This slow cooker orange chicken is breaded chunks of chicken tossed in a sweet and savory Asian sauce and cooked in the crock pot. A take out copycat that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!
Love Panda Express? You can make Panda Express style orange chicken at home right in your slow cooker.
Orange chicken is one of those dishes that is universally loved, there’s just something about that breaded chicken coated in orange sauce! This slow cooker orange chicken tastes a lot like the fast food favorite, but it’s made at home in your slow cooker with less oil. It’s sure to become a family favorite!
How to make orange chicken
I know that the premise of most slow cooker recipes is to toss everything in and go, but in this case, we’re going to start by breading and browning the chicken. It’s an extra step, but it’s the best way to replicate the coating you get on restaurant style orange chicken. If you’re really pressed for time, you can absolutely skip this step and instead just put cut up raw chicken in the crock pot with the sauce. It will still be delicious, although not as close of a match to the Panda Express version.
After your chicken chunks are in the slow cooker, it’s time to make the sauce out of orange marmalade, soy sauce and sesame oil. The sauce gets tossed with the chicken and the whole thing cooks for a few hours on low.
The cornstarch in the chicken coating means that this sauce will thicken as it cooks. If you prefer a lot of extra sauce to serve with your orange chicken, you can double the sauce ingredient amounts before you place them in the slow cooker.
The end result is an amazing dinner that tastes a lot like the Chinese restaurant classic! Slow cooker orange chicken is best served over a bowl of steamed rice.
My kids request this meal all the time and I’m happy to oblige. Yes, it’s an extra step to pre-cook the chicken in its coating, but I really think this is totally worth the extra effort!
More Asian food favorites
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the cornstarch and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken in the cornstarch mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. You may need to work in batches.
- Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray and add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and garlic.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and gently stir to coat.
- Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
Layne says
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times and our family LOVES it! The corn starch fry is a must, otherwise you end up with mushy sticky chicken. I put a few cups of rice in the steamer about an hour before dinner and bag steam some veggies in the microwave before serving. So easy and delicious!
Sara says
So glad you enjoy it!!
Lacy says
A little bland, definintly missing some soul…maybe it was the marmalade I used. The second time I seasoned the chicken overnight and I added ground ginger and half of a dried red pepper with a few pinches of pink Himalayan salt to the pot. Came out a little better
Beatrice says
Orange chicken is a favorite at my house. Love the easy slow cooker recipe!
Debbie says
My family would go crazy for this! Making it this week!
Fi Ni Neachtain says
This looks so delicious! I love that it’s a savoury dish with a sweetness to it. I need to try and make this for dinner.
Debra Hawkins says
I am going to have to try this soon! I have been trying to good orange chicken recipe for ages!
Amy h says
This would be the perfect dinner for the weekend! We have so many projects that we’re trying to complete, that standing over the stove cooking a whole meal is not something I want to do
Sandy N Vyjay says
The orange chicken recipe sounds really awesome. Though we do not eat chicken, our friends freak out on chicken and I am sure Orange chicken in a slow cooker is something they will love.
Carol Cassara says
Orange chicken is one of favorites!!! I also make it in a slow cooker but I never thought of browning the chicken a before putting it in. Thanks for the tip!!!
Alison Rost says
Easily one of the tastiest dishes that we love making at home. It’s easy to make as well, which is what makes it even better. I’ve never made it in a slow cooker before, but I should have because it saves me so much time! Thanks for the recipe!
Karen Morse says
I love this recipe and I certainly don’t mind taking the extra time to brown the chicken. I think that will make it more tasty! This dish is definitely great with rice!
PEter says
Now that’s making me drool. Talk about yummy. Funny, j was just talking about this the other day.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Orange chicken is one of my fave dishes of all time. I love that you made it in the slow cooker. What a delicious recipe.
Melissa Chapman says
I never knew how that chicken was made you make it seem so easy. I need to get a slow cooker so I can make great dishes like that orange chicken.
Lisa says
This looks so good! I love a good slow cooker meal so I can have a great dinner waiting when I get home.
Amber Myers says
Yes please! This is my kind of dinner. I Just love orange chicken and I love it even more when I can make it in the crock pot.
candy says
Orange chicken is the perfect meal for my family. Being able to make it in my slow cooker makes it even easier and better. Like not heating up the house and the ease of using my slow cooker.
K[email protected] says
Yumm … This recipe is wonderful! I will make it for a family Sunday dinner. Thanks so much!
Alli Smith says
I’ve made Sesame Chicken at home but not Orange Chicken. Your Orange Chicken looks so much easier to make. I love that it’s cooked in the slow cooker. My family is going to love this!
robin rue says
That chicken sounds SO good. I think my whole family would love to try this orange chicken recipe. Yum.
Mary Ann Tolle says
I don`t have a copier, so wrote it down by hand, going to market for the ingredients, I Love Orange Chicken, I`ll have it with rice of my choice, and a green Vegetable, and invite a friend, and WA La I prefer white wine, I think I have a great dinner here, and Thank You!! Mary Ann
Donna K Koch says
Take a picture of the recipe with your phone! I do that for almost everything now.
Tasheena says
I’ve never tried to make orange chicken in the slow cooker. It’s a family favorite. I have to give this recipe a try.