• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Published: April 1, 2018 Last Modified: March 24, 2019 By Sara 80 Comments

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe | Copycat Orange Chicken | Crock Pot Orange Chicken | Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe

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.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken Recipe | Copycat Orange Chicken | Crock Pot Orange Chicken | Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe #orange #chicken #orangechicken #slowcooker #crockpot #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Slow cooker orange chicken served over a bowl of rice.

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.

Breaded chicken in a slow cooker is the basis of orange chicken.

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.

Breaded chicken in a slow cooker coated with a sweet and savory sauce.

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.

Slow cooker orange chicken inside a crock pot, topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

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

  • Homemade Egg Rolls
  • Cream Cheese Wontons
  • Firecracker Chicken
  • Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
  • Mongolian Beef
Slow cooker orange chicken served over a bowl of rice.
Print Pin
4.77 from 38 votes

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

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!
Course Main
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 486kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 584mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Asian Food, Dinner, Slow Cooker

FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

    ​
    ​

    Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

    « Monterey Chicken
    Cherry Limeade »

    Comments

    1. Jen says

      July 26, 2021 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      Thrilled to find this amazing recipe! I love crook pot meals after a day at work.

      Reply
    2. Lisa C. says

      June 13, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this twice now, once in the crock pot and once on the stove. It got rave reviews from my family both times. I think I’m going to try adding a 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes next time to give it a little kick to offset the sweetness a bit.

      Reply
    3. Dee says

      March 17, 2021 at 7:27 pm

      If you had to choose between your slow cooker orange chicken recipe or your non-slow cooker one, which one would you choose?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 17, 2021 at 7:47 pm

        The stove top one tastes like Panda Express style orange chicken. The slow cooker one the flavor is a little different and the chicken coating doesn’t stay as crispy since it’s cooked in a crock pot. They’re both good choices but the regular one has that restaurant taste that’s harder to replicate in a slow cooker.

        Reply
    4. Wendy says

      January 31, 2021 at 3:14 pm

      Love this recipe! I made it quick on one skillet. After cooking the chicken I added the sauce, and cooked on low for 20 minutes. Delicious! Don’t need to go out and take out anymore. Yay!

      Reply
    5. Laurie Rasmussen says

      January 4, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      Haven’t made it yet.. maybe for dinner tomorrow. Would it be weird to add brown sugar to this recipe?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 4, 2021 at 7:34 pm

        That should work fine!

        Reply
    6. Tiffany O says

      December 6, 2020 at 8:52 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for the recipe! It was delicious and a big hit!

      Reply
    7. Gail says

      November 12, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight for tomorrows dinner. I doubled the sauce and it is very thin. Could I thicken it up with a cornstarch slurry. Really taste good thin sauce and all. Thanks

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 12, 2020 at 6:31 pm

        Yes you can add a cornstarch slurry during the last 30 minutes of the cooking time!

        Reply
    8. Olive Jackson says

      October 7, 2020 at 7:54 am

      5 stars
      I don’t normally leave reviews but this recipe was awesome. I made it last night and served it with a side of steamed broccoli and jasmine rice. I will definitely be making it again. We were hungry so I didn’t want to wait for it to cook in the slow cooker so I just cooked it all on the stove instead but I will try it in the slow cooker next time. Thank you!

      Reply
    9. JoAnn says

      June 28, 2020 at 9:36 am

      5 stars
      I made this 2 weeks ago for my Daughter’s Birthday Dinner. My family is used to my “substitutions” whenever I cook pretty much anything, so when I didn’t have Orange Marmalade on hand, I pureed a small can of Mandarin Oranges and added that plus .25 cup of granulated sugar to the sauce mixture (I missed having the rind, but no one else seemed to notice it was missing, lol). Sprinkling the final presentation with Sesame Seeds is a MUST! IMHO, that simple addition “made” the Dinner. (I served Jasmine Rice and a stove-top Garlicky Bok Choy dish as sides). Very definitely a “keeper” recipe. And one that’s easy enough to prepare that it can be served up anytime and not just for special occasions. 5 Stars.

      Reply
    10. Julie says

      June 15, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious! I was asked to double it for next time!

      Reply
    11. Tara says

      June 9, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      My family looooooved this! Doubled the recipe and it turned out fantastic!

      Reply
    12. Donna says

      May 17, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      could I leave out the rice vinegar and the sesame oil? Or do I need to make a trip to the grocery store? Lol

      Reply
      • Sara says

        May 17, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        I haven’t tried it this way, my best guess would be that you can omit the sesame oil but use a different vinegar for the rice vinegar, such as 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.

        Reply
        • Debbie Williford says

          September 9, 2020 at 2:02 pm

          I just made this taste good but I got it to thick what can I do?

          Reply
          • Sara says

            September 10, 2020 at 5:17 pm

            You can add a little water or chicken broth to thin the sauce!

            Reply
    13. Alex says

      March 10, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      I made this meal, it was delicious! Wondering if it is gluten free and if not what could I substitute to make it GF?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 11, 2020 at 10:20 am

        You would need to swap out the soy sauce for something else such as a gluten free tamari sauce!

        Reply
        • Mary C says

          May 9, 2020 at 9:22 pm

          There are several gluten free soy sauce. La Choy is a good one

          Reply
      • Jessica says

        October 1, 2020 at 1:55 am

        What about Bragg’s amino acids? My gf’s allergic to soy & uses those instead

        Reply
        • Sara says

          October 1, 2020 at 3:30 pm

          I believe that should be ok!

          Reply
      • Jenna says

        January 5, 2021 at 9:17 pm

        You could also use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More

    Winter Soups

    Albondigas soup made with beef meatballs, vegetables and potatoes.

    Albondigas Soup

    A pot of alphabet soup with ground beef and vegetables.

    Alphabet Soup

    A bowl full of slow cooker chicken tortilla soup with avocado, sour cream and tortilla strips.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

    A pot full of cabbage roll soup garnished with parsley.

    Cabbage Roll Soup

    Vegetable beef soup made with chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn and peas.

    Vegetable Beef Soup

    A pot of Mexican chicken soup with colorful veggies and potatoes, all topped with cilantro.

    Mexican Chicken Soup

    More Posts from this Category

    Featured Recipes

    A slow cooker full of cooked chicken breasts topped with marsala wine and mushroom sauce.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

    Pineapple chicken stir fry in a skillet, topped with sauce, sesame seeds and green onions.

    Pineapple Chicken

    This recipe for chicken ranch tacos is grilled chicken with bacon, homemade ranch sauce, cheese and fresh vegetables, all stuffed inside warm flour tortillas. A family friendly meal that's simple to make and fun to eat!

    Chicken Ranch Tacos

    A pot of stuffed pepper soup with rice, ground beef, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.

    Stuffed Pepper Soup

    FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

    Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

      ​
      ​

      Categories

      Sites I am featured In
      PRIVACY POLICY ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2022.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • Twitter
      • About Me
      • Contact Me
      • All Recipes
      • Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Dessert
      • One Pot Meals
      • Slow Cooker
      • Asian Food