What is orange chicken?
Popular on many takeout menus, orange chicken is an American Chinese dish that consists of bite size cuts of chicken in a sweet orange-flavored chili glaze. The chicken is typically fried, often in flour or cornstarch to add a bit of crispness. The delicious, sticky sauce usually contains orange juice and zest, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar, though this slow cooker orange chicken recipe uses marmalade as a clever shortcut.
How do you serve orange chicken?
Orange chicken is most often served on a bed of fluffy white rice, or even with fried rice as a flavorful substitute. Top with cilantro, or sesame seeds and sliced green onion for garnish. While this orange chicken recipe is yummy on its own, you can serve it with a side of green beans or broccoli to add some additional color and texture. However you serve it, this fan favorite is bound to have you coming back for helping after helping.
More About This Recipe
- Those takeout menus can stay in the drawer tonight–now that you know how to make your own restaurant-quality orange chicken. From the tender chicken to the sweet and slightly spice orange glaze, this slow-cooker orange chicken recipe is one your family will request again and again. And if you like this recipe, make sure you check out these other better-than-takeout options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange chicken is a relatively mild dish, though it often has just a bit of heat to cut through the sweetness of the sauce. One benefit of making your own orange chicken is that you are free to tailor the spice level to your preference. In this slow cooker orange chicken recipe, simply adjust the amount of chili garlic sauce to dial the spice up or down.
Orange chicken is often prepared using bite-sized cuts of chicken breast or thighs. This slow-cooker orange chicken recipe calls for chicken breast, boneless, skinless chicken thigh makes an acceptable substitute. Try it both ways and see what you prefer.
Orange chicken has a mild, sweet and sour flavor profile that make it a widely-popular dish in many restaurants and home kitchens. This is due to the blend of sweet orange, typically offset by a hit of vinegar and just a bit of spice. All these flavors make a perfect compliment for lightly crispy chicken. Add some fluffy rice and you’re sure to be hooked.
Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken
- Prep Time 10 min
- Total 2 hr 15 min
- Ingredients 7
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sweet orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
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Step1Spray 2 1/2- to 3-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix marmalade and chili garlic sauce. Add chicken and marmalade mixture to slow cooker, mixing to thoroughly coat chicken with marmalade mixture. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 1 1/2 hours.
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Step2In small bowl, mix cornstarch and soy sauce; stir into slow-cooker mixture. Cover and cook on High heat setting 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and sauce is thickened and bubbly around edges.
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Step3Remove from slow cooker; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice.
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Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories
- 400
- Calories from Fat
- 45
- Total Fat
- 5g
- 8%
- Saturated Fat
- 1 1/2g
- 7%
- Trans Fat
- 0g
- Cholesterol
- 90mg
- 29%
- Sodium
- 890mg
- 37%
- Potassium
- 370mg
- 10%
- Total Carbohydrate
- 55g
- 18%
- Dietary Fiber
- 1g
- 4%
- Sugars
- 20g
- Protein
- 35g
% Daily Value*:
- Vitamin A
- 0%
- 0%
- Vitamin C
- 4%
- 4%
- Calcium
- 4%
- 4%
- Iron
- 15%
- 15%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choice
3 1/2Recipe Tips
