Crock Pot Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange Chicken is a favorite Asian dish that many people love to order as take-out, but did you know that you can actually save yourself time and money and make it easily at home in your crock pot? With just a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes of hands on prep time, you will have a delicious dinner that is ready to eat whenever you are.

Ever since sharing a recipe for General Tso’s Chicken and Beef and Broccoli, I have received several requests for more meals that are commonly considered take out meals.

So after reviewing the requests, it was obvious which recipe that I needed to share next. Not only is this meal delicious and easy to prepare when you make it at home, you will find it very budget friendly as well.

An Easy & Versatile Recipe – (Crock Pot Orange Chicken)

With just 7 basic and easy to find ingredients you will have an amazing and flavorful dinner that requires very little time and effort. Not to mention, because it is made in a slow cooker it will be ready to eat whenever you are.

Simply scoop the chicken and sauce onto your plate and garnish it with diced green onions, Sesame seeds and/or crushed red pepper flakes. Although you can eat the chicken as a stand alone protein meal, it is traditionally served alongside or on top of steamed white rice.

However, this recipe doesn’t have to stop there. Orange Ginger Chicken that is made in the crock pot can become even more interesting when other fresh ingredients are added as well.

Add in broccoli florets, snow peas, baby corn or even sliced water chestnuts to the crock pot during the cooking process to add more texture, flavor and nutrition to this dish. Then instead of serving it with white rice, consider fried rice, cauliflower rice or even pasta as the base. The choices are endless!

Crock Pot Orange Ginger Chicken Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
• 1⁄2 cup Soy Sauce, low-sodium
• 1 cup Orange juice
• 1⁄3 cup Honey
• 1 tsp. Ginger, grated
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄4 cup Cornstarch

Optional Ingredients For Serving:

• Cooked White Rice
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Sesame Seeds
• Diced Green Onions

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making this Orange Ginger Chicken recipe is to spray the liner of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. However, if you prefer, you could also line it with a slow cooker cooking bag instead.

The important thing to remember is that this is a sticky recipe. Therefore, the sauce will end up coating the sides and bottom of your slow cooker, making it difficult to clean if you didn’t spray or line it ahead of time.

Now set the crock pot aside while you prepare the chicken. Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast in bite size pieces. If you prefer, you can use chicken thighs instead, which will make the chicken even more tender when cooked.

Place the diced chicken into the prepared crock pot. Then set the pot aside while you prepare the sauce.

Prepare The Sauce

In a medium size bowl or in a 2 cup glass measuring cup, mix the orange juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch until well incorporated. Then pour the mixture over the chicken pieces that are in the crock pot.

Now it is time to get the Orange Chicken cooking by setting the crock pot on the low heat setting for 5-6 hours. If you prefer to cook this recipe quicker, you can cook it on the high heat setting for 2-3 hours.

However, the longer the chicken has to cook in the slow cooker, the more tasty that it will become. Just be sure that the chicken pieces are cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F when checked by an instant read digital food thermometer.

When you are ready to eat, serve with cooked white rice and garnish with diced green onions, crushed red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds.

Additional Cooking Tips

1. This recipe coats the chicken in a thick orange ginger sauce. However, if you want a thinner sauce or extra sauce to serve on the side, simply double the sauce ingredients. Then cook and serve as instructed.

2. Another way to get a thinner sauce is to omit the cornstarch as part of the sauce ingredients. Then about 30 minutes before serving, you can determine if you want to thicken the sauce or not.

If you decide you need to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch to water in a 1:2 ratio to make a slurry. Start with 1 teaspoon of corn starch and mix it with 2 teaspoons of water until smooth. Then stir it in the orange ginger chicken sauce.

Continue to cook until the sauce is thickened to your liking. However, be sure to cook it on HIGH power for 30 minutes before serving to get rid of that pasty cornstarch taste.

3. To make clean up a breeze, use a crock pot plastic liner. Then after serving, toss the bag in the trash and clean up will be virtually done!

4. If you want to add vegetables to your Crock Pot Orange Ginger Chicken recipe, do so about 45 minutes before you are ready to serve. This way the vegetables will become slightly tender, but still have a nice crunch when eaten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Thighs Instead of Chicken Breasts?

Yes, you can use chicken thighs in the place of breasts. However, I recommend using 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in, skin-on thighs. This way you can simply cut the chicken in bite size pieces and won’t have to worry about removing the skin or bone before eating.

Can I Prepare Orange Ginger Chicken Ahead of Time In The Crock Pot?

If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, simply follow the cooking instructions in a Programmable Crock Pot, which will place the contents on the keep warm setting after it has finished cooking.

You can also prepare the chicken and sauce and put it in a resealable plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before cooking. However this meal also makes a great meal prep freezer meal.

Store the coated chicken pieces in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then place the frozen contents in the crock pot and cook as instructed. Although please note that the cook time may take a bit longer when cooked from frozen.

How Do I Store Leftovers?

If you have leftovers, let the chicken cool to room temperature. Then place in a sealed container and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Just like many recipes, this crock pot orange ginger chicken just gets better with time!

Enjoy! Mary

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