer Broccoli, Roasted Green Beans, or Sautéed Carrots.
- Salad. Asian Cucumber Salad and Asian Cabbage Salad are delicious options.
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium breasts)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ 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
- ½ 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
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Arrange the chicken in the bottom, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the orange juice, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low, until the chicken registers 165°F and is cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- With a mesh sieve, strain the sauce into a bowl or measuring cup. Discard the solids, then return the liquid to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water to create a slurry, then stir it into the slow cooker sauce. Cover and cook on high until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring it often. Return the chicken pieces to the slow cooker and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve with prepared rice, sprinkled with green onions and toasted almonds or sesame seeds as desired.
Video
Notes
- Cooking times can vary widely based on the model and size of your slow cooker. Be sure to check the chicken early, especially if you are using a larger-size slow cooker, to make sure it does not overcook.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm chicken in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Picking out paint colors is the worst!! I think you should just pick out of a pillowcase like you said. “Egg shell white” and “Column white” are probably the same thing. ;) This recipe looks absolutely wonderful! Can’t wait to try it out! :)
Right?? I’ll chalk another vote up for the pillowcase approach. Thanks so much, Marina!
Thank you for doing this without the orange marmalade. I don’t like it, and should not eat it on a low oxalate diet. Your version looks good, easy, tasty, and best of all, I can have it.
Good luck with your kitchen. I was going to paint mine after New Years, but 2 attacks of bronchitis and 1 of walking pneumonia have scotched that-so far. Mine’s yellow, and Home Depot matched the paint exactly, so I’m lucky. No decisions are involved, other than whether to start it or not.
You’re welcome, Kathy! I’d love to know what you think if you give the recipe a try. Good luck on your kitchen as well—I hope the bronchitis and pneumonia are fully behind you and that you’ll be able to start soon!
Erin: I tried it today. I thought it turned out really well. I liked that I couldn’t taste the soy sauce. I used fresh oranges, and since I also don’t like breast meat, I used two chicken leg steaks that I got at my local Vallarta. It was only 1-1/4 pounds of skinless, boneless meat, so I put it in the 1-1/2 qt crock pot with the full sauce recipe, and cooked it on high for 4 hours. It was fall-apart tender and I will put the recipe in my Cook’n recipes.
Thanks. This is a very nice recipe, and not a lot of work.
Kathy
Kathy, thank you so much for taking the time to share your tweaks to the recipe and how it went. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
What kind of orange juice did you use? The last time I looked at a reduced sugar orange juice label it had artificial sweeteners in it so I just went with the real stuff and added water ?
Marci, I think that it was Minute Maid, but your suggestion of using regular orange juice with a bit of water would work just fine too!
Check “White Dove” by Benjamin Moore.
99% sure we have that one at home Lynn! I’ll be sure to check it out :)
hey girl- this looks so good! Good luck on picking the color for your cabinets! Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Shawnna! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too.
Hi Erin! Could I use freshly squeezed orange juice? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, yes, you can! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
We just did our White Dove by BM and they are gorgeous. It’s also the color trim in my entire house. It’s so crisp. I really recommend it.
That’s another vote for White Dove! Thanks so much for weighing in, Adrienne!
Could I add onions and broccoli to the slow cooker or should I cook that separately?
Hi Emily, I think that would be fine! I’d suggest sautéing the onions first to mellow their flavor, then adding the broccoli about halfway through the cooking time so that it doesn’t get too mushy. I hope you love it!
This recipe was really good. We used chicken thighs and added frozen Asian veggies during the last few minutes of cooking. We topped it with cilantro – delicious! Our 15-month-old loved it, too!
I love the addition of the veggies, Kacie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and I really appreciate your taking the time to report back!
Made it today but cooking chicken whole makes it impossible to cut into bite size pieces it shreds. Next time I will cut raw chicken into bite sized pieces first lol
Yummmmmmmmmmy!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Joy! Thank you so much for taking the time to report back!
If I quadruple the amount of chicken (it’s for a party), should I also quadruple all of the other ingredients?
Hi Karen, I haven’t made quite that big of a batch before, but yes, I think you’d want to quadruple the whole recipe. Just make sure your slow cooker is big enough, or make sure to have a second one handy in case it fills up!
For some reason I tried this recipe, even though orange chicken isn’t my favorite and anything with “Skinny” in the title makes me think I’ll put a lot of work into cooking something that won’t have any flavor; however, I had a bunch of frozen chicken breasts that I had to use, so I tried this and doubled the recipe. It was shockingly tasty for a “skinny” recipe. My parents liked it too. I’m making another double batch this weekend because I ran out of my new favorite homemade frozen meals. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Elena, I am so pleased you enjoyed this, and I promise that ALL of my recipes are big on flavor (lightening up recipes without losing their flavor is my favorite way to cook!). Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful review!
This was SO good and didn’t lack for flavor, just a few calories! Win, win!
YAY, so happy to hear it Liz, thank you!
So much flavor and love that it doesn’t have orange marmalade!
Hubby and I made this last weekend! I was so flavorful! Thanks for the great recipe!
My whole family enjoys this!
Erin, to make this Lemon Chicken as alternate; substitute lemon juice or lemonade?
Hi Sandy, I haven’t tried this so you’d be experimenting, but I would suggest lemon juice. You’d want to decrease the amount and also increase the honey. You may also be interested in this lemon basil chicken recipe too. I hope that helps! https://www.wellplated.com/lemon-basil-chicken/
Hi Sandy, I’d actually recommend trying with additional honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar. I’m not sure if you saw my prior response, but after thinking through it more, I think this is a better route, but again, I haven’t tried it myself yet!
I made this with skinless chicken thighs and it came out perfect – thank you so much for an easy and tasty recipe.
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Phyll! I’m so happy you enjoyed this dish!
This recipe looks delicious! Just wanted to ask about the sodium content- 749 mg per serving seems higher than I would expect from looking at the list of ingredients. How would you recommend to reduce the sodium content on this recipe?
Hi Dede! If the numbers are important to you, I’d recommend using an online calculator like MyFitnessPal to input your exact ingredients for the most accurate numbers, as sodium levels can differ based on the exact brand/ingredient used. I recommend using a low-sodium soy sauce to help cut down on the sodium levels. I hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!
This was delicious and not heavy like other recipes for this. It was so easy to put together. I loved it!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Victoria! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wanting to use a zested orange from another recipe of yours (Banana Bundt Cake, which could not have been more delicious!) and wondering if it’s a straight substitution, or a mix of the freshly squeezed juice and water? If a mix, any thoughts on a ratio? Thanks!
Hi Lisa! It’s a straight substitution. Hope that helps!
I made this recipe as a “test run” before I make it during vacation; absolutely delicious! Do you think it’s okay to freeze ahead of time, and then thaw overnight in the frig before reheating?
Hi Linda! So glad you enjoyed it! Yes you could freeze the cooked chicken to reheat for later!
neither the wife could eat it. stopped after a couple of bites. even the dog did not like it
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t what you hope for, Glenn. Many other readers have tried it and loved it, but I know everyone has different tastes. I truly wish you would have loved it!
I found this recipe looking to use some orange juice that was about to expire. Sadly, it was very bland. I even went above and beyond the ingredients here (I added the salt and pepper to the sauce, in addition to seasoning the breasts; went up to a full teaspoon of red pepper; used full-sugar OJ; and doubled the garlic) and it still had almost no flavor. I added another tablespoon of soy sauce, some sesame oil, and fresh lemon to brighten it up at the end, but it was still flat, dull and nearly tasteless. Eventually I gave up and topped my plate with a handful of cashews and a generous pour of poke sauce to make it appetizing.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, John. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
This is now my son’s favorite version of Orange Chicken. He’s hard to please, and a bit picky. I like it, too – my entire family does with the exception of my vegetarian daughter. And it’s nice to have the flavor without the greasiness or oil of the take-out versions.
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was such a great recipe! My only tweek was 1 tsp garlic and 3tsp ginger since we’re fans of ginger! This will now be on the go to menu since it’s so easy😋
Hi Glenna! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I see in the photos there are orange slices. Are we supposed to do that?
Hi Morgan! Orange slices are for the photos only but feel free to add any toppings you’d like.
This recipe was such a hit!! It’s hard to make a meal that a baby, toddler, and two adults all like. But this is a winner. As I’m trying my way through Erin’s recipes, I’m learning my kids need things all separate like chicken, rice, and peas (as opposed to like a casserole) and this lets me do that without compromising the flavor or interest of a dish. Looking for more things like this!
Hi Sharon! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So good used 3 fresh oranges from my own tree gave 1 cup of fresh juice
Local honey
The whole family loved it
Hi Byron! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Erin —
Can I make the Crockpot Orange Chicken with something other than rice vinegar? I have white and red and I don’t want to buy a whole bottle for this recipe.
And how much dry ginger can I use in place of 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger?
Thank you.
Hi Bob! I haven’t tried it with any other type of vinegar but you probably could. They all just have a different taste to them vs the rice vinegar that is a little milder in taste. If you are using ground ginger you’ll only need 1/2 teaspoon. Enjoy!
I have put off trying orange Chicken for SO long. Finding this recipe that didn’t use jarred marmalade or preserves was so exciting and I had to give it a go.
I made it on the stove, allowing it to simmer for about 15 minutes before adding corn starch slurry. It turned out absolutely delicious!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jade! Thank you!
I made the recipe with the exception of using 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice and 1/2 cup of bottled (not from concentrate OJ). I cut up a fresh navel orange and added it in and even zested an orange into the mix (I really wanted that fresh orange flavor). Unfortunately, the recipe came out very bland the thing I tasted most was the black pepper that I added to the chicken. I then doubled the honey which made it slightly sweeter, but still wasn’t good enough(in my opinion). Lastly I peeled another orange and added it, added a splash of bottled orange juice and added 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar and it started to taste close to orange chicken you’d get from a restaurant. I’ll probably keep tinkering with it. This is the 3rd recipe of yours that I have made and they are absolutely wonderful as a starting point for my own creations (I tend to put my own touch on your recipes to make them suit my palate best).
Thank you for all your contributions!
~Anya
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe, Anya. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and it not work out for you. Glad you were still able to enjoy it in the end.
The sauce turned out silky and just thick enough to coat the chicken nicely. It’s a mellow flavor, not too intense, which I liked for a slow cooker meal. I followed everything. I just added a bit more extra red pepper flakes for some heat, and it balanced the sweetness perfectly. Will definitely make this again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Angelica!
Loved how tender the chicken turned out in the slow cooker. The sauce was bright and flavorful, not too sticky or heavy. Next time I might add some steamed broccoli on the side to make it a full meal.
So pleased to hear it, thank you!!
I was worried the sauce might be too thin, but after adding the cornstarch slurry it came out perfect. Just thick enough to coat the chicken. I added sesame seeds on top and it looked great too.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it and it worked well, Andrea! Thank you!
Absolutely love all your content. Bravo bravo. You have lot delicious meal prep ideas for me. Add lil bit broccoli in at end yum yum come get u some. 😁😀😂 thanks a bunch . plus your recipes are well explained.
Thank you so much, Shannan! Thank you!
I wasn’t expecting much since it’s slow cooker chicken, but it actually tasted really good. The orange flavor gave it something different, and it felt a little healthier than takeout. I’ll probably add some veggies next time to make it more filling.
So glad to hear, Haidee! Thank you!